Engram to Ole Miss

Powder Springs, Ga., tight end Evan Engram knew after his second visit to Ole Miss this month that Oxford was where he was going to spend his next four to five years. Today, he made his commitment.

"I've been wanting to commit to Ole Miss since I got an offer from them at their camp (June 1st)," said the Hillgrove tight end. "My parents wanted me to wait and make sure I was making the right decision so I took in a couple of visits recently to Ohio State and UCLA."

Thursday, he finally pulled the trigger.

"I made sure my parents got to know the Ole Miss coaches better. They've been talking a lot, and they came around this morning and said they would support me so I called coach (Hugh) Freeze and coach (Dan) Werner. We talked about me coming in and then I called my position coach, Maurice Harris."

What did the Ole Miss coaches say back when Engram let them know he was ready to be a Rebel?

"They told me I have an opportunity to compete for a starting job. They're going to bring in two more tight ends but my body and speed are perfect for their offense. They think I can come right in and contribute."

Some might ponder how a 6' 3", 210-pounder could have the body to play tight end in the SEC.

"I have the prefect body for their offense, actually. They're not asking me to put my hand in the ground and block the ends. They basically want me to be a fifth receiver out there and help block some linebackers and defensive backs. I can go out wide and beat up on the cornerbacks with my strength, or I can move inside and handle the linebackers and use my speed to get around them. My body and play fits perfectly with what they're looking for in their offense. That's why they love me so much."

Why was Ole Miss the best choice for Scout.com's No. 36 rated tight end?

"My relationship with that staff is just great. We just clicked the first time we spoke to one another. It's a true family environment over there and it felt right the second I stepped foot on their campus. I've been all over from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Ohio State, UCLA, and just a ton of places but none of them gave me that homey feeling like Ole Miss. It just feels like home over there."

Engram will now put his recruiting hat on.

"Definitely. I'll build a friendship with their recruits like Ryan Buchanan did with me. He just started calling me about a month ago after we played together at Ole Miss elite camp. Ryan told me that we could do some big things down there, and now he wants me to help him out and do some recruiting for them. That's exactly what I'm about to start doing. We plan on winning some championships before we leave there."

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Yancy Porter is the Mississippi Scout for Scout.com and he can be reached at [e-mail]