By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD - There has been no early evidence of behavior
problems from Chad Kelly. There has been evidence of a skilled
quarterback who could be the Ole Miss starter on Sept. 5 against
Tennessee-Martin.
There's been no evidence, however, that the starter won't
be Ryan Buchanan or DeVante Kincade, the two third-year sophomores with
whom Kelly, a troubled junior college transfer, is competing.
The nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, Chad
Kelly was dismissed from the Clemson football program last April for
what Tigers coach Dabo Swinney called unacceptable conduct.
He led East Mississippi to a junior college national
championship before signing with Ole Miss. However, a week after signing
he was arrested for his role in a fight outside a bar in Buffalo, N.Y.,
his hometown.
Freeze stopped short of saying there's a zero tolerance
policy regarding Kelly and behavior issues but made it clear there's
little wiggle room if any.
"I've been really pleased with everything he's done to
this point. Again, it's a process. I'm very aware that any of these
young men can make a decision that is wrong, and he's got very little
rope to do that with," Freeze said. "I'm real pleased to this point. He
studies film, he's a competitor, he's a team guy. That's been my
experience thus far."
ESPN rated Kelly the No. 4 quarterback, the No. 84 overall
prospect after his senior season at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
in Buffalo in 2011.
"He'll take chances. He'll throw it out there and let you run under it," wide receiver Laquon Treadwell said.
Kelly's primary struggle right now is learning the playbook and the terminology of the offense.
Lacking in those areas makes him stop and think a little too much.
"It can got a little fast for him at times, particularly
when we're adding something on the first day of that install," Freeze
said.
Experience
Knowledge of the offense is what Buchanan and Kincade hope
to emphasize, as well as their own physical gifts, in their quests to
become the starter.
Though playing time was limited for both behind three-year
starter Bo Wallace, both have now spent two seasons in Freeze's system.
"I know the playbook and feel comfortable," Buchanan said.
"The biggest thing is you've got to do it live. I can sit in the
meetings and know where everything is supposed to be, but you've got to
make the second decisions when you're out there."
Kincade says attention to detail will be important in winning the competition.
"You have to do the little things and be a leader take control," he said.
Control in the race is something none of the three have right now, and Freeze doesn't expect that any of them will soon.
Offensive line injuries have so skewed evaluations that Freeze says it would be unfair to judge the quarterbacks right now.
A scrimmage is set for Saturday, but if it's like last week's, a lack of bodies may make it difficult to get much done.
Even so, this is a big week for the quarterbacks.
"We're charting every single throw, and it's really close
among all three," Freeze said. "Ryan's had his great days, Kincade's
done well at times, and so has Chad. We'll compile it all after this
week, and look at it again. It's really close."
Ole Miss QB competition
Daily Journal
OXFORD - There has been no early evidence of behavior
problems from Chad Kelly. There has been evidence of a skilled
quarterback who could be the Ole Miss starter on Sept. 5 against
Tennessee-Martin.
There's been no evidence, however, that the starter won't
be Ryan Buchanan or DeVante Kincade, the two third-year sophomores with
whom Kelly, a troubled junior college transfer, is competing.
The nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, Chad
Kelly was dismissed from the Clemson football program last April for
what Tigers coach Dabo Swinney called unacceptable conduct.
He led East Mississippi to a junior college national
championship before signing with Ole Miss. However, a week after signing
he was arrested for his role in a fight outside a bar in Buffalo, N.Y.,
his hometown.
Freeze stopped short of saying there's a zero tolerance
policy regarding Kelly and behavior issues but made it clear there's
little wiggle room if any.
"I've been really pleased with everything he's done to
this point. Again, it's a process. I'm very aware that any of these
young men can make a decision that is wrong, and he's got very little
rope to do that with," Freeze said. "I'm real pleased to this point. He
studies film, he's a competitor, he's a team guy. That's been my
experience thus far."
ESPN rated Kelly the No. 4 quarterback, the No. 84 overall
prospect after his senior season at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
in Buffalo in 2011.
"He'll take chances. He'll throw it out there and let you run under it," wide receiver Laquon Treadwell said.
Kelly's primary struggle right now is learning the playbook and the terminology of the offense.
Lacking in those areas makes him stop and think a little too much.
"It can got a little fast for him at times, particularly
when we're adding something on the first day of that install," Freeze
said.
Experience
Knowledge of the offense is what Buchanan and Kincade hope
to emphasize, as well as their own physical gifts, in their quests to
become the starter.
Though playing time was limited for both behind three-year
starter Bo Wallace, both have now spent two seasons in Freeze's system.
"I know the playbook and feel comfortable," Buchanan said.
"The biggest thing is you've got to do it live. I can sit in the
meetings and know where everything is supposed to be, but you've got to
make the second decisions when you're out there."
Kincade says attention to detail will be important in winning the competition.
"You have to do the little things and be a leader take control," he said.
Control in the race is something none of the three have right now, and Freeze doesn't expect that any of them will soon.
Offensive line injuries have so skewed evaluations that Freeze says it would be unfair to judge the quarterbacks right now.
A scrimmage is set for Saturday, but if it's like last week's, a lack of bodies may make it difficult to get much done.
Even so, this is a big week for the quarterbacks.
"We're charting every single throw, and it's really close
among all three," Freeze said. "Ryan's had his great days, Kincade's
done well at times, and so has Chad. We'll compile it all after this
week, and look at it again. It's really close."
Ole Miss QB competition
