Offensive guard Javon Patterson — the top-rated recruit in the state of Mississippi — chose to play for the Ole Miss Rebels on Thursday, reports John Davis of the Oxford Citizen.

The 6-foot-3 1/2, 310-pound Petal, Miss., native committed and signed with the Rebels during a ceremony on Thursday morning. Patterson is on pace to graduate in December, and will report to campus in January.

Patterson chose Ole Miss over in-state rival Mississippi State and Auburn. It was his growing up an Ole Miss fan that won out.

“Coach Freeze and [offensive line] Coach Luke are great people, great encouragers, and they’re great coaches,” Patterson told the Oxford Citizen. “I like the way they took the initiative with me. Going in early is something I wanted to do. I’m going to be there in two months, so that’s a short amount of time, but I think going in early will give me an edge going into learn the offense and compete for a spot.”

Patterson’s lauded as the third-best guard prospect in the country by Rivals.com.