Former Ole Miss quarterback in for make or break season as Minnesota Vikings sign him before Week 2 NFL preseason game

Former Ole Miss star quarterback Matt Corral is back in the NFL! The Minnesota Vikings announced today that upon placing J.J. McCarthy on the injured reserve as he recovers from meniscus repair surgery they have signed Matt Corral.

This news does not come as a complete shock given that the team definitely needed to add some quarterback depth with McCarthy sidelined for the year. However, many assumed the Vikings would opt for a more proven veteran. Instead they choose to swing for the fences with a young upside play in Corral.

Matt Corral posted two incredible seasons when he was with the Ole Miss Rebels back in 2020 and 2021. He tossed nearly 50 touchdowns through air and ran in 15 more scores on the ground in that two season span, capping off his career with a 10-3 season for Ole Miss. Despite injuring his ankle in the bowl game at the end of his Ole Miss tenure, causing him to be limited to start NFL Draft season, Corral still went on to be selected as a third round pick to the Carolina Panthers.

Sadly, his NFL career was quickly derailed by injuries and some mental health struggles, forcing the Panthers to inevitably waive him before he could play a snap for them in real action. He was picked up by the Patriots, but soon was waived by them too.

Fortunately, after dealing with some of his off-field struggles Matt Corral emerged once again as he was given a second chance in the UFL this spring with the Birmingham Stallions. And although he didn't play perfectly for the Stallions either, Corral did flash some of his game-changing potential here and there (as you can see in my post below) .

Now that the Vikings have signed him, Matt Corral could be in for a make or break season in his final push to prove he belongs at quarterback in the NFL. It's not a given that he'll even see the field this fall, but Sam Darnold missed 18 games due to injury from 2020 to 2022.

There may be a time when the Vikings are forced to turn to their backup quarterback options and the team has likely seen enough from Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall to know they are not the answer(s). If Matt Corral needs to be "the guy" this year there's a real chance this might be his last real shot to prove himself.

For now, Corral just needs to get up to speed with the Minnesota Vikings' system, but let's hope this former Ole Miss great finally "makes it" at the highest level one day soon.

Related: Elite five star running back recruit committing to Alabama, Ole Miss, or one wildcard SEC program

Be looking for more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to check out some Matt Corral highlights from his glory days with Ole Miss just watch the video below!