Hugh Freeze and Co. steal another one from Starkville after Gay verbally commits to the Rebs.
Ole Miss secured a commitment from linebacker Josh Clarke earlier this week and they’re continuing to put even more of an emphasis on the position after securing a commitment from four-star Willie Gay. The Starkville native committed to the Rebs via Twitter and is now the ninth commit in the 2017 class.
Gay was always thought to be a Mississippi State lean during his recruitment (as high as 70 percent on his 247Sports’ Crystal Ball) but Ole Miss and Dave Wommack stayed vigilante throughout his recruitment. You have to think that the No. 3 player in the state of Mississippi and the No. 11 outside linebacker in the nation felt some continuity and comfort knowing that his former teammate A.J. Brown is now a Rebel.
Willie collected 84 tackles his junior year, 11 of those for loss, 6 sacks, 9 pass breakups and 4 interceptions. He was a key cog in the Yellowjackets’ state title run in 2015 where they ended the year with a 14-1 record.
Securing another verbal pledge from a linebacker is one thing but to once again get another recruit from your rival’s backyard shows the recruiting reach that Hugh Freeze and his staff have. Gay may not have been a lifelong State fan growing up but it is still a huge deal to snag a recruit from right under a Power 5 program’s nose.
How does he fit in?
Gay is a rangy outside linebacker who already has the size at 6’2 and 215-pounds to step in and contribute right away. The biggest question is where will he play for the Landsharks? He’s definitely a strong enough tackler to play at the second level as an outside linebacker but could also serve well in the Tony Conner role. With Conner departing from Ole Miss due to graduation, Willie will be set up to take over for him in 2017 if need be. Gay’s 4.6 speed will serve him well in space when covering screens and stretch run plays.
Gay will come in with Clarke and be counted on to contribute immediately. The Rebs are losing Terry Caldwell, Rommel Mageo and Temario Strong due to graduation so Gay will get plenty of opportunities to try and earn a starting spot. The struggle to find elite talent at the linebacker position has been a struggle in Hugh Freeze’s four years at the helm but he has finally gotten his man.
And he’s from Starkville. What a time.