MStateCentral

'09 FB Class Review: WR

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Mardrecas Hood
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 180
Scout	** #159 WR
Rivals	*** #65 ATH, #32 in Alabama
ESPN	76 #107 WR

Hood also had offers from South Alabama, Troy, and Alabama. As a junior Hood had 16 catches for 505 yards (31.5 ypc!) and 6 TDs. Last year Hood recorded 39 catches for 1057 yards (a measly 27.1 ypc. Pffft) and 19 TDs.

Unfortunately for Mississippi State he didn't have the grades. Mardrecas Hood is headed to junior college.

Billy Hamilton
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 170
Scout	** CB
Rivals	** WR
ESPN	73 #159 WR

Hamilton was a two sport star and was probably better in baseball. Cohen would have loved to have him. Offered by Jackson State, Jacksonville State, South Alabama, and Southern Miss. Offered by everyone in baseball. Had 49 receptions for 742 yards and 18 TD catches.

Hamilton got drafted high in the MLB draft though and chose to go that route. Can't say I blame him. Would have been cool to have a two sport athlete in two of the big 3 though.

Brandon Heavens
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 170
Scout	*** #105 WR
Rivals	*** #33 ATH, #15 in Alabama
ESPN	80 #25 WR

Heavens had offers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Auburn. He was committed to Auburn but switched to Mississippi State after Mullen was hired. His junior year, Heaven ran for 731 yards and 7 TDs along with 41 catches, 1236 yards and 11 TDs. He was injured during his senior year and only got to play in 6 games. Still had 21 runs for 143 yards and 14 catches for 331 yards and 5 TDs.

Heavens is your prototypical slot WR in the spread. Smaller guy that is quick and can juke you out of your shoes. He'll be moved around, in the slot, in the backfield, direct snaps, etc. The ESPN evaluation has some great video of him. Check it out. They also end their evaluation with this:

Overall, Heavens is an unknown steal for someone and could become a household name in time. He isn't very big, but he's tough and would be a nightmare in the spread.

Bolding is mine. Yep I like it. He'll be playing right off the bat and playing alot. If it weren't for Bumphis (I'll get to him in a second) being in the same class, there is no doubt Heavens would be starting this year.

Leon Berry
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 185
Scout	***
Rivals	*** #58 JUCO
ESPN	Doesn't rank JUCOs

Berry had offers from Arkansas State, North Texas, UAB, Memphis, Marshall, and Southern Miss, whom he was committed to before switching over to MSU. Caught 20 passes for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns his 1st year followed by 39 catches for 661 yards and 5 touchdowns. On top of that Berry returned 2 kickoffs and 1 punt for touchdowns his two years in junior college.

Berry graduated Juco in December and quickly locked down a starting WR position. He is currently battling Brandon McRae for that job. Win or lose he'll be counted on as a major contributor at one of the outside receiver positions. He has good speed but isn't a burner or a shifty guy. Probably closer to the possession receiver end of the spectrum. He may also win the return man job. With the departure of Pegues and the fact Croom could never manage to find a kickoff return man, both jobs are wide open for the taking.

Ricco Sanders
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 175
Scout	*** #89 WR
Rivals	*** #51 WR, #19 in South Carolina
ESPN	80 #26 WR

Video!!

Sanders chose Mississippi State over offers from Kansas, Clemson, Auburn, Georgia, Florida State, and Florida. Caught 58 passes for 908 yards and 13 TDs his junior year and 42 passes for 765 yards and 6 TDs.

Sanders is another one of those small, shift slot WRs in the same mold as Brandon Heavens. I don't like the drop in production from his junior to senior year but there may be injury issues I don't know about. Besides the offer list says the guy is pretty good. More video can be viewed in his ESPN evaluation if you are so inclined.

The unfortunate thing is the NCAA clearing house took forever to get around to clearing Sanders to play so he couldn't begin practicing last week. Even though he is clearly talented and MSU could desperately use all the help they can get at WR, Sanders is probably destined for a redshirt now. Just too far behind.

Chris Smith
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 195
Scout	*** #65 WR
Rivals	**** #31 WR, #204 overall, #7 in Mississippi
ESPN	77 #63 WR

Smith didn't have any other major offers that I can see, which is a real head scratcher when you look at how highly rated he was and the stats I'm about to give you. Smith was Tyler Russell's teammate and his favorite target at Meridian. He had 54 catches for 876 yards and 7 TDs his junior year and 70 receptions for 1076 yards and 10 TDs and the state title team. And this guy doesn't have any offers? I don't get it. Sure he committed back in April of his junior year but come on.

Smith is a contrast to most of the receivers in this class as he is a big, physical possession receiver. He doesn't have the quickness or speed of some of these other guys but he has the size, the hands, and the willingness to go over the middle. The complete lack of offers is disconcerting but I just have to think this guy is going to be a player. Maybe not this year but at some point down the road.

Chad Bumphis
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 185
Scout	**** #33 WR, #263 overall
Rivals	**** #16 WR, #109 overall, #3 in Mississippi
ESPN	81 #10 ATH, #119 overall

Video at his ESPN evaluation.

Bumphis is the gold standard of this incoming WR group. He had offers from pretty much everywhere: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Michigan, Auburn, Texas Tech, etc. His senior year he threw for 348 yards and 6 TDs, ran for 552 yards and 6 TDs on 48 carries, and caught 39 passes for 617 yards and 7 TDs.

He is yet another one of those prototypical slot receiver and clearly the one with the most potential of the bunch. Its clear that Mullen is going to use him in the Percy Harvin role. Not saying he will be as good as Harvin but that will be the hope. He'll be split out in the slot, lined up beside the QB, run out of direct snaps, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him throw a pass or two. Long story short, Bumphis is an electrifying athlete that Mullen will be looking for ways to get the ball to from day one. He is the type of offensive weapon that has rarely been seen in Starkville over the years and the kind of athlete Mullen needs to make this spread offense go.

Overall Grade: A+

MSU was barren at the WR position in both quantity and quality and this great group of receivers will be counted on to save the day. Most if not all of these guys will have to grow up quick as they'll be playing right away. There just isn't any other joice. Fortunately this group coming in is loaded with talent.

'09 FB Class Review: DB

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Dennis Thames
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 185
Scout	*** #40 S
Rivals	**** #20 ATH, #10 in Mississippi
ESPN	78 #58 ATH

Dennis Thames had offers from Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, and Michigan. He played RB, WR, and S in high school and excelled at all three. Last year Thames had 97 tackles, 5 interceptions, and four defensive TDs. On offense he ran the ball for 677 yards and 8 TDs to go along with 532 yards receiving and 8 more TDs. Bottomline, he is a playmaker.

Thames was all set to play safety, but then Mullen saw the garbage that Croom left him at WR and so Thames will play there at least his freshman year. I'm leaving him at safety though in this review because I suspect once Mullen gets some more bodies in at WR, Thames will be moved back to safety. Of course if Thames excels at WR, which is entirely possible, he will stay there no matter how many WRs Mullen recruits.

You can check out some video of Thames at his ESPN evaluation.

Nickoe Whitley
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 185
Scout	*** #80 S
Rivals	*** #74 ATH, #22 in Mississippi
ESPN	73 #170 S

Whitley also had offers from Ole Miss and Southern Miss. Nickoe might actually be underrated. He tore his ACL and MCL in his second game of his senior year and missed the rest of the season. Hard to move anywhere but down in the ratings when you don't play. On the flip side, you don't know how that injury will affect him in the future.

Whitley played QB and defensive back in high school. One of those situations you see so often in Mississippi, and high school football in general really, where the best athlete on the team is put at QB. He'll be a safety here though. Whitley had 40 tackles and 5 interceptions his junior year and had returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown his senior year.

The big question is how good will Whitley be after that injury? Will he be the same player or is this one of those situations where he just is never quite the same again? I'd have to think he is almost certain to redshirt.

Cameron Lawrence
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 205
Scout	*** #84 S
Rivals	*** #50 ATH, #15 in Mississippi
ESPN	79 #41 ATH

Cameron Lawrence had offers from Louisiana-Monroe, Duke, Southern Miss, and Oklahoma St. Lawrence is another guy that played QB as well as in the secondary. Last year he had 57 tackles and 13.5 sacks playing defense.

Lawrence graduated early and came in during the spring. The coaches tried him out some at both quarterback and wide receiver but now he is settled in at his more natural position of safety. He has great size for a safety and could end up at LB down the road if he adds a few pounds. ESPN practically drools over him in their evaluation. Now ESPN's evaluations all tend to be ridiculously positive, but this one even more so than usual.

Jonathan Banks
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 175
Scout	*** #69 S
Rivals	*** #63 ATH, #23 in Mississippi
ESPN	80 #27 ATH

From what I can tell, Banks didn't have any other Div IA scholarship offers. Which is contradictory to his ratings and numbers. Now part of this is he committed back in March of his junior year. That tends to make people shy away, but if a team wants you bad enough, they won't let a commitment slow them down. If I'm not mistaken he plays for a smaller school so that might factor into it as well

Banks played a similar role to Whitley, playing both offense (QB/WR) and defense (S/LB) in high school. He'll be playing defense here at MSU and looks like he'll be starting out at CB due to a lack of numbers there but may end up at safety eventually as he is probably a better fit there. Banks had 35 tackles and 7 interceptions his senior season.

Banks is supposed to be supremely athletic and a big hitter but that was at a small school and poor competition. Nearly every game he was the best player on the field, now he will probably never again be the best player on the field. How does he adjust? Should be a candidate for a redshirt but thin numbers at both CB and S could dictate he play.

Maurice Langston
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 185
Scout	**** WR
Rivals	*** CB
ESPN	Doesn't rate JUCOs

Langston had offers from North Texas, Troy, UAB, Memphis, and Kentucky. He originally signed with Arkansas State 3 years ago, redshirted his freshman year, then went to junior college for a couple of years. He started out as a cornerback last year, which is what position he is coming to MSU as, but moved to receiver mid-season due to the teams need and excelled. On top of that he is a skilled kick returner. Last year Langston caught 44 passes for 658 yards and seven TDs, ran for 267 yards and 10 TDs on 54 carries, and returned 2 punts and one kickoff for TDs. You can see he is a playmaker

Unfortunately Langston was a moron and was selling weed either back in the spring or early summer. Or at least he is accused of that. He is still on the team but is not practicing and no further decision on his future will be made until a legal outcome has been established. Translation: he won't be playing this year, or at least not very much. He will just be too far behind with missing so many practices. Seeing as how he has already used his redshirt, the best case scenario is he helps the team on the field for one year.

Darius Slay
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 180
Scout	** #116 RB
Rivals	** WR
ESPN	76 #109 S

Slay had offers from Kentucky and Troy. He did a little bit of everything in high school and may have ended up at cornerback, safety, wide receiver, or kick returner at Mississippi State. He didn't have the grades though and will have to go to junior college. We'll see if he comes back around in a couple of years.

Overall Grade: B-

If you look at just safeties this is a good haul, and becomes a fantastic group if Thames eventually winds up at safety. A definite A+ with Thames and A- without. Either way safety is in good shape in the future. Cornerbacks are DBs too though and this position doesn't look so hot. There is some uncertainty that could help the cornerbacks out though. Does Banks stick at cornerback? Will Langston get his head out of his butt or is it already too late for him? If Banks and Langston end up at CB then things aren't so bad, it is still a pretty mediocre group though. On the other hand there is the potential for there to be not a single cornerback in this class and with a measly four CBs on the current roster, one being a senior, that would be an absolute disaster.

'09 FB Class Review: RB

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Montrell Conner
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 215
Scout	**** #31 RB, #277 overall
Rivals	*** #34 ATH, #18 in Louisiana
ESPN	82 #7 RB, #63 overall

Conner had offers from pretty much everyone: Southern Miss, Ole Miss, TCU, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon, etc. Full disclosure though, many of those offers were for Conner to come in as a LB. That is what helped MSU get him, they're going to give him a shot at RB.

His junior year Montrell Conner split time with the starter and still ran for 1,139 yards on 205 carries (5.6 ypc) and 13 TDs. The following year Conner took over the starting job and carried the ball 247 times for 1,951 yards (7.9 ypc) and 19 TDs.

Like I said Conner is coming in as a RB and is clearly quite skilled in that department judging by the numbers. Its comforting to know though that if RB doesn't work out he was just as highly thought of. As a runner Conner isn't a shifty kind of guy. He doesn't juke, doesn't move well laterally, doesn't have much in the way of evasive movesm, and doesn't look very fluid. He is purely a straight north-south runner. What he does excel at is running over people and breaking arm tackles. He is a bruiser, not an elusive runner. You can see a video of him at ESPN here. When I watch him, what comes to mind is "I wish Dixon would run like this for once." There is no dancing, no useless juking, no sideline to sideline running. He just hits the hole full speed, runs straight ahead and dares anyone to try and tackle him. He knows his strengths and sticks to them.

LaDarius Perkins
Ht: 5'9" Wt: 185
Scout	*** #77 RB
Rivals	*** #37 all purpose back, #24 in MS
ESPN	78 #48 ATH

Perkins had offers from Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, BYU, and Auburn. He originally committed to Auburn but decommited at the last minute when Mullen took over. His senior year Perkins ran for 1,915 yards on 139 carries ( 13.8 ypc!!) and 29 TDs.

Perkins is pretty much just the opposite of Conner. He isn't a power back and won't be running through half as many tackles. What he is is elusive, quick, shifty, and fast. He'll play RB but I'm sure he will be split at in the slot frequently. For some reason, despite the rankings and offers I am more excited about Perkins than Conner. Maybe it is because he seems to be a much better fit in the spread. He just looks like your typical spread RB.

Rather than talk about him though, we have video! Judge for yourself. Turn the sound off. You're welcome.

William Shumpert
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 238
Scout	*** #14 FB
Rivals	*** #7 FB, #17 in Mississippi
ESPN	74 #22 FB

Shumpert had offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, and Ole Miss. In high school he played both DE/DT and FB. His senior season, Shumpert made 96 tackles, 31 for loss, and 13.5 sacks. On offense he ran for 278 yards on 56 carries (5 ypc) and three TDs to go with 5 receptions for 81 yards and a TD.

Shumpert is starting out on offense at RB/FB. Although he is supposed to be a terrific blocker he might have trouble breaking through there. The primarily blocking FB rarely makes an appearance in Mullen's offense. If he can prove his value running, even if its only in short yardage situations, or catching the ball out of the backfield to go along with his blocking then Mullen will find a place for him. Although the smaller, shifty guys tend to excel in this offense, there is still plenty of room for a big bruising RB. Even if offense doesn't work out though , he still might be able to make the move to the DL. Heck, that might even be a better fit.

Overall Grade: A+

Yes A+. Mississippi State loses 3 runningbacks after this year so they really need to hit a homerun in this class, and they did. Conner is highly thought of by everyone and while Perkins doesn't have the offers, his skill set is perfect for the new offense. On top of that you get two very distinct and unique styles and skill sets. I'm not sure how or if Shumpert fits in on offense. It will all depend on how Mullen decides to use the FB. Shumpert is the only scholarship FB at this time and we know Mullen is much more creative than Croom so I'm not counting Shumpert out.

Dakota Merritt Leaves Team

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:48:00 +0000

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Dakota Merritt has left the team. It isn't clear whether he is transferring or simply giving up football and staying at MSU. Probably doesn't affect this year that much except now MSU will only have 13 scholarship OL which is a little lower than you would like. However Mullen will have to hit OL hard in recruiting the rest of this year. 3 OL is probably the minimum needed now instead of 2.

'09 FB Class Review: LB

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:54:00 +0000

Chris White
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 235
Scout	****
Rivals	*** #64 JC
ESPN	Doesn't grade jucos

Chris White is a bit of a puzzling story. As a freshman in junior college, White had 87 tackles. Last year he had 113 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 interception, and 2 fumbles returned for touchdowns. He enrolled in the spring semester and quickly locked down the open OLB job vacated by the departed Dominic Douglas. Nothing has changed thus far in fall practices and White will be starting come September 5th. Now comes the head scratcher, his other scholarship offers were from South Alabama and South Florida.

So whats the deal? Did everyone else just whiff on him? I almost never subscribe to that theory but when he comes in and wins the starting job so easily . . . Look I know MSU isn't loaded with talent, but the LBs behind K.J. Wright and Jamar Chaney are decent. I'm cautiously optimistic but the lack of offers does give me pause. White played MLB in junior college but will be playing OLB at MSU.

Deontae Skinner
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 234
Scout	*** #28 SLB
Rivals	*** #39 Weakside DE, #19 in Mississippi
ESPN	74 #111 DE

Skinner is a bit of a DE/LB hybrid. He would probably be a good fit as a 3-4 OLB but seeing as how MSU doesn't run a 3-4, that won't be his fate. I suspect he will eventually end up a DE, where he played his senior year of high school but he will at least start at LB so that is where I'm putting him.

Deontae Skinner held offers from Southern Miss and Ole Miss. Skinner had 122 tackles and 5 sacks as a junior, followed up with 134 tackles, 28 TFL, and 11 sacks his senior year.

Skinner seems like a prime candidate for a redshirt, regardless of whether he ends up at DE or LB. Just too many bodies in front of him.

Overall Grade: B-

The problem here is MSU may have only brought in one LB. True there are a fair number already on the team (seven) and only one leaves after this year (Jamar Chaney) but I still feel State could have used at least one if not two more LBs besides Skinner. Secondly I feel pretty good about White's talent level. Actually I feel very good about it but the lack of scholarships is something that kind of hangs in the back of my mind. If White doesn't pan out and Skinner ends up at DE, MSU may have problems at LB the next couple of years. After Chaney and Wright, the linebackers are decent but nothing to write home about. They still have time to develop so we'll see.

Terrance Davis and Delmon Robinson Transferring.

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Look, transfers are just part of a coaching change. Its inevitable, even when you go from an incompetent one like Croom to Mullen its still going to happen, but couldn't someone besides two WRs leave? Outside of QB, no position can less handle the departure of two players. Plus the fact that the two were battling it out for the last of three starting jobs. Robinson looked pretty good last year when Croom remembered to put him in the game and Davis was the 2nd best WR in the spring game. Both their skills were nice fits for the slot WR position.

Not sure why they left. Both were guarenteed lots of playing time and little competition with the increased number of WRs used in this offense and the barren wasteland that is our returning WRs. With their departure, MSU now has two returning WRs that have ever caught a pass in a Div I game. One of those is Arceto Clark with a whopping 3 catches for 11 yards. . . You better be ready to go Bumphis. You are going to be playing this year . . . alot.

'09 FB Class Review: QB

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Tyler Russell
Ht: 6'4 Wt: 205
Scout	**** #13 QB, #125 overall
Rivals	**** #12 pro-style QB, #8 in MS, #217 overall
ESPN	77 #38 QB

Ah yes, Mr. Russell. Even the most casual of recruiting followers have heard of Tyler by now. He comes in at a position that is by far the worst in the SEC. Not only does Mississippi State need bodies, there are a total of two QBs on the roster outside Tyler, they need talent, neither Tyson Lee or Chris Relf would start for another SEC team. Tyler Russell takes care of both of those problems.

The expectations are sky high for Tyler. The entire MSU fanbase is looking at him as the savior of the program. I don't personally see him as the the savior of Mississippi State football and I find it unfortunate that the majority of fans are putting that kind of pressure and expectation on him before he even takes a snap. They are setting it up where people will call him a bust if he isn't starting by the end of the year, or if he isn't All-SEC by the time he leaves. That is ridiculous and frankly idiotic. Though I do understand where people are coming from. Russell is the highest rated QB in years and probably one of the top QB prospects to ever come to MSU. He plays a position that has been historically horrible for MSU and which amazingly got worse during the last 5 years. Only Croom could produce that feat. After 5 straight years of having the worst QBs in the SEC and possibly of any BCS team, people are hungry for a change. Tyler has the talent and upside to be one of the best to come through MSU, but as we all know recruiting is a crap shoot and nothing is ever guarenteed.

Tyler Russell had offers from South Carolina and Alabama. As a junior Russell led Meridian to the state semifinals, completing 146-274 (53.3%) for 2,481 yards, 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions. He also ran for 514 yards and 5 TDs. Although that is a very good and maybe even great year, it was his senior year that the legend of Tyler Russell (among MSU fans at least) really began to grow. He led Meridian to the state title game in which they defeated powerhouse South Panola 26-20, ending South Panola's 89-game win streak and taking home the state title. Russell completed 206-314 passes (65.6%) for 3,284 yards, 40 TDs and only 5 interceptions. He was named Mississippi's Mr. Football and the Gatorade Player of the Year.

The only downside is that Russell is a pocket quarterback. He isn't a statue by any means but he isn't a dual threat either. Traditionally Mullen has used mobile QBs so we'll see how he adjusts the offense to fit Russell's talents, because there is no doubt Russell will be the most talented QB on the roster next year and maybe for the next 4/5 years as well. Mullen has to find a way to use him effectively.

Overall Grade: A

The only thing keeping this from being an A+ is the lack of a second QB. Despite what Croom has led you to believe over the last 5 years, you need more than 3 QBs on the team. In any case, the one QB that is coming is top notch and thankfully Croom was kicked out before he could ruin him. With a real QB coach to work with, Russell will have a chance to maximize his talents. I think ideally Mullen will want to redshirt Russell. Unfortunately thanks to 5 years of Croom the QB situation is far from ideal and Mullen might not be able to. Whether its due to Russell being that impressive and passing up Lee and Relf, or Lee and Relf are so bad that Mullen has to play Russell by default, or maybe some combination of the two. I see Russell sitting the first part of the year but I think he'll be getting some meaningful snaps in the last 6 games with a slim chance at taking away the starting job midseason.

'09 FB Class Review: DL

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Fletcher Cox
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 238
Scout	**** #17 DE, #154 overall
Rivals	**** #5 Weakside DE, #2 in Mississippi, #94 overall
ESPN	78 #36 DE

Fletcher Cox had offers from pretty much everywhere including Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Colorado, Auburn, Alabama, and LSU. Cox's strength is his speed and quickness which hopefully will bring some bite to a DL that has had no pass rush ability outside Titus Brown this decade. He is credited with running a ridiculous 4.47, undoubtedly fake but even so (he does run track though so who knows?), tack on a couple of tenths and you still get a 4.67 at DE. I'll take it. Rivals did these skill rankings for each position group. One for DE was "quickest first step". Cox ranked #4 on that list. His junior year, Cox had 103 tackles, 11 sacks, and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He followed up that stellar season with 104 tackles, 14 for loss, 10 sacks, an interception and 3 forced fumbles. Cox might not get much playing time this year because of all the DEs on the roster. He may even redshirt, but if things go well he will finally give MSU a legitimate pass rushing threat at DE in a couple of years.

Pernell McPhee
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 265
Scout	**** DE, #21 JUCO
Rivals	**** #3 JUCO
ESPN	Doesn't rank JUCOs

The defensive line is getting immediate help in Pernell McPhee. McPhee graduated early from junior college and participated in spring practice. Almost immediately he nailed down a starting spot, although at DT instead of DE where he played in high school and junior college. For some reason David Turner moves DEs to DT as soon as they hit about 260 lbs. I don't know why, maybe nobody ever told him that a good DE weight is anywhere from 240-270 or so. Anyway, McPhee will probably get moved around ala McCraney last year, lining up at DE or DT depending on the situation. McPhee immediately becomes our biggest pass rushing threat. He is a sack specialist, no two ways about it.

His senior year of high school, McPhee had 75 tackles, 35 for loss, and 19 sacks. He had offers from Central Florida, South Florida, and Southern Miss, whom he signed with out of high school before going the JUCO route. In junior college McPhee exploded onto the scene leading the junior college ranks in sacks in both 2007 and 2008. He had 67 tackles, 37 for loss, and 19.5 sacks his freshman year. The following season McPhee had 57 tackles, 23.5 for loss, and 13.5 sacks. I suspect he got doubled team more than a few times that year. Coming out of junior college McPhee had offers from Kansas St., Kentucky, Illinois, West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Michigan.

Johnathan McKenzie
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 235
Scout	**
Rivals	**
ESPN	73 #134 DE

Project. Big time project. McKenzie would be another member of the Croom all-character team. Given the caliber of the rest of the recruits coming in at DL I can accept that. Mississippi State was McKenzie's only signifigant (i.e I-A) scholarship offer. He could wind up at TE or DE but Mullen is going to start him out at DE. As a TE his senior year he had 27 receptions for 473 yards and 6 TDs. As a DE Mckenzie had 91 tackles and 13 sacks. His stats are fairly impressive but the problem is Mckenzie played for Starkville Academy. Academy ball isn't exactly the stiffest competition so Mckenzie's biggest hurdle will be adjusting to the monumental jump in competition. Don't expect anything from him for a couple of years at least.

Josh Boyd
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 275
Scout	**** #12 DT, #102 overall
Rivals	**** #15 DT, #6 in Mississippi, #180 overall
ESPN	78 #37 DT

Josh Boyd passes the offer test, with Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Tennesse, Alabama, LSU, and Michigan all extending scholarship offers.

Boyd racked up 154 tackles, 27 for loss, and eight sacks his junior year. Last year Boyd had 112 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 sacks. The severe drop in production is concerning although that junior year is so ridiculous that somewhat of a drop is understandable. He also plays in a lower division so the effect that the dramatic jump in competition has will be something to watch for.

Rivals also rated him as the 4th best athlete and 4th best pass rusher at DT. Their is that pass rushing theme again. Its about time this need was addressed. Boyd would make a good DE in a 3-4 scheme so we might see some moving around from him in specialty situations, the bulk of the work will be at DT though.

He'll probably redshirt just because DTs are rarely ready as freshmen, similar to OL in that respect. He has a better than average shot at playing time though because the talent at DT is so lacking.

Overall Grade: A

Finally we get some pass rushing ability on the DL. McPhee will be starting right off the bat and will probably be the best DL on the team the next two years. Cox isn't ready yet but his athleticism is outstanding, just polish up the techniques and he should be a good one. McKenzie might have been a reach but you can afford a project type here and there. Finally Boyd brings some much needed help at a talent depleted DT position, and hopefully some ability to pressure the QB. Currently there is zero pass rush threat at DT (outside McPhee), even though David Turner moves about half of all the DE's that come in here to DT. I think he'd move every single one to DT if he could. The only thing keeping this from being an A+ is the lack of a second DT (I'm not counting McPhee, he is a hybrid and would be a DE anywhere else in the country).

'09 FB Class Review: OL

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Gabriel Jackson
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 295
Scout	*** #52 OT
Rivals	*** #85 OT, #28 in Mississippi
ESPN	74 #124 OT

Ah, the offensive line. No stats and notoriously difficult to evaluated for the future, even for coaches nevermind someone like me. So this will be short yes? Yes. The weight I've shown above might not be accurate. That is around the area the consensus hovered around back in October. Now I'm seeing much more in the 310-320 pound range. The point is he is a big dude. Most are projecting him as a tackle but his height suggests guard to me. 6'4 is a little short for a tackle though they are out there. More often at schools like MSU that can't get the prototypical OT, so yeah. Jackson also held offers from Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Auburn, and LSU. The offers and the ratings say a very good pick up by MSU standards.

Sam Watts
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 290
Scout	*** #66 OT
Rivals	*** #12 C, #50 in Georgia
ESPN	75 #18 C

VIDEO!!

Watts was the first commitment of this class, joining up back in February. . . of 2008. Alot of what I read about him is more about how good of a guy he is than how good of a player he is. Anyway, his stock went up during his senior year, but I can't find any other scholarship offers for him. Likely partly due to the ridiculously early commitment, but also partly due to his talent. I'm kind of meh on him for now. I'll admit it is my bias showing through. After 5 years of Captain Character, hearing about how good a kid is just isn't going to cut it for me anymore. I want the horses to start kicking some ass.

Overall Grade: C+

I wavered on what grade to give here. I went with the harsher end of the spectrum. Only two lineman from last year moved on (not counting Alford) and only one was a starter so in that sense I can see OL not being a big need. But now we only have 14 OL (Feld is purely a long snapper, nothing more) and I would like to see at least 15 if not 16 total. On top of that the OL has been bad for years. It needs an infusion of talent. Basically it was the numbers game that yielded the final grade. Jackson looks like a good and Watts looks like a flier on a project. I don't mind that combination, especially on the OL. However, the lack of one if not two more recruits at this position is cause for concern though. Mullen needs to hit the OL hard in the upcoming year. Three will be the bare minimum.

Eric Richards Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:19:00 +0000

According to Veazy, kicker Eric Richards is leaving the team due to medical reasons. Probably not a significant loss. It looks like Brauchle would have won the kicking duties regardless.

Football Attrition

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:15:00 +0000

Well, you knew it was going to happen, new coach and all. We got some players moving on.

Nelson Hurst has decided to transfer. Not a big deal. He was a decent tight end, played significant minutes as a true freshman last year but he only had two catches. Now that was partly because Croom was a buffoon and didn't know how to utilize a tight end in an offense. Still, I can't get worked up about losing a guy who caught two passes. On top of that the tight end isn't all that important in Mullen's offense. He'll use them some, but we have others on the roster that can do what Hurst would have done. Good luck to ya Hurst, sorry you had to suffer under Croom for a year.

Montario Patterson is also moving on. He came in as a RB and redshirted last year. I think he was playing safety in the spring and was running third string. You'd like to keep him but this is probably a non factor. It was very early on in his career so who knows how he would have developed but at this point there was probably a 50/50 chance he never played a significant role. Returning safeties are a bit thin but there are several freshman coming in so it should be fine for the future and Patterson wouldn't have helped this year anyway. Again good luck to you Patterson, sorry you had to play for Croom.

JP Alford isn't transferring but has quit the team. Mullen has given him the summer to think it over and has left the door open for him to return if he so chooses. Alford was a Fr. OL that redshirted last year as he was still recovering from knee injuries suffered in high school. Supposedly he was still in the process of recovering and this was a large factor in him quitting. Can't say I blame him, he just had really bad luck in the injury department. It is obviously way too early in his career, especially given that he was an OL to predict how he would have turned out. I do know that he wouldn't have been a factor this year, probably not even in the 2 deep. So in that sense, like Hurst and Patterson, this loss doesn't matter. As for a couple years down the road, by that time you have recruited and developed other OL so yeah. Good luck to ya Alford. Sorry you had to play for Croom and sorry you had such bad luck with injuries.

Anthony Johnson has decided to transfer. Unfortunately I can't tell you that this is another loss that doesn't matter. It does. Johnson would have been starting this year and will now likely be replaced by Damien Anderson. No offense to you Anderson, but that is a downgrade. Depth is also pretty thin for next year and CB is now the one and only glaring weakness on the defense and is probably the 2nd glaring weakness on the team after QB or WR. I know he hadn't played in a year but he was still the most talented CB on the roster. Thats the way it goes though. Someone else is going to have to step up now. Good luck to you Johnson. Sorry you had to put up with Croom, but thank you for being being a major contributor to getting to a bowl game and along with the rest of the defense carrying this team on your back in spite of Croom's ineptness. And thank you for one of the most memorable plays in recent MSU history.

F*** No

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:41:00 +0000

'09 FB Class Review: Special Teams

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:56:00 +0000

Signing day is behind is and Mullen pulled in quite the haul. His first class is already better than any of Croom's 5 classes, and that is with him being on the job for all of 2 months. Sure, Croom deserves some credit but Mullen did the bulk of the work, gaining commits from several who weren't looking at MSU while Croom was here and preventing the onslaught of decommits that was imminent had Croom been retained. Anyway, we get things started with special teams.

Sean Brauchle
Ht: 5'9" Wt: 175
Scout	*** #100 Juco
Rivals	***
ESPN	Doesn't grade JUCOs

I don't know how relevant offers for a kicker are but FYI Brauchle also had offers from Ohio, Southern Miss, and Hawaii. Played running back in high school, time to dust off the fake FG. 19/25 on FGs as a freshman and 14/19 as a sophomore. Converted a 52 and 55 yarder as a freshman and sophomore respectively. First team JC All American both years.

33/44 on FGs overall. 75%. That isn't as high as I would like it, but on the plus side he clearly has significant range. Maybe the days of the 20 yard line being out of FG range are finally over. 4 years has been long enough.

Heath Hutchins
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 215
Scout	*** #70 Juco
Rivals	***
ESPN	Doesn't grade JUCOS

Hutchins averaged 44 yard per punt during his two seasons in junior college. He led the country as a sophomore with a whopping 46.1 average. Coming out of high school he was the #1 punter at the Ray Guy Punting Academy. I don't know what that means but it sounds nice.

Overall Grade: A
As we all know, special teams were absolutely atrocious in every aspect last year. They were easily one of the worst units in the country. Both the starting punter and kicker have graduated and to be perfectly honest that is addition by subtraction, but even so replacements were needed. It appears special teams will be instantly upgraded at both spots. Hutchins averaged several yards more in JUCO than McAdams did last year and hopefully will finally eliminate the dreaded 5 yard punt and even flip field position every once in a while. Brauchle clearly has a much stronger leg than Carlson did. This will help in two ways: 1) We should be able to kick 35+ yard field goals if Mullen chooses. With Carlson it really wasn't even an option, the Egg Bowl being the exception. 2) Brauchle should be able to get some touchbacks every once in while. We don't think about it but those can be crucial. I believe Carlson kicked one touchback all year. Concerns about Brauchle's accuracy is all that keeps this from being an A+.

Wesley Carroll Transfers to FIU

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:14:00 +0000

We knew it was coming several weeks ago but this makes it official. Carroll is headed to Florida International. Scholarship counts in the sidebar have been updated.

Mark Hudspeth Joining MSU Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:53:00 +0000

According to Veazey, Mark Hudspeth is resigning from his head coach position at North Alabama to join Mullen's staff. No word yet on what his role will be, but you have to think OC. Outstanding hire.

Its amazing the turn around that is going on here. Less than a month ago we had Croom and everything that came with him. I won't rehash it all. Now our staff consists of Dan Mullen, one of the top OC's in the country, and Mark Hudspeth, one of the top D-II head coaches. Amazing. Thank you Mississippi State for finally giving a crap about your football program.

New Helmet??

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:36:00 +0000

A different helmet made an appearance at the press conference.

Maroon!!! Don't know if this will be the helmet next year, but I sure hope this is the end of those awful white ones. Not only are they ugly I'll always associate them with Croom. I prefer the interlocking MSU or MS but I'm just happy to see the possible return of the maroon helmet. Maroon facemask is cool too. I think they need to outline the State banner in maroon instead of the silver or gray they've got going on now. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed that the white helmet is dead.

That Was a Breath of Fresh Air

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:42:00 +0000

Courtesy of Bulldawg Junction

Just got done watching the Dan Mullen press conference and boy was that refreshing. I always came away from Croom's press conferences thoroughly depressed, even in his first couple of years. The man had no energy, came off as lazy and uncaring, and never talked about football. Today though, this was the polar opposite. Energy, excitement, enthusiasm, a plan as far as x's and o's, etc.

A few notes, all from memory:

-4 year contract, 1.2 million per year. They didn't mention it but I'm sure he has incentive bonuses. I'm thrilled with that contract. Gives plenty of room to go out there and get quality assistants as well as giving us room to offer him a substantial raise to try and keep him should things go well.
-Mullen said he is going to make special teams a priority. Said he'll be directly involved if not the special teams coach. Thank you!
-Mullen is going to be heavily involved with the offense, to nobody's surprise. He will be hiring an OC though.
-We're going to be running the spread. Thank you! Like I said, breath of fresh air.
-He mentioned recruiting over and over again. Seems to have a passion for it.
-The man is just full of energy and passionate in general. Intense would be a good description.
-His whole philosophy on offense is to get his best players out in space. Spread the defense sideline to sideline, make them defend the whole field. Get playmakers one on one with the defense, get them in mismatches and let his playmakers make a play.
-He is "going to adjust the spread to fit his personnel". What a novel concept, adjusting your offense to fit your players. Did I mention this was a breath of fresh air?
-The standard aggressive, attacking D. 11 men to the ball . . . I think every coach in the history of football has said those exact words. Still, nice to hear from your coach.
-Goal is Atlanta
-"We can catch up in a hurry." Croom is furious. He say "that isn't the right way."

I'm sure there is more I've left out.

Mullen Officially Introduced

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:44:00 +0000

Mullen is going to be officially introduced at 11 eastern, 15 minutes from now. I'm cutting it a little short but you can watch via this link if you are so inclined.

The Search is Over!! Its Dan Mullen

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:52:00 +0000

ESPN has just broke the story, Dan Mullen is the next head football coach at Mississippi State. Go read the article. I don't know about you but it gets me pumped about this hire. Good job Byrne. I'll have more on Mullen, what I think of the hire and more this afternoon.

Dan Mullen Has Interviewed for the Job

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:57:00 +0000

From ESPN, according to Urban Meyer, Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen has interviewed for the job. Boy this has been a tight lipped search. I think this is the first official interviewee we've heard so far.

It Was Fun While It Lasted

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Oh Well. Link.

Of course that report contradicts itself, what with Petersen saying he wasn't offered and a t.v. station just below that saying he was offered. Strange, but thats a coaching search for ya. The way it all is worded actually leaves the door still slightly ajar if you want to hold on to the dream. I'm moving on for the time being.

So who are we looking at now? Graham? Wilson? Dooley? Gill? We'll see.

F it, I'm Getting Your Hopes Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:39:00 +0000

More and more smoke out there so I'm just coming out with it. Chris Petersen. Yep, thats the rumor and it is spreading like wildfire. I've probably set you all up for a huge letdown but oh well. Lets have some fun.

Again though, NOTHING OFFICIAL. So stay tuned.

I'm Here to Spread Unverified Rumors

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:39:00 +0000

You know what, I was going to go the whole "keep my mouth shut until its official" route. I really was. Then I got to thinking about it. I'm not associated with MSU in any way. I'm just a little blog in a tiny corner of the internet, who cares what I post.

So, any rumor during this coaching search that I feel has any legs at all, its being thrown up here. Just to be clear, I'll be somewhat liberal about what I post but even so the completely ridiculous rumors won't be posted. For example, "Mike Ditka to MSU!" will not be seen on MStateCentral. Yes I have actually heard that one. So, on we go.

There is a strong rumor going on right now that the next head coach has in fact already been hired. Announcement presumed to be made later this weekend. This has come on suddenly but extremely strong from several people so I tend to believe it. Time will tell.

There is a second rumor floating around regarding who exactly that head coach is. There is a ton of smoke out there right now but I won't share just yet, simply because I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Stay tuned.

MSU 84 F. Dickinson 58

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:41:00 +0000

So thats good. It seems Twany Beckham has finally healed up and got 10 minutes playing time. He had 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Not too shabby for his first action. I really hope he can take over the back-up PG role. Turner just isn't a good fit there.

The real reason I make this post though, in this game Varnado had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 8 blocks. With those 8 blocks, Varnado now has 255 career blocks, breaking the MSU record of 249 previously held by Erick Dampier. Congrats Jarvis.

He is absolutely going to crush that record when he is through.

Shaunessy Smith Signs With Mississippi State

noreply@blogger.com (Jase) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:33:00 +0000

Yes thats right, SIGNS not just commits. Shaunessy Smith actually committed months ago but this blog has taken up the policy of waiting for the L.O.I to be signed. Smith, out of Noxubee County, signed with Stansbury's Bulldogs on Wednesday.

Here's the scouting services thoughts:

Shaunessy Smith
Ht: 6'6" Wt: 195
Scout	**** #23 SG
Rivals	***
ESPN	89 #38 SG

As you can see, Smith is very well thought of. He is considered by many to be the top player in Mississippi this year. He held offers from Clemson, Ole Miss, and USC among others. Smith averaged 25.1 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals last year.

The scary thing is that Smith might actually be underrated. He played all last season with a torn ligament in his hip and still put up those numbers. You have to think he'll only be better this season. On top of that, after the season he had surgery to repair the ligament thus missing all the summer camps, AAU events, and so on.

Here is the ESPN evaluation. You might want to take a look at it, they think highly of him. Smith could wind up playing either SG or SF. Sounds like a top level talent but without the "me me me" attitude often associated with them. Sure he can score but apparently he does all the little less glamorous things too.

Huge signing for Rick Stansbury. That leaves one spot still open assuming no unexpected attrition (big assumption given recent history). Yes this may be only a two person class. You have to think Stansbury is looking for a big man. A C if he can find one or a PF otherwise. Don't expect the spot to be filled in the early signing period though.