Flowood, MS — The Jackson Prep Patriots football team had quite the success this season, and much of that success came due to the efforts of their junior four-star running back Jerrion Ealy. In November, Ealy led the Patriots to their sixth straight state title, and Friday he announced that he was ready to take his winning ways just up the road to Oxford, Mississippi.

Ealy announced his pledge to play both football and baseball for Ole Miss via his Twitter page Friday afternoon. Early Friday morning, Ealy told Ole Miss running backs coach Derrick Nix that he was ready to be an Ole Miss Rebel. He chose Ole Miss over other incredible programs that also recruited him for both football and baseball, including Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Tennessee.

Ole Miss has a national reputation of being an “air raid” attack with a pass-first mentality. The receiving corps in Oxford over the past few years has been second to none, and have proclaimed themselves as the “Nasty Wideouts.”  However, everyone knows that a powerful running game is a necessity in the SEC. During 2017, OM was led by senior Jordan Wilkins, but his time in Oxford is over. Derrick Nix was tasked with finding a replacement for Wilkins, and landing Jerrion Ealy goes a long way to solve that problem.

Ranked as the No. 8 running back nationally, at Jackson Prep Ealy has racked up 3,610 total yards in three seasons, including 1,407 receiving yards and 1,083 kick return yards, and has scored 21 touchdowns by the end of his junior year. Ealy has the capability of playing almost any position on offense, and his style fits in perfectly with the OM spread offense. Over the years many have doubted him because of his size, but speaking from first-hand experience, the man plays much bigger than his looks. It is not uncommon to see the 183-pounder bull doze 6’ 2” middle linebackers who easily have 60 pounds on him. Ealy has great vision along with an unmatched burst of speed. He is agile, coordinated, and tough, and he can make even the best defender miss routine open-field tackles.

Landing Jerrion Ealy proves big for the Rebels, as this is the second high profile commitment they received over a 24 hour period. The Rebels’ recruiting bonanza started with the commitment of 2018 four-star quarterback Matt Corral of Long Beach, CA, who changed his commitment from Florida State to Ole Miss the day before Jerrion’s news broke. Jerrion’s explosive offensive abilities will match well with the Ole Miss team taking shape.

Although Jerrion’s announcement sent thrills through the Ole Miss football faithful, that may not even be his most dominant sport. Jerrion is also a five-star baseball player with plenty of national attention. Ealy plays outfield for the Patriots, and also played travel ball this past summer with Team Georgia. Mike Bianco, the Ole Miss head baseball coach, has landed a program changing player who is explosive both on the basepaths and in the outfield, and as the No. 7 ranked junior baseball player nationally, is currently projected to be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2019 MLB draft.

Whether you are an Ole Miss or Mississippi State fan, one thing to be positive about is that Ealy has not only committed to Ole Miss, but to the state of Mississippi as a whole. Ealy takes great pride in being a part of the #MississippiMade club, and wanted to keep his talents in the great state he loves.

The Jackson Prep community is proud of Ealy’s accomplishments and looks forward to how Ealy represents his HS alma mater in the coming years.