Ole Miss fell from the SEC’s second-best class to third on Wednesday, but don’t let that fool you. The Rebels did an excellent job of recruiting, and Hugh Freeze placed an exclamation point on the 2016 class on National Signing Day.

The Rebels already had three five-star recruits and 10 four-star recruits, including two wide receivers. Ole Miss added another four-star wide out and a four-star safety on Wednesday.

LATE ADDITIONS

Freeze continued his remarkable track record of signing elite wide receivers. Ole Miss already had four-star WRs DeKaylin Metcalf and Tre Nixon committed. The Rebels added four-star A.J. Brown, considered the fifth-best player at the position in the class.

Ole Miss fans have to be excited about the future, which includes five-star QB Shea Patterson throwing to these highly-touted receivers.

The Rebels didn’t stop there on Wednesday. They also landed four-star safety Deontay Anderson, who may be an important part of a rebuilt Ole Miss defense that must replace seven starters, including two in the secondary, in 2016.

RELOADING ALL OVER

Some may call 2016 a rebuilding year for the Rebels, but with 16 four and five-star recruits in this class, Freeze is really reloading.

Ole Miss will replace the departed OT Laremy Tunsil, DT Robert Nkemdiche and WR Laquon Treadwell with five-star OT Gregory Little, five-star DT Benito Jones and the three four-star receivers. When Chad Kelly leaves after this season, Ole Miss should have Patterson ready to take charge.

The Rebels also added a trio of four-star recruits on defense and a pair of four-star running backs.

Perhaps most importantly, Freeze added depth to the offensive line, which is losing four starters from 2015. Four-star OT Bryce Mathews will have an opportunity to start opposite Little. Ole Miss also has four three-star offensive linemen in the class.

ALL QUIET

No recruits de-committed from Ole Miss after reports of NCAA allegations last Friday.

No de-commitments also made the pickups of Brown and Anderson all that much better.

SIGNEES

  • Gregory Little OT, five-star
  • A.J. Brown WR, four-star
  • Deontay Anderson S, four-star
  • DeKaylin Metcalf WR, four-star
  • Octavious Cooley TE, four-star
  • Tre Nixon WR, four-star
  • Jaylon Jones CB, four-star
  • D’Vaughn Pennamon RB, four-star
  • Bryce Mathews OT, four-star
  • Justin Connor RB, four-star
  • Jacob Mathis TE, four-star
  • Royce Newman OT, three-star
  • Chandler Tuitt G, three-star
  • Jarrion Street RB, three-star
  • Jack DeFoor OT, three-star
  • Tariqious Tisdale DE, three-star

EARLY ENROLLEES

  • Shea Patterson QB, five-star
  • Benito Jones DT, five-star
  • Charles Wiley DE, four-star
  • Gabe Angel TE, four-star
  • Eli Johnson C, three-star
  • Greg Eisworth S, three-star
  • Donta Evans ILB, three-star
  • Myles Hartsfield S, three-star (Prep)

Editor’s note: Saturday Down South’s references to recruiting rankings are to the 247Sports.com industry composite ranking.