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Coach Speak: Mayo impressed by Ole Miss QB commit Alex Faniel

Alex Faniel committed to Ole Miss June 3. (Rivals.com)

Keylon Mayo could tell his player’s preferred college destination by the enthusiasm around the mailbox.

Schools were sending Alex Faniel letters and other materials through his head coach, and while many schools took the time to try to get Faniel’s attention, the quarterback’s mind went into overdrive when certain envelopes arrived.

“His interest was always there with them,” said Mayo, who resigned from Glen Allen High School because of family reasons following the 2015 season. "He always wanted to know what Ole Miss was saying. The letters were there, and Ole Miss had his attention. They showed him the love, and the environment was great. He called me on way back home and I knew he was so happy and content with his plan.”

Faniel committed to Ole Miss while on the Oxford campus June 2. Faniel had been focused on Ole Miss since his freshman season. The offer came and the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder instantly picked the Rebels over North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and others.

Faniel transferred from St. Christopher’s in Richmond, Virginia to nearby Glen Allen in spring 2015. He quickly gained the trust of teammates and took command with his attitude and ability. Mayo witnessed it and was impressed with the transition.

“His personality is one of a kind,” Mayo said. “He is the kid that you can take in any situation. He is going to make friends and fit in. He comes to the school and he didn’t have the ego of the best quarterback in the area. He focused on helping the team, and that was pretty much it. He’s a military kid and he’s disciplined and respectful. He interacts with family so well and he and his brothers says ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir.’ He’s hard working and dedicated.”

Faniel’s big arm and physical frame are the reasons for his college opportunities and high school notoriety. He’s sent multiple teammates to the trainer, Mayo said, because of getting the wind knocked out of them after balls bounced off their chests.

“He commands attention with his play and presence,” Mayo said. “Once he started throwing, there was instant respect with the team. He’ll hurt you if you don’t catch it correctly. It has more heat than you expect.”

Faniel struggled with protection as a junior, as he was harassed on most plays and struggled to set his feet because of pressure in his face. Glen Allen finished 1-9, as the offensive line couldn’t protect, and the defense allowed more than 30 points per game. He dazzled with his feet at times, by necessity.

“Our OL was not very great,” Mayo said. “We were few pieces away from protecting him. He was under stress every snap, but there were flashes where he could sling it. He threw accurate passes but was having to run 85 percent of the time.

“He’s definitely trying to get as many yards as possible out of the pocket. He tries to keep his eyes downfield and he learned for look for receivers out of the pocket.”

Mayo, who is neighbors with the quarterback, said Faniel is excited about being teammates with Shea Patterson, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2016 class, who enrolled at Ole Miss in January. There the possibility Faniel takes Patterson’s lead and enrolls for spring 2017. He’s looking into advanced placement classes to finish his high school career.

“You would just call Alex a great kid,” Mayo said. “He training hard and is so dedicated to doing what he can to be successful.”

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