The former Clemson and current EMCC quarterback will still have to beat out Ryan Buchanan and Devante Kincade - redshirt freshmen with two years of experience in Hugh Freeze's offensive system.
The competition this spring and summer will be intense - maybe even cutthroat - and that's exactly what Freeze is looking for in acquiring Kelly. Kelly is a 4-star, gun-slinging, cock-sure QB who thinks he can follow his famous uncle's footsteps all the way to the NFL. He isn't coming to Ole Miss to sit. But the job still must be won, and whether Kelly wins the starting job in 2015 or not, one thing is certain - he will raise the level of play at quarterback, and whichever player wins the position will be better for it.
With the graduation of Bo Wallace, quarterback is really the only major missing piece in 2015. With all the other weapons returning on both sides of the ball, Ole Miss should be a Top 10 team in August. But once the season is underway the star-studded roster will only go as far as its quarterback will take it. By offering Kelly, Freeze just made the odds of finding the right quarterback a little better. Maybe even a lot better.