BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said his inability to sign Auburn cornerback Jermaine Whitehead offers a good example of why he opposes the SEC's new rule limiting 25 signees per class. The limit had briefly been 28 players and was changed due to concerns about oversigning.

"Gene Chizik came in and stole my man Jermaine Whitehead," Nutt said during a speech today at the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in Birmingham. "I asked Gene, 'Now Gene, you didn't even have a home visit.' It must be nice to hold up that crystal ball. Hold up a crystal ball and get one of my best players."

Whitehead, a Mississippi native whose development this season has been praised by Chizik, was a four-star recruit last winter. At one time, Whitehead said he was committed to Mississippi State.

Nutt, who is often criticized for oversigning, said Whitehead was committed to Ole Miss for a month-and-a-half up to the final week before Signing Day.

"He took my hand and said, 'Coach Nutt, I'm coming to play for you,'" Nutt said. "I took his word!"

Whitehead visited Auburn for its Big Cat weekend in 2010, for its game against Georgia in the fall and several other times, as well, including the final weekend before Signing Day.

"Jermaine didn't go on Friday. He left Saturday," Nutt said. "We stayed in his house until 10 o'clock on Friday night, the last weekend before Signing Day saying, 'I know he's not going to Auburn now.' Wake up, starting to get nervous because Monday and Tuesday before Signing Day and now he doesn't call. He won't answer my call."

Finally, Whitehead told Nutt he was going to sign with Auburn. Nutt described the conversation this way:

"Jermaine: 'Coach, I gotta go to Auburn.'"

"Why? Why would you go to Auburn? They already won their title. They already have the crystal ball. They don't need you. I need you."

"Coach, it's business."

"Business? You shook my hand, man! You said you were committed to me!"

"I know, Coach. I'm sorry."

Nutt said the point of the Whitehead story is there's now less flexibility for coaches to fill a recruit's spot if the player changes his mind late. "What if something happens like Gene Chizik comes in and takes Jermaine Whitehead?" he said.

Nutt acknowledged several times during the speech the perception that he is on "the hot seat" and said his past two recruiting classes are strong. Nutt said former coach Ed Orgeron left him with talented veterans, but that his last two classes weren't as good.

The Rebels have a 2-3 record, including a blowout loss to Vanderbilt, after a 4-8 record in 2010. Ole Miss went 9-4 in each of his first two seasons, including two wins in the Cotton Bowl.

"My Cotton Bowl victories are in the rear-view mirror," Nutt said. "They don't talk about 'em no more. So every now and then I've got to bring 'em up. Every now and then. But I know you're only as good as your last one."

If Nutt had his way, he said he wouldn't have scheduled a cross-country game at Fresno State over the weekend.

"We're closer to UAB, we're closer to Memphis," Nutt said. "But I don't get to make the schedule. Next year we're gonna play Texas. Whew. I don't mind playing one (tough game), one out of four. But I'll tell you, when you play BYU and Fresno at Fresno, come on. I want to keep my job, y'all."

Ole Miss has a bye this week before playing Alabama and Nick Saban on Oct. 15 in Oxford.

"I wish Alabama was more towards later on down the season, or if like they even wanted a bye," Nutt said, drawing huge laughs from a largely pro-Alabama crowd. "I mean, come on, Nick. You know what Nick can say? Nick can say, 'Next.' When you can say 'next' and then 'next,' you got it. They've got a good team. He can say it on the defensive line. Those guys in the trenches, they can dominate you and they can intimidate you. They can do both. That's the steps we're trying to take."

E-mail: jsolomon@bhamnews.com

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