Biloxi Safety Elijah Sabbatini Re-Commits to Ole Miss
Elijah Sabbatini just needed a little more wooing.
After de-committing from Ole Miss in October, the Biloxi strong safety re-pledged his skills to the Rebels on Friday night with less than two weeks before national signing day.
Sabbatini, who has played safety, wide receiver and kick returner for Biloxi, was heavily courted by Georgia following his de-commitment, but will end up staying in state with the Rebels. He's rated as a three-star player by the 247 Composite and was an SI All-American Candidate.
At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Sabbatini is one of the most versatile athletes in the state. Last year as a junior, he recorded 93 tackles, including four for loss and two sacks. He had six pass breakups, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
On offense, he rushed for 111 yards and two scores and recorded 238 receiving yards and two scores. He also returned a punt for a touchdown. Damn.
Sabbatini becomes the 14th player to commit to the Ole Miss recruiting class of 2021, following Starkville quarterback Luke Altmyer on Friday morning.
Below reads the full SI All-American scouting report on Sabbatini, along with his highlights:
Frame: Lean and muscled. Good width through shoulders, chest. Sinewy arms. Tightly-wound, powerful thighs and trunk, with rocked-up calves. Room for more mass, likely playing around 210 pounds.
Athleticism: Above-average speed, with better burst. Adequate feet; shows some wasted motion while backpedaling, planting. Hips are fluid enough, though lacks degree of ankle flexibility. Strong.
Instincts: Solid awareness in coverage. Reads quarterback’s eyes before pouncing toward target. Offers aggressive help in run support. Will lower shoulder and run through blockers toward the ball. Packs punch as tackler; shoots low and with force.
Polish: Lacks experience matching up with receivers one-on-one. Not the fastest to flip hips and sprint; needs to prioritize quickness, flexibility in training. Must add mass to hold up in box against SEC linemen.
Bottom Line: Sabbatini is a powerful, aggressive safety with adequate overall mobility. Likely bulks up 10-20 pounds in Oxford and settles in at strong safety, where his instincts and athletic tools translate best. Projects as key special-teamer and reserve at least, with starter potential.
More From The Grove Report:
Starkville Quarterback Luke Altmyer Commits to Ole Miss, Flips from FSU
Who's next: Which Major SI99 Players Could Ole Miss Flip?
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