The Ole Miss Rebels and head coach Hugh Freeze began this year’s JUCO Signing Day with a bang, earning a signed letter of intent from top cornerback Tony Bridges of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Patrick Ochs of the Biloxi Sun Herald was on-hand for Bridges’ signing ceremony at MGCCC.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Bridges was one of five four-star commitments in the Rebels’ 2015 class. He is the first of those five to officially sign with the school, gaining a leg up on the prep recruits in the class with Wednesday’s JUCO Signing Day.

The MGCCC star was regarded by 247 as the nation’s eighth-best JUCO target and the best JUCO cornerback in this year’s class. He’ll join a defense that closed 2014 as the nation’s top scoring defense, and he could be put to work right away with the upcoming departures of seniors Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt.

Bridges was also considering attending Auburn next year, and in February he actually committed to the Tigers only to flip that commitment to Ole Miss last month after making an official visit to both schools.

He played in nine games for MGCCC this season, recording 28 tackles, a forced fumble and two pass breakups. Bridges never registered an interception, but that’s a testament to how infrequently he was thrown at due to his abilities as a cover corner.