Report: Patterson To Play Against A&M – What Does It Mean For The Rebels Moving Forward

According to a report by Bleacher Report’s Barrett Sallee, Ole Miss’ true freshman phenom Shea Patterson will play against Texas A&M after having his redshirt pulled.

This decision came after a week of waiting to hear from Coach Freeze, who was hesitant to make that choice in his post-game presser after Chad Kelly’s injury against Georgia Southern. Freeze continued to discuss his opinion on pulling Patterson’s redshirt with only three games remaining but did not offer a clear answer to whether or not he would ultimately decide to pull it. If Sallee is correct and Patterson does play, the Rebel offense will have a new look Saturday against the Aggies. Freeze, at his press conference, spoke about bringing back former QB Ryan Buchanan, letting Markell Pack and Evan Engram line up under center leading many to believe Patterson wouldn’t see the field this season.

So what does this mean for the Rebel offense? It is unclear at this point whether Patterson will start or split time with sophomore Jason Pellerin. But, what is clear is that Freeze is ready to see what the talented freshman can do. The 6’2, 195-pound former 5-star recruit was one of the top QBs in the 2016 recruiting class, and the #1 overall pro-style QB, but is also a threat on the ground much like Kelly.

Patterson has done and said all the right things this season, while presumably being groomed for the starting job next season. But, there’s a big difference between the practice field and the bright lights on Saturday night in College Station.

“I just think you have to look at the whole scenario for what’s best for individuals and what’s best for the team and how many games are left, and if you want his first start to be in front of 115,000 at A&M or the first game next year,” Freeze said at his weekly press conference. “You want to set a kid up for success. We, obviously, believe he is a super talent, but those are all the kinds of things going on in your mind.”

Jason Pellerin hasn’t blown anyone away in the limited game action he’s seen, including the remainder of last Saturday’s victory after Kelly went down. Pellerin has accounted for five TDs and three INTs appearing in six games this season. Pellerin will most likely split time with Patterson this Saturday, after getting first team reps in practice.

Pulling Patterson’s redshirt allows for an opportunity to be unpredictable. Pellerin is a run-first style quarterback, and the fact that there is no tape on Patterson (other than high school) for A&M to study gives the Rebel offense an advantage. That being said Patterson is young. So look for A&M to pressure him early and often to rattle the freshman quarterback. Patterson will have one of the nation’s best receiving corps at his side, including the nation’s top TE Evan Engram. With the Rebels ineffective running attack, they must find ways to get the ball out of Patterson’s hands quickly and efficiently to avoid the pressure getting to him. 

With the Rebels needing two more wins to be bowl eligible, fans, coaches and the rest of the SEC are ready to find out if Patterson is the real deal. The Rebels take on Texas A&M this Saturday at Kyle Field, then travel to Nashville to take on the Commodores of Vanderbilt. Patterson and the Rebels have two games to develop an identity with the freshman at the helm before taking on Mississippi State at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a bowl berth potentially on the line.

Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com. 

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