Little, big Rebel addition

Wednesday was decision day for Allen (Texas) five-star offensive tackle Gregory Little. The No. 1 offensive lineman in the 2016 recruiting class narrowed his list to Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss, and he announced his commitment to Ole Miss on Twitter.

I am announcing my commitment to.......... https://t.co/M6s6b5zu7b pic.twitter.com/wjZ7rEnpmu— Gregory Hendrix (@Thegreglittle) December 16, 2015

THE LATEST: Little announced his commitment to Ole Miss Wednesday, giving the Rebels the nation's top ranked 2016 offensive lineman to go along withShea Patterson, the nation's No. 1 ranked 2016 quarterback.

PROSPECT ANALYSIS: The 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive tackle is a well rounded, naturally gifted prospect with a great work ethic. He is a rare combination of size, athleticism, strength, and polish. He is equally strong in his run and pass blocking and he has played at a high level in one of the top high school programs in the country for several years. His has been gifted with a large frame, and a long wingspan and he is light on his feet. He has the tools to be an instant impact player in the trenches for the Rebels.

RECRUTING IMPACT: Without a doubt Little's commitment is huge for the Ole Miss program, and their future recruiting efforts. There are several reasons but a few immediately jump to the front. 1.) he is a five-star prospect at a priority position. In fact, in the Rivals.com era, Ole Miss has not signed a higher rated high school offensive lineman. He is a high profile recruit at a cornerstone position and that has to make five-star quarterback Shea Patterson feel real good about his future situation. 2.) He is a high profile prospect in a talent hotbed the Rebels have worked hard to gain a foothold. Hugh Freeze and his staff have made Texas a priority over the years and have worked hard to establish relationships. Little is not only big, but he's the biggest Texas prospect in the 2016 class. He is also the top rated Texan to commit to the Rebels in the Rivals.com era. DaMarkus Lodge was another big get out of Texas in the 2015 class, but Little is No. 1 in the state and at a higher priority position. 3.) Little is a big time player from a big time Texas program. Allen High School is one of the top high school programs in the country and has a steady stream of talented prospects running through the program. There will be other high profile recruits from Allen, probably lots of them, and Little along with fellow four-star Ole Miss 2016 commit Jaylon Jones give the Rebels a very solid foothold in the program. 4.) It is a huge win on the recruiting trail over several SEC rivals. 5.) Little is a popular recruit and a guy many other prospects have talked about playing with on the college level. His commitment will catch the attention of other top prospects, and give the Rebels another big time voice in the ear of top recruits.

RIVALS' REACTION: Alabama has been a popular pick since Little re-opened his recruiting process, but the Ole Miss Rebels have also had a strong presence. As the decision date grew closer, so did the momentum around an Ole Miss selection. The selection is a big win for the Rebel program and gives the Rebels the highest rated duo of any other 2016 recruiting class. It also gives the Rebels another high profile recruit in the ear of other top prospects as the recruiting process nears the back stretch towards Signing Day 2016. It's a big win all the way around the Rebels.