QB Braden Waterman Overcomes Adversity to Reach Ole Miss Commitment

The California native will walk on to the Rebels' roster.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Bakersfield Christian (Calif.) quarterback Braden Waterman announced his commitment to Ole Miss on Tuesday, and he has overcome a large amount of adversity to reach the next level of his football career.

Although he will be a walk-on for the 2022 season, Waterman received interest from a variety of Power Five programs, including Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and Oregon State. It's his path to this point, however, that is the most noteworthy.

Home 📍 @CoachDanny10 @CoachDoege pic.twitter.com/x1Fd4CusYv

— Braden Waterman (@BradenWaterman) May 3, 2022

As noted by Zach Berry of the Ole Miss Spirit (part of the On3 network), Waterman had a strong senior year, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdowns, but he had to overcome health issues before that was possible. 

The quarterback was diagnosed with stage 3B Hodgkin's Lymphoma in January of 2020 after a game where he had trouble focusing and a fever. He was diagnosed at a children's hospital in Fresno, California.

Braden Waterman

Braden Waterman

Braden Waterman

Waterman went through four months of chemotherapy and was able to defeat cancer. After missing a year of high school ball and battling back to play in his senior season, he is headed to Ole Miss to take the next step and begin his collegiate career.

Quarterback is a position that is grabbing headlines in Oxford heading into the 2022 season. The Rebels are currently seeking a replacement for Matt Corral who was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the NFL Draft, and Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer are in the midst of a competition to become his heir.

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