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The Rebels continue to address their needs in the 2016 class with the commitment of four-star offensive guard Chandler Tuitt. The 6'4, 270-pound interior lineman from Tyrone, Ga. chose Ole Miss over Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Once again, the Sandy Creek High School pipeline pays off as Tuitt joins Mike Hilton and Eric Swinney as the latest Patriot to make his way to Oxford, Miss.
Standing a legit 6'4 and tipping the scales just under 300-pounds is paramount for a high school athlete heading into his senior year. That size is also very, very important when you're about to attend a university that runs the hurry up no huddle offense. Last season, Ole Miss' offensive line struggled mightily with weight and functioning at full speed within the offense because of it. The height and weight combination will be a great "base layer" for head strength and conditioning coach Paul Jackson to work with.
One of the more impressive things with Mr. Tuitt's recruitment is how Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke went toe-to-toe with Ohio State's Ed Warinner, Tennessee's Don Mahoney, Georgia's Rob Sale and won the battle. Tennessee recruits the Peach State extremely well, Georgia seemed to have the lead for quite some time and Ohio State is coming off a national title. Now I'm sure that doesn't hurt to chirp about in the living room when talking with mama. And for Luke to snag an ESPN 300 offensive lineman from three big-time programs is just another example of how far Freeze and Co. have taken this program from where it was in 2011.
How does he fit in?
The first thing that you see when you watch Tuitt on film is his length. Although he isn't 6'6 and 310-pounds, his frame is perfect for someone who is getting ready to step on a college campus. When you see Tuitt come off the ball, his pad level is great and his initial punch is lethal. His pass protection still needs some sharpening, but his length is a great asset to have when dropping back to protect the passer. Overall, Tuitt's ceiling is very high (as you can tell from his offer list) and he is very likely to be a big part of the Rebels offense in the near future.