Matt Luke comments on strong early signing period, ‘tremendous talent’ of QB Matt Corral

Matt Luke is going through his first recruiting cycle as head coach of the Rebels, and he was able to sign 14 players in the early period while flipping a number of players originally committed to other schools.

One of the positions that Luke said he focused on was QB. His focus paid off as the Rebels were able to flip and sign QB Matt Corral from his previous commitment to Florida. Corral is ranked the No. 3 pro-style QB in the nation for 2018, and getting him to sign was a big win for Ole Miss:

“I thought it was imperative that we sign a QB to come in and compete in the spring,” said Luke. “We’re able to do that with one of the top QBs in the country, Matt Corral. Tremendous, tremendous talent, and he’s going to be able to come in and compete in the spring.”

Another recruit that Luke focused on was DT Jalen Cunningham. He said Cunningham will likely begin at nose guard for the Rebels but believes Cunningham has the potential to develop into an NFL-caliber OG. Regardless of which side of the ball he plays, Cunningham has an impressive 6-foot-6, 345 pound frame that will be a plus along the line.

One interesting aspect of the early signing period group for Ole Miss is that a number of players flipped from earlier commitments. When it comes down to it, Luke says the decision for the player really comes down to finding the best environment:

“It’s all about relationships and fit,” Luke explained. “When a young man’s trying to make a decision, he’s gotta pick the best environment for him. I think that’s the whole key. A lot of these other outside influences, none of that matters. What matters is picking the best environment for you.”

Here is the list of all 14 Wednesday signees for the Rebels:

• Matt Corral, 4-star QB, Long Beach, CA
• Elijah Moore, 4-star WR, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• James Williams, 3-star SDE, Jackson, MS
• Demarcus Gregory, 3-star WR, Duncan, SC
• Jalen Cunningham, 3-star DT, Odenville, AL
• Scottie Phillips, 3-star JUCO RB, Ellisville, MS
• Jacquez Jones, 3-star OLB, Tuscaloosa, AL
• Cameron White, 3-star S, Madison, MS
• Hal Northern, 3-star JUCO DT, Senatobia, MS
• Vernon Dasher, 3-star JUCO OLB, Coffeyville, KS
• Quentin Bivens, 3-star DT, Waynesboro, MS
• Ka’Darian Hill, 3-star DT, Eufaula, AL
• Keidron Smith, 3-star CB, West Palm Beach, FL
• Jonathan Hess, 3-star OLB, Birmingham, AL

You can hear all of Luke’s comments about the early signing period here.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.