After Texas won the national championship in 2006, two talented gunslingers, Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead, were next in line for the Longhorns’ quarterback gig.  “It’s unfortunate that both of us were competing for the same thing,”  McCoy said. “We kind of both knew that we were both good quarterbacks, and we both wanted to play. That situation is always pretty tough.”McCoy won the starting job and led his team to a 10-3 season. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,570 yards and tied an NCAA freshman record with 29 touchdowns.”I realized I wasn’t going to get a whole lot of playing time,” Snead said. “I just decided it would be best for me to leave.” Snead transferred to Ole Miss, and along with first-year head coach Houston Nutt, has led the Rebels to bowl eligibility in his first season as a starting quarterback. Ole Miss faces LSU on Saturday, and Snead hopes he can lead the Rebels to a victory in Tiger Stadium.      “We understood when he elected to transfer to seek more playing time,” said Texas coach Mack Brown. “He handled that situation really well and worked very hard for us when he was here. All of us have been following his success at Ole Miss closely and have become Rebels fans because of him.”Brown said he and Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis have been in contact with Snead through text messaging, and Snead said he still follows the Longhorns when he gets a chance. “I still got a bunch of buddies on the team, and I enjoy watching them every now and then,” Snead said.Snead sat through the Rebels 3-9 campaign last season which included an 0-8 Southeastern Conference record. The Rebels are 6-4 this season and 3-3 in SEC play, including a victory against Florida in Gainesville, Fla. “Their win at Florida was great for them,” McCoy said. “It sounds like he’s found a home, and he’s doing really well.”Snead said his home in Oxford, Miss., is very different from the one he had in Austin, Texas. But the San Angelo, Texas, native said he is comfortable there.”Austin’s a lot bigger,” Snead said. “There’s probably not quite as much to do here, but I really like it. It is a town similar to the one I grew up in.”But just like living in Oxford, Snead and his teammates have had to adjust to the new scheme, coach and playing with one another. And there have been growing pains — all four of the Rebels losses were by seven points or less.  “There’s a few games that I wish we had back,” Snead said. “I’d like to play them again, but I can’t do that. So I am happy with where we are at, and I’m excited about the direction of where this program is going.”Snead has thrown for 1,983 yards and is tied for second in SEC with 17 touchdowns. The Tigers are very familiar with Snead.”I saw him in high school and liked him,” Miles said. “I thought he was a heck of a quarterback in high school. He’s very productive for [Ole Miss].”Sophomore cornerback Jai Eugene said he remembers playing with Snead in the 2006 U. S. Army All-American Bowl.”I knew he would be as good as he is now,” Eugene said. “He had talent back then also, and he just keeps getting better.”Those around Snead couldn’t deny his talent or his passion for the game and are glad to see him succeed.  “He’s probably got the strongest arm of anybody that I’ve been around,” McCoy said. “Competing against that was tough. He loves the game. I’m excited for the things that he has and his future at Mississippi.”  —-Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]