Ole Miss defeated Georgia Southern 37-27 on Saturday, but it came with a huge loss.
During the third quarter, Kelly took a hit after an incomplete pass that resulted in him having to exit the game and not return. Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze confirmed after the game Kelly suffered a knee injury, although the extent would not be known until after an MRI.
Kelly underwent the exam on Sunday and it confirmed bad news for the Ole Miss quarterback. Kelly tore his ACL and lateral meniscus.
Breaking: Ole Miss releases statement that QB Chad Kelly is out for season after tearing his ACL & lateral meniscus. pic.twitter.com/3Szhj8sDfF
— Josh Jackson (@JoshJacksonWAPT) November 7, 2016
Against Georgia Southern, Kelly completed 16-of-23 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. For the season, he leads the SEC with 2,758 passing yards and is tied for the lead with 19 touchdown passes.
Instead of opting for the NFL after his junior season, Kelly decided to return to Ole Miss for one more year and it will now be interesting to see how this injury affects his draft stock. He is one of the top quarterback prospects expected to enter the draft with size and arm strength scouts like.
Freshman Jason Pellerin will likely take over for the Rebels for the remainder of the season. He has completed 5-of-13 passes this season for 53 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions
