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Ole Miss was the star of signing day this year when they inked the best player in the nation, Robert Nkemdiche and finished with a top-five recruiting class, which was the best collection of talent in the program’s long history.
Some had speculated that the success on the recruiting trail had to be because of some shady dealings and couldn’t possibly be achieved by the book. Others have applauded head coach, Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff including Chris Kiffin and Wesley “Crimedog” McGriff for their efforts but stopped short of predicting the Rebels would become consistent players on signing day.
Having a top-five class may not be an annual thing for Ole Miss, and with the Rebels losing McGriff to the NFL, dominating signing day in 2014 may not repeat itself with the same fanfare.
That doesn’t mean I think Ole Miss is due for a big regression similar to the classes they experienced when they only won one SEC game in the two years before Freeze’s arrival. On the contrary, because I think as long as Freeze is the head coach in Oxford, the Rebels will be players for every top recruit they are interested in.
The biggest factor outside of Freeze at keeping recruits engaged and excited about the lure of Oxford, Ms is that once you bring the recruits on campus, you have to win games and then send those players to the NFL. It’s one thing to win signing day as they did in February, but it’s another to win in the fall when it truly matters. Top-five recruiting classes are meaningless if you’re going 5-7 every year.
But I think Ole Miss will improve on their seven-win season last year and while facing an extremely tough schedule that’s front-loaded with some nasty opponents, I think the team shows marked improvement in all three facets of the game in 2013.
Just think how good the recruiting classes will be when they start winning 10 games a year.
The state of Mississippi produces as many division 1 prospects when you factor in the size of the state as anyone. Facilities have recently been upgraded, the Grove is one of the best tailgating scenes in the nation, the campus is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful and another selling point is Mississippi girls are downright gorgeous.
The Rebels haven’t won an SEC title since 1963 and I know I don’t need to remind Rebel Nation of that fact, but I think 2014 represents the best chance to win a conference crown since Eli Manning’s senior season–if not the 1960s.
If that happens you better believe the culture that Freeze has created at Ole Miss will bring more five-star recruits to town and instead of a good season here and there for the Rebels, they will have a potential decade of dominance on their hands.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is the host of “The Wake-up Call,” on Sportstownchicago.com airing Wednesday mornings from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
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