Recruiting is going well.

[Sandman.sixpack]

My Top Ten in state and current predictions::

1. Jeffrey Simmons MSU Best player in Mississippi hands down
2. AJ Brown MSU Big physical receiver; good replacement for Bear and he won't leave Starkville.
3. Benito Jones OM Former Bama commit; best pure DT in state
4. Octavious Cooley OM Under-rated TE
5. Raekwon Davis MSU Current Bama commit, but think he'll sign with us
6. Kobe Jones MSU Under-rated and lots of upside; Will stay at home with AJ
7. Scott Lashley MSU Physical specimen; he's just enjoying the recruiting attn. Will be a Dawg
8. Quincy Linton UF Best DB in state
9. DK Metcalf OM Over rated; Great athlete but soft
10 Nigel Knott MSU Fast & athletic, but soft. I think we get him in the end.

IMO the only sure fire All SEC types are the first four and we'll split them, but get the top two. And we'll get six of my top ten list. Most of my info is from Steve mixed with other reports, etc.
This is an important class for us. Thoughts?

 

[Snog]

I think you're going to be disappointed. Stevens been known to be wrong..............a lot.

 

[esplanade91]

Nigel Knott isn't coming to State.

 

[57stratdawg]

I don't get the Kobe Jones love.

 

[fishwater99]

Have you seen him play this year?

 

[TheStateUofMS]

I've seen some Kobe film and it's impressive. Also, I think we close strong with several of those. It's going to be a smaller class, so we're being more selective.

I predict:
Simmons
Brown
Lashley
K.Jones
Emmit Gooden

Enroll Thompson is our most underrated current commit. He's probably as good as Leo Lewis.

 

[msstate7]

Any chance we get gooden qualified?

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

We'll sign another receiver, likely between the JUCO guy and the New Mexico roundball commit. Jones and James decisions will depend on whether or not we bring in another juco lineman.

 

[msstate7]

We'll sign another receiver, likely between the JUCO guy and the New Mexico roundball commit. Jones and James decisions will depend on whether or not we bring in another juco lineman.

We really need to get one of James and jones back next season.

 

[Bulldogg31]

Good update and good stuff to know. I've just about given up following recruiting. After seeing unrated and low-rated players become All-SEC performers, while blue chippers flame out, I've decided that if our coaches like the guys we get I'm happy. We'll likely never have the Top 5 classes others get, and it's easy to get disappointed by these rankings.

It's been said before, but our program of being generous with the redshirts is working.

 

[aTotal360]

Gonna be tough. I'd say less than 50/50.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

We still need to get 2 to 3 elite guys per class. We're missing 2 of those guys on each side of the ball like last year. Preston Smith and McKinney were elite on D and J-Rob was elite on offense. I prefer to have my elite guys in the trenches. Give me 2 DL and 2 OL elite guys a year and that's when we'll really compete for the SEC W.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

I haven't heard anything about Gooden...how confident are you he might be a

grade casualty?

 

[aTotal360]

Extremely.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Jefferson would qualify I think, not that we couldn't use a few more. And I believe both Preston and McKinney were 3 stars. Not to crank up that debate, and I don't doubt that the 4s and 5s turn into elite at a (much) higher percentage than 3s, but my point is that this staff has a pretty good nose for talent.

 

[57stratdawg]

Yes. Not saying he's terrible, but if you had to pick one of the following to miss on, who would it be?

AJ Brown
Simmons
Kobe Jones
Scott Lashley
Raekwon Davis
Nigell Knott

I would pick Jones.

 

[myusernamesucks]

Not a single commitment from any of the top 100 players

No 4 or 5 star players currently commited. Towards the bottom of the conference. I would not say it's "going well." Maybe it will turn around, I guess we will see.

 

[bonedaddy401]

Nobody was calling McKinney or P Smith elite when we signed them.

AJ Brown and Simmons are must gets. I agree about Thompson being the sleeper. Dude is a freak.

 

[johnson86-1]

my point is that this staff has a pretty good nose for talent.

The rankings are worth much less than looking at who teams will take early commitments from. If we end up signing people that we would have taken an early commitment from, I'm much more satisfied with that than a high ranking, especially with this staff.

 

[aTotal360]

Agreed. And there are a lot of mixed reviews on Davis too. Good thing is that he's playing a lot of OT now.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Well no

**** you wouldn't, but then again, you're a 17ing moron so there's that.

 

[Sandman.sixpack]

No 4 or 5 star players currently commited. Towards the bottom of the conference. I would not say it's "going well." Maybe it will turn around, I guess we will see.

We may not have any 4 star kids currently committed, but if we sign those six I listed above, then we'll have a solid class as far as I'm concerned. AJ Brown and Jeffrey Simmons are difference makers.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

We have 4 four stars committed per ESPN.

 

[Sandman.sixpack]

We really need to get one of James and jones back next season.

What are the odds that they go pro this year? Neither one of them would be a 1st rounder, etc. So why would they leave early?

 

[tired]

Extremely.

Yes, very

 

[TheStateUofMS]

You're right they were a 2 and a 3 star and McKinney even came in late, but the fact remains, Alabama has 18 5 stars on their roster and several of them are elite. It took Preston Smith 3 years to become elite. I'll take my chances with an elite level prospect rankings wise over a 2 and 3 star guy. We still sign lots of 4 stars.

I'm not saying we need to change our approach very much in recruiting. We have a lot of talent and good players despite what the recruiting services may say, and they classes are generally still in the mid 20s, so that's a good amount of talent. BUT to be elite, you have to have elite guys. Keep doing what we're doing, but let's add 2-4 high level recruits on the DL and OL every year and you'll see us beating Bama and LSU more often I can promise you that.

Lashley (OT), Simmons (DL), Brown (WR) and Knott (DB) fall into that category. Funny how that's the exact position groups that Ole Miss got elite level talent in their 2013 class and they've beaten Bama 2 years in a row. We don't have much of a shot with Knott, but Kobe Jones and Emmit Gooden could fall into that elite category. They are ESPN 300.

We're doing everything right, we just need to add a couple more "cream of the crop" players.

 

[tcdog70]

Derrick Brown-a 5 star Georgia DT--6'4" 300lbs. Both his parents went to State.. Good chance for the Maroon Bulldogs. All the big Boys want Him.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

With Jones it's kind of been everyone's opinion of him since he signed as the #2 player in the country. He's not lived up to that ranking so that thought may just be stemming from 3 years ago. With James I think it's due to his roller coaster career since he's been here. Highly recruited, red shirted after playing, various reported issues. Just seems like he may be a guy who is ready to get out of here and get paid

 

[Bulldogg31]

I trust Mullen & the staff to field very good QB, WR's, RB's, LB's, and DB's every year. No coincidence that our recruiting base is full of guys who can play those positions.

I agree that putting a few elite linemen into the mix is the next step to beating the big boys. Also no coincidence that these guys are fewer and farther between.

 

[57stratdawg]

God I hope so. I'm trying so hard not to get excited about him, but he's making it tough.

 

[Sandman.sixpack]

With Jones it's kind of been everyone's opinion of him since he signed as the #2 player in the country. He's not lived up to that ranking so that thought may just be stemming from 3 years ago. With James I think it's due to his roller coaster career since he's been here. Highly recruited, red shirted after playing, various reported issues. Just seems like he may be a guy who is ready to get out of here and get paid

OK, Thanks! Maybe they'll both come back (or at least one). I don't think either would be drafted in the lower rounds this year.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

God I hope so. I'm trying so hard not to get excited about him, but he's making it tough.

especially after reading this.

link

 

[57stratdawg]

I know. He's not doing me any favors.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I think in some ways the Jackie Sherrill years are still helping us. Kids that are in high school right now have parents that went to State during Jackie's heyday. These kids saw Mom and Dad cheering for the Dogs when JWS really had it rolling.

Thankfully during the Croom years they were in elementary school and were playing on the playground while we were getting skulldragged.

When they got to middle school we hired Mullen and Mom&Dad are cheering again. Perfect timing.

 

[Palos verdes]

I've seen some Kobe film and it's impressive. Also, I think we close strong with several of those. It's going to be a smaller class, so we're being more selective.

I predict:
Simmons
Brown
Lashley
K.Jones
Emmit Gooden

Enroll Thompson is our most underrated current commit. He's probably as good as Leo Lewis.

I think Erroll Thompson is better than Leo Lewis. He is, by far, our best recruit and may remain our best recruit.

 

[Palos verdes]

Yes. Not saying he's terrible, but if you had to pick one of the following to miss on, who would it be?

AJ Brown
Simmons
Kobe Jones
Scott Lashley
Raekwon Davis
Nigell Knott

I would pick Jones.

I wouldn't.

 

[Carlton31698]

Kobe Jones MSU Under-rated and lots of upside; Will stay at home with AJ
I taught Kobe in 6th grade he is a good kid and was a State fan back then