MSU Football Signs 27!

It has been a while since I've been able to post on here. I've been very busy at work and haven't had much available time to do so. This week presented a great opportunity to talk about the Dawgs. February 4th was signing day for college football, and Mississippi State pulled in a very solid recruiting class. This class is long on athleticism and skill positions, but if there is a negative to this class, it is the lack of the meat and potatoes guys in the trenches. Here is a run down of the MSU Football Signees:

1. Tyler Russell, QB, Meridian HS, Meridian, MS - I heard Coach Mullen talking about Tyler on the radio the other day. He stated that the characteristics he looks for in a quarterback are leadership ability, mental toughness, and poise. Tyler Russell brings all of those characteristics to the table. Mechanically, he has some issues that will need to be ironed out. Coach Mullen stated on the radio show that Tyler reminds him of a quarterback he had at Utah named Alex Smith. Both are long, lanky built quarterbacks with strong, accurate arms, leadership skills, and mental toughness. I think Alex Smith was a better runner, but it will be interesting to see how Tyler is incorporated into the offense. The only question is how soon will he start? He could very well be the guy before the year is over.

2. Pernell McPhee, DE, Itawamba Community College, Fulton, MS - Pernell actually signed in December, but he may be just as big of a recruit as Tyler Russell, at least in the short term. Last season, Mississippi State's defense played well, but they really missed the presence that Titus Brown gave them as a pass rusher. Pernell McPhee was the top defensive end, if not defensive player, in the junior college ranks this year. In two years at Itawamba, he posted 33 sacks and had several tackles for loss. He's a beast on the edge, and I am expecting an immediate contribution and possible double digit sack numbers from him in his first season. Carl Torbush is known for producing pass rushers with his defense, and I believe he will come up with a scheme that will accentuate McPhee's pass rushing ability.

3. Chad Bumphis, WR, Tupelo HS, Tupelo, MS - To many that watched most of the players in Mississippi play this year, Chad Bumphis was the best prospect in the state. Chad is a great athlete who can do multiple things on the field. He has great hands and acceleration as a wide receiver, can run with the football in his hands, and can even throw the football well. This past season, he played wide receiver, running back, quarterback, and return specialist for the Golden Wave. Obviously, everyone is expecting Bumphis to play the Percy Harvin role in Coach Mullen's offense. While Coach Mullen didn't draw the comparision, he did state that Chad's versatility offers a lot to the offense, and that he will be used in different ways. Honestly, I'm expecting this guy to start as a true freshman. He doesn't have much in front of him, and he's simply too good of an athlete to sit.

4. Fletcher Cox, DE, Yazoo City HS, Yazoo City, MS - This class was short on linemen, but the linemen the Dawgs picked up are good ones. Fletcher Cox was the top high school defensive prospect in the state this year. He's a long, angular fellow who has great speed, great athleticism, and a great burst off the edge. I was really concerned that Alabama was going to come in and sway him to play their jack linebacker spot in Nick Saban's 3-4 defense, but MSU's coaches did a great job of keeping him in the fold. I think he will play as a true freshman and will probably start by his sophomore year.

5. Josh Boyd, DT, Philadelphia HS, Philadelphia, MS - Josh was the top interior defensive line prospect in the state. He really jumped onto the scene as a junior when he had something like 125 tackles and 17 sacks as a defensive end/defensive tackle hybrid player. He followed his strong junior season up with a strong senior season, and he was selected to play in the Army All American game. Josh stepped up and impressed many with his strength and explosion as a defensive tackle during the week of practice and had four tackles during the game. He's another guy I am expecting to play early, and MSU has a nice core of interior defensive line prospects to build their defense around in the future with Josh Boyd and last year's signees Josh Jackson and Templeton Hardy.

6. Chris Smith, WR, Meridian HS, Meridian, MS - I don't pay much attention to the recruiting rankings, but if you go to rivals.com and look at their positional rankings relative to who recruited the best players, they rate Mississippi State as having the 3rd best wide receiver class in the nation. Chris Smith and Chad Bumphis are the biggest reasons for that ranking. Chris was the go to guy for Tyler Russell at Meridian, and that combination lead Meridian to an upset over South Panola that ended their 89 game winning streak. Chris Smith is a bigger receiver who is more of a possession type that can run after the catch. He has long arms and great hands. Like Chad Bumphis, Chris Smith should play very early in his career at MSU.

7. Leon Berry, WR, East Mississippi Community College, Scooba, MS - With Brandon McRae coming off an injury and the loss of three senior wide receivers, MSU needed to land someone that will make an immediate impact at this position. Leon Berry is that guy. He was the 3rd rated wide receiver in the JUCO ranks this season and was a second team JUCO All American. He also doubles as a kick return specialist. Leon Berry has good size and good speed. He should start at one of the outside receiver positions this season for MSU, and I expect he will also be their kick return specialist.

8. Montrell Conner, RB, Ouachita Parish HS, Monroe, LA - When the coaching change was made and MSU hired a spread offense guru as the head coach, I was concerned that it would cause Montrell Conner to look around. This staff did a great job of convincing him that he would be the primary focal point of the running game in the near future. Montrell initially committed to Coach Croom because of the run oriented offense he was running. He's a true power back with size and good straight line speed. I feel he's probably the guy who will start at tailback in the future. He has a year to sit behind Anthony Dixon and learn about the speed of the SEC before really being tested. Being able to keep him in the fold was a big coup, and hopefully MSU will open some more doors for recruiting in Louisiana in the future.

9. Dennis Thames, DB, Louisville HS, Louisville, MS - This guy was probably the second best high school all around athlete in the state this year. He's a very versatile player who could play safety, wide receiver, and running back all very well at the college level. It looks like MSU will give him a first look at the safety position. I saw him play against Ripley in the 2007 3A playoffs, and he dominated that game as a runner and receiver. It will not surprise me to see him on offense at some point in his career.

10. Maurice Langston, DB, East Central Community College, Decatur, MS - Maurice is another top notch JUCO athlete MSU signed in December. He initially signed with Arkansas State out of high school but transferred out to East Central after his first year. He played WR and punt return specialist at East Central. MSU is moving him to cornerback, and I imagine he will get first crack at being the punt return specialist.

11. Chris White, LB, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston, MS - Jamar Chaney's injury last season left MSU scrambling to find a third linebacker to play in their defense. Dominic Douglas eventually moved inside and did a great job. Jamar Chaney will be back this year, but Chris White is a player that will allow Jamar to move back to his more natural position of weakside linebacker. Chris White was a first team JUCO All American as a middle linebacker this year for Coach Campbell's team down in Perkinston. He's a big, physical player that can blitz from his linebacker position. I think the additions of White, McPhee, and Langston will be an immediate boost to the defense.

12. Sean Brauchle, PK, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston, MS - I've been saying for a while now that the kicking game was the difference between 4 wins and 7 wins this past season. Sean Brauchle is a two time JUCO All American place kicker who also has a strong leg for kick offs. He was 1st team All American this past season. He should give MSU an immediate upgrade in the place kicking department.

13. Heath Hutchins, P, Itawamba Community College, Fulton, MS - Much like Sean Brauchle, the addition of Heath Hutchins may have the most immediate impact on this team. Heath is a heck of a punter who was a 1st team JUCO All-American this past year. He had a 44 yard average on his punts during his two years in Fulton. He has a big time leg and gets great hang time on his punts.

14. Jonathan Banks, DB, East Webster HS, Maben, MS - Jonathan is a three sport athlete that projects by most of the experts as a defensive back in college. He played safety, quarterback, and running back for East Webster, and he lead them to State Championships in football and baseball. He has great range and should make a fine free safety in time.

15. Billy Hamilton, WR, Taylorsville, HS, Taylorsville, MS - Billy was one of the more versatile players in Mississippi this past season. He's a terrific athlete that is a three sport star. He could be a very good receiver or defensive back in the SEC. He's a great baseball player who plans to play both sports at MSU, but he will likely be a high draft pick in the baseball draft. He may never make it to campus because of that.

16. Brandon Heavens, WR, Jess Lanier HS, Bessemer, AL - Brandon Heavens was an early commitment to Auburn that Coach Mullen was able to turn to MSU down the stretch. He's a smaller guy, but he has speed and athleticism to burn. He is a versatile performer that is a big play threat.

17. Madrecas Hood, WR, Pickens County HS, Reform, AL - MSU really added the wide receivers this year. Madrecas is one of the bigger receivers they added and is a developmental prospect according to what I've read. He's a good athlete who may be a bit of a late bloomer.

18. Gabriel Jackson, OL, Amite County HS, Liberty, MS - Gabriel is one of the two offensive linemen Mississippi State signed in this class. He's a big fella with good feet. He will probably redshirt a year and spend some worthwhile time in the weight room.

19. Cameron Lawrence, DB, Magnolia Heights, Coldwater, MS - Cameron is a December graduate that is already on campus and will be able to go through spring practice. He's generally considered the best private school prospect in the state. He was the quarterback for Magnolia Heights the past two seasons and had a 22-2 record. He also played defensive back, which is the position he projects to in college. He's got a big frame though, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him grow into the linebacker position. His brother, Addison Lawrence, is an offensive lineman on the Mississippi State team.

20. Jonathan McKenzie, DE, Starkville Academy, Starkville, MS - Jonathan is a defensive end/tight end prospect from the Academy level that projects as a defensive end in college. He has the frame that he may eventually grow into the defensive tackle position. His father, Duncan McKenzie, played football at Mississippi State. Jonathan is a fundamentally sound player who knows how to use his hands to get off blocks. He's a developmental prospect.

21. LaDarius Perkins, RB, St. Joseph HS, Greenville, MS - I mentioned this guy in an early blog post, and if you haven't seen his youtube highlights, you need to watch them. This guy is electric with the ball in his hands. He's a smaller scat back type that will be a multi purpose player at Mississippi State. His straight line speed will make him a great compliment to Montrell Conner in the future. Perkins originally committed to Auburn after he blew the previous coaching staff away at their football camp. A coaching change at both schools caused Perkins to switch his commitment to Mississippi State.

22. Rico Sanders, WR, Byrnes HS, Duncan, SC - Rico is a speedy wide receiver from South Carolina. He was considered to be one of the top 20 prospects in South Carolina and the second best receiver prospect in the state. He helped lead his Byrnes team to the state championship this season. He's yet another receiver who is a great athlete that can do a lot of things with the ball in his hands.

23. William Shumpert, RB, Itawamba AHS, Fulton, MS - William is one of the better fullback prospects nationally. His fit in Dan Mullen's offense is yet to be determined. William is also a terrific defensive prospect, and he could very well move to linebacker at some point in the future.

24. Deonte Skinner, LB, Noxube County HS, Macon, MS - Deonte is an athletic pass rusher who is a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker type of player. He was a key memeber of the 4A state championship team this season. He's got good potential, but he may have to spend a couple of years in JUCO ball before coming to MSU.

25. Darius Slay, DB, Brunswick HS, Brunswick, GA - This guy is a great athlete. At the start of the season, he was considered one of the top 25 players in Georgia. Due to academic issues, his rating dropped. He had many schools looking at him early on but most pulled out when it looked like he wouldn't qualify. He may not qualify at MSU, but he's a terrific prospect who could play either cornerback or safety at MSU in the future. I anticipate that he will be in the JUCO ranks over the next two years.

26. Sam Watts, OL, Salem HS, Conyers, GA - A teammate of MSU freshman Terrence Davis, Watts is a December graduate that is already on campus. He projects as a center at the college level. He was one of MSU's earliest commitments and is considered one of the better offensive line prospects in Georgia.

27. Nickoe Whitley, DB, Provine HS, Jackson, MS - Nickoe is a very good athlete that had an injury during his senior season. MSU offered him early and honored his commitment. He will probably redshirt, but he has the athleticism and instincts to make an impact as a safety for MSU.