George County receiver 'overwhelmed' by Ole Miss offer

George County senior receiver Tyrese Fryfogle picked up his second Division I offer of the week on Friday, and it's a big one.

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze called to offer Fryfogle a scholarship on Friday as he and his dad were traveling to attend a camp at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.

“I was just really excited,” Fryfogle said. “It was really a great feeling. It shows my work is starting to pay off from this summer.”

Fryfogle received his first Division I scholarship offer on Wednesday from Idaho and now he has an offer from the program where his father, Trey, played receiver from 2001-02.

“My dad, he was just as excited as me,” he said. “That's where he wants me to go. He didn't know what to say.”

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver is coming off an outstanding junior campaign when he pulled in 52 catches for 919 yards and eight touchdowns. His impressive numbers earned him a spot on the 2015 Sun Herald All-South Mississippi Team.

Fryfogle admitted that he was surprised when he got the call Friday from Freeze and Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator Matt Luke, a Gulfport native.

“I did real good at the (Ole Miss) camp in June,” Fryfogle said. “They told me they were rating all the receivers as the camps go and they would get back to me by the end of the summer.”

Fryfogle said he expects to take his time on a decision and see what other offers may come his way in the weeks ahead

After sitting and watching for much of the summer while several other prospects in the area picked up scholarship offers, Fryfogle was overjoyed to have an SEC offer on Friday.

“It's just overwhelming,” he said. “I thought when the season came, I would get my first offer. That's what my (George County) coaches have been saying, telling me to be patient and keep working hard. They all called to tell me they were really proud of me.”

Fryfogle took part in the USM camp on Friday and he is headed to Alabama for another camp on Saturday. He's sure to gain more attention following the Rebels' offer.

Before Idaho offered, Fryfogle had been talking with Southern Miss, Troy and South Carolina, but none of those schools have moved to offer yet.

“I just told him to be patient, calm,” George County coach Matt Caldwell said. “He put in the work and he's been doing the things he's supposed to do. Those things happen. He's a good kid, a hard worker. I'm really excited for him. I think there will be some more down the road for him. It's hard to beat an SEC offer. It's just hard to beat.”

Caldwell has Fryfogle timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash and he registered a vertical leap of 38 inches during the June camp at Ole Miss.

“He's so explosive,” Caldwell said. “He has jumping ability, runs well. He has good hands. The time I first noticed his athletic ability was in basketball. He could get off the floor and dunk and it looked like it didn't take any effort. I just thought, 'My goodness.' He's young in a sense. His body is going to keep growing. He's going to be a big, physical receiver that can run. He does well in the classroom. He's just good all the way around.”

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 10:52 AM with the headline "George County receiver 'overwhelmed' by Ole Miss offer."