3 Reasons 5-Star QB Commit Shea Patterson Will Bring Ole Miss an SEC Title

When a top-flight quarterback spurns LSU and USC for another school, unless his name is "Eli Manning," you wouldn't expect that school to be Ole Miss.

Times apparently have changed.

Shea Patterson, a 5-star pro-style quarterback from Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 2016 class, committed to the Rebels over the Trojans and Tigers on Tuesday.

The 6'2", 195-pounder from Calvary Baptist Academy threw for 2,428 yards and 38 touchdowns and only tossed three picks in 2014 while adding 134 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Head coach Hugh Freeze seemed to take the news well.

He's a transformational quarterback who will not only keep Ole Miss in the SEC West title discussion but lead it to its first conference title since 1963. Here's why:

A Perfect Fit

Below are some of Patterson's highlights from the 2014 season. I'll wait for you to remove your jaw from the floor.

Now that you're prepared and have seen what Patterson brings to the table, it's hard not to understand just how good he can be in Freeze's offense.

From arm strength to accuracy to the ability to create behind the line of scrimmage, Patterson has everything Freeze wants from a quarterback. He can push the ball from sideline to sideline, stretch the field and doesn't lose touch on short and intermediate throws that don't require a ton of velocity.

As B/R national video analyst Michael Felder points out, he's the future at Ole Miss.

Freeze was successful over the last three years with Bo Wallace at quarterback, and Patterson has better arm strength, better accuracy, better decision-making and is still mobile enough behind the line of scrimmage to buy himself some time and let his receivers get open.

Freeze's offense is based on tempo, timing and creating big plays downfield when matchups are favorable—basically, everything Patterson does well.

Look out, SEC.

A Solid Foundation

LM Otero/Associated Press

Patterson will have plenty of weapons around him to work with once he wins the job as either a true freshman in 2016 or redshirt freshman/true sophomore in 2017.

Ole Miss signed a dynamic duo of wide receivers in the 2015 class in 4-star prospects Damarkus Lodge and Van Jefferson. Those two will make an immediate impact alongside Laquon Treadwell and Cody Core and evolve into more prominent roles once Ole Miss' veteran receivers move on.

Those two studs, plus Patterson, will keep the Rebels' lethal passing attack intact for years to come.

What's more, the problems on Ole Miss' offense appear to be getting fixed.

Javon Patterson enrolled early to help solidify the offensive line in the short term and long term, and 5'10", 188-pound all-purpose running back Eric Swinney should fix Ole Miss' biggest lingering problem—running between the tackles.

Freeze did a tremendous job this year signing players who can help continue the success that helped the Rebels make three straight bowl games and addressed areas of specific concern. Patterson should be the beneficiary once he arrives on campus.

Recruiting Momentum 

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Ole Miss finished 17th in the final 2015 247Sports team recruiting rankings, and nobody even batted an eye. That's quite a departure from the last two seasons when Freeze and Co. reeled in the the No. 8 and No. 15 classes, respectively, and became the talk of the college football recruiting world.

The ability for Ole Miss to reel in its third straight top-20 recruiting class and not be a major recruiting story is a massive compliment to Freeze, his staff and their recruiting efforts.

The best is yet to come.

247Sports

Patterson told B/R national recruiting writer Damon Sayles that his goal, now that he is committed to Ole Miss, is to lure more top-end talent to Oxford:

"

[Committing] is just the start of my recruiting process. I'm going to do the best I can to help bring the best class there. [4-star wide receiver] Mykel [Jones]'s one of my best friends. We've definitely talked about going to school together. [4-star running back] Devin [White]'s a Bo Jackson-type, and [4-star defensive tackle] Rashard [Lawrence]'s been on my radar.

"

This is major news for Ole Miss because as Freeze knows all too well, players are the best recruiters.

The presence of linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche on Ole Miss' roster was a big factor for his brother, Robert, the nation's No. 1 overall player in 2013, to sign on the dotted line and become a star defensive tackle. That opened the eyes of wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, safety Tony Conner and other top-flight prospects to all that Ole Miss has to offer.

With Patterson on board now, history could repeat itself.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Is the SEC West stacked?

Yes, and Ole Miss—a program that has never won the SEC West—has its work cut out for it to finally break through that glass ceiling. But it was in the national picture this season with Wallace at the helm and offensive problems abound, particularly running between the tackles and along the offensive line.

Patterson's ability to stretch the field and make all of the throws, when combined with Freeze and his staff's ability to consistently attract talented players to Oxford, should help Ole Miss do just that sometime between 2016 and 2020.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.