Ole Miss QB commit Alex Faniel learning from season of adversity
Alex Faniel’s senior season has been filled with adversity, but those obstacles have him grateful for the experience.
The Glen Allen (Virginia) quarterback and Ole Miss commit injured his ankle in mid-September, before trying to play through the rest of that game against Lee-Davis and then missing three weeks after doctors initially thought it popped out and back in place.
He retuned Friday against Marshall in a 56-0 win, but the year hasn’t been what was expected between the injury and and a 1-6 record. Mature and positive, Faniel sees the struggles as a learning experience and growth opportunity.
“This season is the most vital one of my career so far,” Faniel said. “It hasn’t gone as planned as guys have done down with injuries and others have left for other reasons. The season has taught me a lot between having to sit on the sidelines for a few weeks and to keep the guys together. It’s established me as a leader. It’s been hard at times, but I’ve tried to put the team’s best interest ahead of everything.”
Faniel has three more high school games before turning attention to his college career. He committed to the Rebels June 2 while on a visit at the school. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder picked Ole Miss over East Carolina, North Carolina State, Temple, Virginia Tech and Virginia.
He was in Oxford for the Rebels’ game against Alabama and hopes to return unofficially later this season before taking his official visit sometime in January. Faniel doesn’t have any other visits scheduled and isn’t entertaining other schools. He speaks to offensive coordinator Dan Werner weekly.
“The offense is dynamic, and everything is so intriguing as far as opportunities down there,” Faniel said. “I like everything I see. During the Alabama game I remember when Chad (Kelly) went down and fumbled and all the teammates picked him up and they just kept going. There wasn’t a lull or heads down. It was nice to see, and that stuck out.”
Faniel’s other stop prior to college is a trip to Hawaii for the inaugural Polynesian Bowl. The all-star game for players of Polynesian heritage and other ancestries is Jan. 21, 2017, at Aloha Stadium in O’ahu, Hawaii.
Faniel, whose mother is Samoan, grew up in Hawaii from two to 10 years old. His parents were in the army, and the family was transferred to ‘Ewa Beach in Honolulu when he was two years old and then moved back to Fort Lee in Virginia eight years later.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Faniel said. “I get to go down there and see different guys. I’ve missed it a lot. I visit every now and then and still have aunts and uncles there.”
The two captains for the game are Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and Baltimore Ravens lineman Ronnie Stanley. Other quarterbacks in the game include Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey and Alabama commit Tua Tagovailoa.