‘This can’t be real.’ Biloxi football star fulfills dream, commits to SEC program.
Biloxi senior football star Elijah Sabbatini narrowed his lost of college options to eight back on June 17, but an SEC offer a week later put those schools on the backburner.
Sabbatini, a senior defensive back/receiver, verbally committed to Ole Miss on Monday night, bringing an early end to his recruitment.
Sabbatini’s original top eight schools were Air Force, Army, Southern Miss, Memphis, West Virginia, Kansas, Louisville and Indiana.
Ole Miss leaped to the front of that list when Rebels cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley, a Pascagoula football legend, called him with an offer on June 24.
“Ever since I was little, I always watched the SEC. It was my dream to play in the SEC,” Sabbatini said. “When they offered, I was like, ‘This can’t be real.’
“Just on the phone call with Coach Buckley, you could hear they were very interested and they have a good program. I’ve seen them play in person. I’ve been to one of their games. I love it already.”
After adding Ole Miss to his list of schools, it quickly became apparent to Sabbatini where he’d land.
“I nailed down the pros and cons of each school and did my research on Ole Miss,” he said. “They topped everybody out.
When Sabbatini informed his family of where he wanted to go, that gave him more confidence to make the call.
“I could just tell from the looks on their face that they were happy for me,” he said. “It was the right decision. That sealed the deal.
“It’s giving me a whole lot of relief that I know where I’m going. That’s where I want to go and I’m perfectly fine with that.”
Ole Miss likes Sabbatini as a defensive back, and he’s shown at Biloxi that he could fill a number of roles in the secondary.
Some schools, including Southern Miss, were recruiting Sabbatini as both a receiver and defensive back. He has also had success as a kick returner and lined up at running back as a junior.
The ability to move from position to position attracted Ole Miss to Sabbatini.
“(Buckley) said my versatility is what they need and what they want,” Sabbatini said.
The 6-1, 198-pound Sabbatini, who caught 10 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, had 93 tackles and three interceptions on defense as a junior. As a punt returner, he had six returns for 122 yards and one touchdown.
