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Scout.com > Ole Miss

Rebs bringing in 4-Star QB commit
Story URL: http://mississippi.scout.com/2/803642.html

Yancy Porter
OMSpirit.com

Oct 22, 2008

Scout.com's #13 nationally rated QB committed to Alabama back in May, but after taking in an unofficial visit to Ole Miss in June, he has decided to come back in for an official visit during the Auburn weekend. To read more about AJ McCarron, click below.

"Coaches Nutt and Austin (at Ole Miss) asked AJ if he would come back in for an official visit after he visited them this summer and he said he would," added Tony McCarron, AJ's father. "He is going to take a couple of official visits and Ole Miss is one of them. He really likes Coaches Nutt and Austin. AJ wants to see what it is like on game day over there. We dropped by there this summer to check out the campus, but he wants to see the game day atmosphere at Ole Miss."

When did the Ole Miss visit get set up?

"We got a date set up a week or so ago, but he planned to come in for an official visit to Ole Miss as far back as this summer. We are going to drive over there after his game Friday (on October 31st), and we will leave on Sunday. It is going to make for a long weekend. There will be a lot of driving, but he wants to go see Ole Miss again. They are one of the places he wants to go back."

Where else does A.J. McCarron plan to visit?

"We have not set up anymore visits, but he wants to visit Miami and Oklahoma too. Between my schedule and his, it is really crazy. I work for the fire department, and I am off a day and on two days. Ole Miss is close enough where we can drive over there, but he will have to fly to those two schools. AJ is still committed to Alabama, but I do not know if he will take an official visit to Alabama or not because he has been over there so much that he knows everything there is to know about them."

Are anymore colleges heavily involved?

"LSU is still showing a lot of interest. We probably get the most mail from Oklahoma and LSU, but he has not expressed any desire to take an official visit to LSU."

What sparked the interest in Ole Miss from the 6' 3 1/2" quarterback?

"He gets alone extremely well with Coaches Austin and Nutt. He was curious to see how well their offense progressed this season, and I think he has been impressed with their offense. And really the only way he can know what it would be like to play for Ole Miss is to go over there for a game and see what it is like on game day. That is the only way you can make an educated decision."

Alabama beat Ole Miss in thrilling fashion last Saturday but it looks like the Rebel's offense opened McCarron's eyes.

"He attended the game between Ole Miss and Alabama and really liked Ole Miss' offense. Ole Miss is right on the verge of being a major contender. They made a couple of mistakes against Alabama that cost them the game. But really, they are a few mistakes from being undefeated. You can tell their program is about to really take off under Coach Nutt. He just likes those coaches over there. He wants to go back and makes sure he is making the right decision."

What did Alabama say about the St. Pauls product setting up a visit to a rival school?

"Coach Saban has never been anything but encouraging. He told him to take some visits to make sure he is making the right decision. He said that if Alabama is the program for him, he will know it after he takes his visits."

What got McCarron interested in Oklahoma?

"The fact that they are a traditional strong team every year. Their offense is similar to Ole Miss' and Alabama's. They like drop back QB's who are pocket passers. They want their QB's to make plays with their arm and read the defenses. But being a national championship contender year in and year is very attractive for AJ. We went up there this summer and met Coach Hypel. AJ really likes him. Coach Tyler Sisky, the former offensive coordinator over here at St. Pauls who is now at Arkansas State, made a list of schools for AJ to take a look at this past summer and Oklahoma was one of them. AJ is a very mature young man. We give him advise, but it is ultimately his decision to make. It is his life."

How did Miami get involved?

"AJ has been a Miami fan since he was a little kid. Miami was always his dream school to play for. When he got an offer from them, he was extremely excited. Coach Shannon seems like a strong coach. He is not afraid to discipline you in any fashion.. He will jump all over you but encourage you the next minute. AJ likes those type of coaches. Other than that, we really do not know a whole lot about Miami. That is why he wants to go over there and check everything out. He may go over there and feel at home. Right now, he is happy with his decision to attend Alabama, but we will look at some other places and see if there is anything that may fit him even better. This is a great opportunity for him to take some mini-vacations and see the different college settings. It is a once in a life time opportunity for my son."