Is Ole Miss senior quarterback Chad Kelly really the best player at his position in the country? His head coach Hugh Freeze would neither confirm nor deny that statement Tuesday but did praise his signal caller during a SportsCenter segment during his visit to ESPN for the SEC’s annual carwash event.

Kelly made the claim last week during SEC Media Days – along with setting the goals of the season to be an undefeated national championship – and while Freeze didn’t give his take on the subject, if you read between the lines of his SportsCenter comments, he most likely concurs with the sentiment.

“It’s not what I would have said, but it doesn’t surprise me at all,” Freeze said live on ESPN. “I don’t really think he meant that in a cockiness kind of way. He believes he should believe that he is the best in the nation, to lead this team the way he’s going to have to lead them. They are going to have to look toward him for every scenario and situation and his receivers believe he is, so he’s not far off. There’s some good ones up there.

“I don’t know how you’d accurately judge that today. The season will play out and tell but he’s one of the best in the nation for sure.”

In his only season with the Rebels, Kelly put up video game numbers: 4,042 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns along with 509 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Considering the number of potentially elite receivers returning to Oxford this season, as scary as it may seem, Kelly’s numbers could improve in 2016.

It’s crazy to think arguably the two best quarterbacks in the country were once both on Clemson’s roster but if Ole Miss wins the SEC for the first time since 1963, Kelly could find himself playing against his former team and quarterback Deshaun Watson in the playoff this year.

If that happens, we’ll have our answer as to which quarterback is truly the best at the position for 2016.