OXFORD - Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt announced Saturday that redshirt freshman quarterback Raymond Cotton is leaving the Rebel football team.

"Raymond has decided to leave the university, and we wish him nothing but the best," Nutt said.

Cotton, a native of Fort Meade, Md., redshirted in 2009 and battled throughout spring drills with Nathan Stanley for the starting QB job. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 178 yards with two touchdown passes playing for both teams in the Grove Bowl.

A prep All-American, Cotton was rated the No. 9 player in Maryland coming out of Fort Meade High School. He passed for 2,243 yards and 24 TDs as a senior and rushed for another 668 yards and nine TDs.