Hugh Freeze: Newest class could be Ole Miss' 'best class ever'
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze was hired prior to 2012 season and immediately went to work, securing the nation’s No. 8-ranked recruiting class for 2013 — easily the best that the program had ever put together. From 2013-15, he saw his efforts come to fruition, as the Rebels won 27 games climbed as high as No. 3 in the AP Top 25 polls (twice).
The top three players from that class (Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell, and Laremy Tunsil) were all selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. But just days into fall camp and Freeze already has even higher expectations for his newest additions to the roster.
“They’re good kids, and they’re obviously talented, but I think this could be our best class from just two days of being out there,” Freeze said earlier this week, per The Oxford Eagle.
Freeze’s 2016 class ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC, according to 247Sports. Highlighted by five-star prospects Gregory Little (OT), Shea Patterson (QB), and Benito Jones (DT), the Rebels reeled in a dozen four-stars — five more than their 2013 class contained.
“We do think (Little) is a really good future left tackle,” Freeze said. “When that takes place is hard to say. But he wants to do it, and he learns and he studies, so I think the learning curve, he’ll handle that well.
“(Patterson) will be traveling with us, ready to play, and we’ll make that (decision) maybe even during the course of games,” Freeze said. “It’s not something we are going to discuss this early, but we’re getting him prepared to play.”
We’ll return to this discussion in three years when we have an actual sample to work with, but for now, we can go along with it.