Hugh Freeze will make decision on Chad Kelly after Jan. 5 court date
Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has not made a decision regarding the status of recent junior college signee Chad Kelly.
Kelly, a former Clemson quarterback who signed with the Rebels on Dec. 17 after a season at East Mississippi Community College, was arrested on multiple misdemeanor charges for an incident outside a bar in Buffalo, New York. Kelly has a court date scheduled for Jan. 5. Freeze said he won’t decide whether or not Kelly will be a part of the program until after that court appearance.
"It's like I tell him everyday when he's calling and texting me, 'I'll deal with you when I get ready to deal with you,'" Freeze said, per RebelGrove.com. "That will be after I gather everything and see what the court date on Jan. 5 and what happens with that.
“When you're dealing with a kid's future, everybody has their opinion and none of the opinions matter other than what's best for the program first and kid second. For me to do anything but wait for all the facts and truth, because everything out there isn't accurate. I want to deal with what is exactly accurate. That's fair to any individual you're dealing with."
Freeze said that Kelly has been “humbled” and “remorseful” about the incident, in which he allegedly punched a bouncer in the face and threated to go to his car and get a gun. In response to that threat, a car Kelly was riding in as a passenger was pulled over. Kelly then “kicked and tried to swing at” police officers when they removed him from the vehicle.
Kelly, who threw for 3,905 yards and 47 touchdowns at EMCC this season, was expected to enroll at Ole Miss in the spring and compete with redshirt freshmen Ryan Buchanan and Devante Kincade for the starting job. Kelly was dismissed by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney in April for "conduct detrimental to the program."
"This is where he wants to be, and he knows he made a mistake in being in the wrong place," Freeze said. "I think he's remorseful for that, but I have to deal with what's best for team first and then what's right for young men."
Ole Miss will play TCU in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve.
For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
