The modern offense in college football needs a capable quarterback to be competitive on the field. Although the Rebels have had a few that were not as capable as we may have liked, we’ve had a couple that were as good as any in the country.
Quarterbacks
First Team:
Eli Manning
The record-breaking offenses of recent years have caused some forget just how good Eli was. After Peyton chose to go to Tennessee and Cooper’s unfortunate end to his college career, Eli Manning was the final hope of getting a Manning on Ole Miss campus that could compare to their father, Archie. And Eli delivered.
Eli finished his career with a school record 10,119 career passing yards while setting or tying 47 Ole Miss single game, season, or career records. He had 10 career 300 yard passing games with six going for over 350. He was a Maxwell Award winner and finished 3rd in the Heisman race. Eli was the definition of a pocket passer. His passes look effortless and his expression never changed. He just might be the greatest Rebel QB of all time.
Second Team:
Chad Kelly
This one was a tough one. Romero Miller and Bo Wallace both are often overlooked for their contributions to the team. But Kelly has made this list off of an exceptional one season and the potential of a spectacular season. Last season he passed for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns.
What many considered a risk when he was signed by Coach Hugh Freeze has panned out to be the catalyst to a potential epic season for the Rebels. If he puts up numbers like he did last year, many will start to talk about his place in Ole Miss history among the greats.
Next: The Running Backs