3-star QB Alex Faniel commits to Ole Miss|Ole Miss Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

After missing out on Tristan Gebbia, Tua Tagovailoa and sending a late offer to Myles Brennan, Hugh Freeze has finally landed a signal caller for the 2017 class. Three-star Virginia native Alex Faniel committed to the Rebels Thursday afternoon, becoming the fifth commitment in this year’s class and the first (and probably only) quarterback.

Faniel, who was thought to be a heavy Virginia Tech lean, also holds offers from East Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia and Temple. The No. 27-ranked pro-style quarterback and No. 18-ranked player in the state of Virginia told Scout’s Ben Garrett that he “didn’t hesitate” and committed to Ole Miss on the spot.

The Glen Allen High School product had a pretty good junior year, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,147 yards in only nine games.

Personally, I thought not getting a QB in this class wouldn’t be the worst thing with Shea Patterson and Jason Pellerin on the roster, but only having two on scholarship in 2017 could be big-time trouble if an injury were to come up.

How does he fit in?

Faniel has size and big-time arm, but there is still a good bit of work to be done on the technical side. Combine his ragged edges with the presence of Shea Patterson, and Faniel could end up redshirting in 2017.

When he does eventually see the field, he may end up filling a Barry Brunetti, change-of-pace role, at least early on. 6’5, 225 pounds with a willingness to lower his shoulder, Faniel looks like a designated power runner in Freeze’s zone read scheme. He looks comfortable throwing on the move, which could make him a dangerous red zone threat.

Highlights