QB Chad Kelly Career Likely Finished with Ole Miss Due to Injury

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The nightmare season for University of Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze continued through the weekend after finding out that starting quarterback Chad Kelly is out for the season due to injury.

Ole Miss fans cringed when Kelly left the Georgia Southern game with an unspecified leg injury. The Rebels went on to win 37-27 but lost the weekend. Word out of Oxford is Kelly has a torn ACL and lateral meniscus. The injury recovery time is typically two weeks of immobilization of the knee followed by another two weeks of limited motion before intensive physical therapy begins if surgery is required.

Kelly, a senior, might not have to rush back to the field for the Rebels. Ole Miss is now 4-5, 1-4 in conference play, with tough games remaining against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State. In theory, Kelly might be able to return to play in the postseason should Ole Miss qualify for a bowl game. The Rebels need to hit the six win plateau claiming victories in at least two of their final three games to receive a bowl bid.

After the Rebels lost Kelly in the third quarter, freshman Jason Pellerin took his spot. Pellerin finished the game 1 of 5 passing. For the season, Pellerin has completed 5 of 13 passes for 53 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns. Markell Pack is the only other Rebel to attempt a pass this season connecting for 37 yards on his lone attempt.

Kelly’s importance to the team overall cannot be understated. Kelly leads the SEC in passing yards with 2,758 and is tied with Austin Allen (Arkansas) and Drew Lock (Missouri) on passing touchdowns connecting on 19. Beyond the offense he generates with his arm and presence on the field in play action passes, he is also the team’s second leading rusher with 332 yards tied for a team-high five scores on the ground.

If Kelly has taken his last collegiate snap, he ends his career at Ole Miss with 6,800 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns in just two seasons.

The Rebels take the field again on Saturday, Nov. 12, heading to College Station to visit the Aggies. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET with the SEC Network providing coverage. Texas A&M may also be without their starting quarterback after senior dual-threat Trevor Knight injured his throwing shoulder diving into the end zone for a touchdown against Mississippi State.

Photo credit: Chattanooga Times Free Press; No. 17 Chad Kelly takes off running against Georgia Southern.