"Man, it's been a long road," Mireles said." It seems like forever to be
honest. God has a plan for all of his so I'm just carrying out whatever he
has in store for me."
Mireles has gone through even more than just fighting the clearinghouse.
"Two of my cousins who are like brothers to me got shot back home (in Miami).
One of them died. It's been a tough year for me personally but I just keep the
faith and my books in order. I just want to make sure that I never have to go
back in that environment. I want to make something out of myself and make something
for my family. I'm on a mission."
Mireles has somehow kept the off-the-field distractions in check as he leads Hinds
in catches (45) and has over 650 yards of offense for the Eagles.
"We lost a tough game Thursday against Holmes CC. They beat us in the last
few seconds, but it's been a good year for me. I've grown a lot as a player."
The slot receiver's coach had this to say about his pupil.
Q Mireles
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"He's just so mentally tough," added wide receiver coach Lee Willbanks.
"Q just plays with an attitude and passion that you inspire your other
players to play like. He's a natural born leader. Every day he comes to work
like it's his last, and it rubs off on his teammates. They all look up to him."
It's not just his leadership skills that separates Q from the rest of the
pack.
"Q has grown up as a person since he's been here. He's a good enough
athlete to play receiver, safety, or cornerback on the next level. Against S'
West he played cornerback, receiver, and quarterback for us. He's the best athlete
on our team, and I haven't seen one better in the state. The thing that separates
Q from others is his explosion off the ball. He's tough as nails too. You
have to understand he played running back all through high school so the kid
can play anywhere."
Coach Willbanks noted that his play has not gone unnoticed this fall.
"Auburn called last week and offered him. Texas offered him the week they
came to scout us when they were playing at Ole Miss."
The Eagles' assistant believes Mireles only has one school on his mind despite
the interest from several of the top programs in the South.
" I've spoken to his family and Ole Miss is just where he wants to be.
Like I said earlier, he is our best athlete, without question, and our toughest.
Everybody is trying to get him to come down for an official visit. I worked
with coach Freeze at Lambuth, and I told him that Q's commitment means something.
Your word is all you have. I asked Q if he was sure about his commitment to
Ole Miss and he said he was. That's where he stands right now."
Mireles came to Ole Miss for his official visit for the Auburn weekend.
"I already know all of the coaches and players on that team," he said. "I know all of them so well so the trip was more about learning how
it is on game day with the new staff. I went to the locker room before and after
the game and sat in on all the pre-game stuff. I sat in the position meeting
room with the players before the game and went over their gameplan. It was
really cool. I can't wait to get in there in January."
Mireles liked what he saw.
"I didn't know the atmosphere was like that before the games. It was so
organized and intense. Their offense is what fits my ability of what I can do
on the field too. I can come in and play the slot and make plays. It's a great
fit for me."
The three-star JUCO receiver expands on what makes the Ole Miss offense a good fit
for him.
"I like how they throw the ball in open spaces so you can make them miss
and make plays. The concepts of their routes are perfect for me. There's a
reason why you run the routes they have their slots running. I feel comfortable
in that offense and when you feel comfortable that is when you play your best."
The Ole Miss coaches only discussed one thing with Mireles before he went back home.
"They mainly stressed that I close strong on my finals in December so I
can get in there for spring ball. I'm doing really well in my classes I have
left to finish. I try and not think about it too much so I can finish out
strong here but it's always in the back of my mind."
The players on Ole Miss' roster say things have changed under coach Freeze.
"We didn't talk about the old staff or anything. They just said that the
staff is very Christian oriented and coach Freeze puts God first. That was really
the message. He's a player's coach."
Mireles sees big things in the immediate future for the Rebel football team.
"I see the same positive things that everyone else sees. There are a lot
of positive things going on with that program. Anyone can see that. I think
I'm going to bring a need to their team and that excites me. They need a slot
receiver that can go in there and make people miss and big plays. All
of the pieces are going to be there for us to shock the nation next year. I
just can't wait to get up there and get going. It's been a difficult journey
for me to get up there but it's almost over."
Yancy Porter is the Mississippi Scout for Scout.com and he can be reached at yporter@scout.com