Ole Miss would not be on the verge of its first 10-win season since 2003 if not for the strong quarterback play from Chad Kelly.

Other players such as Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell might receive more attention from the media and NFL scouts, but the importance of Kelly’s masterful November cannot be overstated.

Unfortunately for Ole Miss, Kelly’s emergence as one of the best SEC quarterbacks could hurt the Rebels in the long run if he decides to leave for the NFL after the season. With so many other playmakers and seniors already departing, success for the Rebels in 2016 could depend on whether Kelly decides to return next year.

In the first part of the year, Kelly was inconsistent. Through the first three weeks, he threw nine touchdowns versus just one interception. That included a three-TD performance against Alabama.

The following week, though, he threw two interceptions as Ole Miss barely escaped Vanderbilt with a victory. In four of the next six games after facing Alabama, Kelly had at least two picks.

But the junior quarterback hasn’t thrown an interception since Halloween. In his last three games, he has thrown for seven TDs and 884 passing yards with no interceptions.

And that’s just through the air.

In the running attack, Kelly has 265 more yards and six additional TDs. Over the last three games, Ole Miss has gained 1,501 yards. Kelly accounted for 1,149 (76.5 percent) of those yards and totaled 13 TDs.

The Rebels are going to lose 19 seniors, 12 who played a significant role this season. Ole Miss is also likely to lose Nkemdiche, Tunsil and Treadwell, juniors expected to enter the NFL Draft. All three could be top 10 picks.

Even though coach Hugh Freeze has continued bringing in top recruiting classes, the skill, leadership and experience of those graduating seniors and three star juniors will be hard to replace. The problem will be compounded if Kelly decides to leave, too.

The top-ranked QB prospect in the nation, Shea Patterson, is committed to Ole Miss, but Freeze might not start him as a raw freshman, especially without experienced weapons to help him. That means Ole Miss will likely turn to Ryan Buchanan.

A sophomore, Buchanan has thrown for just 171 yards, two TDs and two interceptions in 34 pass attempts through two years at Ole Miss.

SEC West fans saw what happened to Mississippi State this season when several of its best players graduated. The Bulldogs were never a serious national contender, but they were relevant in the division because of the tremendous season from QB Dak Prescott. Ole Miss will be hoping for a similar type season with Kelly next year.

Assuming that Kelly continues to improve, a run at the SEC West title in 2016 isn’t out of the question. Ideally, Patterson would then start as a sophomore in 2017.

But without Kelly, 2016 will likely be a complete rebuilding year at Ole Miss.