Ole Miss star Matt Corral opens up on his battle with depression

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has a chance to be the first quarterback off the board. The future looks bright for the young signal caller, but that was not always the case for Corral.

While preparing for the NFL Draft Corral spoke to Yahoo Sports’ Eric Edholm, and opened up about his early years in college and how he battled depression. Corral stated it was on August 18th, 2020 that he realized his depression was impacting his life, and made the decision to tackle it head on.

"It was August 18th, I was in a depression...I just didn't understand why...It was just like going through the motions...there was no purpose."

Depression wasn't something that came out of nowhere and snuck upon him, as is rarely the case. Corral recalls that his time in high school was not among some of his best memories, as he built a bad reputation to his name upon arriving at Ole Miss.

He got into an altercation with the son of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky that made Corral out to be the bad guy and just another "rich kid." with a poor attitude. Those around him had a feeling that he was trying to run from his past in Southern California, as he committed to USC before changing his mind to Florida and then Ole Miss.

After playing just four games as a freshman in 2018, and threw just six touchdowns in ten games in 2019. Corral turned his career around in 2020 after taking the steps to better his life and the arrival of Lane Kiffin to the program as the new head coach.

" I was just in the middle of trying to change my mindset...see how far I could take it...it changed me as a person completely."

Corral's change of mindset appears to have paid off well, in 2020 he completed 70.9% of his passes for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and 506 rushing yards with another four scores. He led his team to the Outback Bowl, winning the game's MVP honors, all thanks to his work on the field as a player and a leader with a new-found voice.

"I was nevr a vocal leader...you can see me do the right things, but I was never one to call people out...it was uncomfortable."

After changing the course of his career with a strong 2020 season and an even better 2021 season (3,343 yards, 20 touchdowns, five interceptions, 614 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns), he declared entering the 2022 NFL Draft.

Most guys skip out on their final bowl game outside of the College Football Playoffs, but Corral told his team he wouldn't abandon them in the Sugar Bowl. Unfortunately, Corrall saw the worst possible outcome for a guy who did choose to play in a bowl game prior to going to the NFL...suffering an injury.

He suffered a sprained ankle in that game, which could have been much worse and only played in the first quarter of a 21-7 loss to Baylor. His college career did not end as he would have hoped, but he will be entering the next level as a more well adjusted person.

Can NFL teams trust Matt Corral as a top quarterback?

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral - 2022 NFL Draft prospect

Corral ended his college career with an ankle sprain that will heal and a stronger mental state that will bode well for his future. But did he prove himself enough to be the first quarterback drafted this year? His college coach, Lane Kiffin, sure thinks so.

"He's going to make a great NFL player and do great..."

As for his football traits, he has a great arm and mobility to match his ability to improvise on the fly. He's matured as a real leader in the locker room but might not be ready to command an entire NFL team as a rookie. His past will surely be a come-up as a topic during pre-draft interviews, but Corral is prepared to face those questions when asked and won't dance around them.

Teams may not be 100% behind him with his limited success in college but they should be pleased with how much he has overcome in three years, as a player and a person. If a team does decide to select him as the first quarterback in the draft, they have to take into consideration that there might be an adjustment period. But they will also be getting someone they can mold into a franchise QB.

Mental health has been a priority in the NFL and a few players have stepped away from the game to tend to that aspect of their well being. More recently, wide receiver Calvin Ridley stepped away for most of the 2021 season to focus on himself. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen recently came out as bipolar after suffering an incident late in the season where he refused to leave his home in fear of intruders.

Others, like tackle Lane Johnson and receiver AJ Brown, have publicly talked about their mental health with many following their lead, which has resulted in some real change around the league.