OXFORD, Miss. — Linebacker Chris Strong of Batesville, Miss., has been provisionally admitted to The University of Mississippi, it was announced here Thursday.

NCAA rules permit Strong to practice with Coach Ed Orgeron‚s Rebels for a maximum of 14 days. He must be certified eligible by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse before he may compete for the Rebels.

“Chris was the No. 1 player in the state,” Orgeron said.  “He really worked hard on getting his grades up.  He‚s going to give us a big boost.”

A 6-foot-2, 245-pounder out of South Panola High School, Strong was a Parade All-American and helped lead South Panola to a fourth consecutive 5A state title in 2006 and ended his high school career with a perfect 60-0 record.

He was rated as Mississippi’s No. 1 prep player and the No. 3 defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com. He was named Mr. Football for Mississippi by The Clarion-Ledger.

 “It was great to get out there today with my teammates, especially the guys from South Panola,” Strong said.  “They are already pushing me to get in shape.  I felt really good being out there and look forward to tomorrow.”

 

Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations

August 9, 2007