3-star OL Micah Pettus commits to Ole Miss over Florida State

Lane Kiffin and the Rebels added another big body on the line with a commitment from three-star offensive tackle Micah Pettus on Sunday.

Pettus, the 6-foot-8, 318-pound No. 2 offensive tackle in the state of Alabama, chose Ole Miss over Florida State, Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Arkansas, among others. The Harvest, Al. native visited Oxford on the last day of February and had another visit planned for later in the spring, before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed recruiting into the digital sphere.

His primary recruiters offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and offensive line coach Randy Clements officially offered Pettus on April 30th and appear to have brought enough to the table on the virtual calls and while he was in Mississippi to lure him to the Rebels over his other suitors.

Pettus plays at Sparkman High School and has anchored the Senators at left tackle through three up-and-down seasons that saw eight or more wins in his sophomore and junior years.

How does he fit in?

Pettus is a big, physical lineman who has had his stock rise significantly over the course of the past year. He sits firm on his frame, carries his weight well and is extremely athletic for someone of his size. He often jokes about needing to be listed as an ‘athlete’ instead of a lineman.

His strong hands consistently win battles with opposing rushers and he seems to enjoy throwing guys around at the line of scrimmage.

See him (73) here pulling from the left tackle spot through the B gap. For a massive guy, he is quick to redirect his body in traffic and finishes fluid through the block.

Pettus lacks a full understanding in pass protection and can often be exposed with a poor first step. However, he will play beyond his ‘star’ recruiting ranking in the right system and will only continue to grow as a high school senior and at Ole Miss under Clement’s expertise.

As a 30-year veteran, Clements has built numerous All-Americans and consistent all-conference players in the Big 12, ACC and AAC. He is known for his ability to mold big frames and coached the Big 12’s Offensive Lineman of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 2012-15 while at Baylor. Pettus has raw ability and is very physical at the line of scrimmage. With Clements refining his technique, he could become a force to be reckoned with on the blindside.

Pettus will get to Oxford and join a large, youthful offensive line that currently consists of one senior, one junior, one sophomore, five rising sophomores and four incoming freshman. The group averages 6-foot-5 and includes underclassmen Luke Shouse, Tobias Braun, Eli Acker, Nick Broeker, and Darius Thomas, who are all 6-foot-6 or taller.

Highlights