De Smet Jesuit Lineman To Play For Coach Depicted in 'The Blind Side'

Almost 11 months after announcing he would play college football at the University of Missouri, De Smet Jesuit offensive lineman Andy Bauer, who later decommitted from Mizzou, said on Twitter Monday he had decided to play at Ole Miss.

"Just committed to @CoachHughFreeze,@CoachMattLuke, and the rest of the staff at the University of Mississippi!#OleMiss #HottyToddy #Rebels" he tweeted.

Bauer, considered the top prospect in the state of Missouri for the class of 2014, was sought after by the nation's top programs, including Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and LSU. Ole Miss was something of a late entry into the picture, as Bauer made two unofficial visits to the Oxford, MS campus since Jan. 1.

Freeze, who will be in his second year as Head Football Coach at the University of Mississippi this fall, gained notoriety as the high school football coach of former Ole Miss lineman Michael Oher, profiled in the Sandra Bullock film, The Blind Side. 

“No doubt, it helps … it’s an instant icebreaker for our assistant coaches or me, particularly for kids who have not heard of Hugh Freeze outside of the states of Mississippi, Tennessee or Arkansas — places I have coached,” Freeze told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year about the film.

Bauer told STLtoday.com's Nate Latsch that he chose the Rebels over national champion Alabama and that he'll play guard at the college level. 

De Smet Jesuit Head Football Coach Pat Mahoney confirmed that Bauer had reached an agreement with the school to graduate early, so that he could graduate in time to participate in college spring practices next year.

It is a trend seen in recent years as players look to get acclimated to the college life as quickly as possible in order to see playing time early on.

Mahoney said the agreement won't dilute Bauer's requirements for graduation. "This will be a lot of work on Andy’s part," Mahoney said by email Monday morning.

The decision is non-binding until a national letter of intent is signed in February 2014.

Getting Bauer would add to a recent round of recruiting coups for the Ole Miss staff, which reeled in one of the top ranked classes on National Signing Day last month.