Matt Corral pens letter to Ole Miss fans ahead of final home game
Matt Corral is set to play his final home game for Ole Miss this Saturday against Vanderbilt and he didn’t want to leave the fans in Oxford without a thank you letter. In a post to his Twitter account, the Rebels quarterback showed extreme gratitude to the university.
“As I think about my final game at The Vaught, I really don’t know where to start,” Corral wrote. “I’ll begin with how different our coaching staff is — a good different. It’s a staff built on relationships and mentoring. We truly have a one-of-a-kind program at Ole Miss.
“Coach (Lane) Kiffin and coach (Jeff) Lebby showed me how to be a truly leader on and off the field. They prepared me to be an elite player at the position, and nothing less was acceptable. They held me to high standards, and the relationship I have with them made me not want to let them down in any way.”
Corral played for two seasons under coach Matt Luke before Kiffin took over the Rebels in 2020. After a 5-5 finish in his inaugural season, the team is 8-2 so far in 2021 and Corral is considered one of the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy.
Although he is a redshirt junior and could return to Oxford, the quarterback is a projected first-round draft pick in 2022 and expected to enter the NFL. After also thanking assistant coaches Matt Holecek and Wilson Love, Corral turned to the fans.
“I have so much appreciation for Rebel Nation,” he wrote. “The love and support I have received from fans, faculty, administration and staff in my four years here has been remarkable, and Oxford will always be a second home to me.
“I really mean it when I say this team means something to me. The other leaders and I formed a bond on this team that came together when times were tough. When nobody was clapping for us, we were the ones holding it together. The love on this team was and is unmatched. It’s something that I will remember forever.”
Ole Miss will finish with a winning record for the first time in Corral’s career and have a chance to make a New Year’s Six Bowl game. They are currently projected to play Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, according to CBS Sports expert Jerry Palm.
After this letter, Ole Miss fans are sure to cheer even harder for Corral on Senior Day against the Commodores. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Oxford.