STARKVILLE — Nelson Jordan is no stranger to the recruiting process.
Although fairly unknown and with very little interest so far, the Starkville High School senior defensive lineman watched A.J. Brown, Kobe Jones, and Lorenzo Dantzler sign with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi, respectively, in February after long recruiting battles.
Jordan will get a first-hand look at teammate Willie Gay’s recruitment this season. Gay committed to Ole Miss this summer. Jordan hasn’t had those Southeastern Conference or Power 5 offers come rolling in yet, but he hopes to change that.
“I’m just waiting for this season to come to have a break through,” Jordan said. “That’s really what I’m hoping for and praying for.
“I’m not disappointed, I’m just going to be patient and wait it out and see what happens.”
Jordan has offers from Samford and Alcorn State and has interest from junior colleges, including East Mississippi Community College and Northwest Mississippi C.C.
With three talented seniors (Jones, Dantzler, and Maleke Bell) on the defensive line in 2015, Jordan got overshadowed. There were moments he shined, but those three garnered much of the attention. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Jordan had 49 tackles (17 for loss), seven sacks, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and three pass breakups. He scored a touchdown on one of the fumble recoveries.
Starkville football coach Ricky Woods feels Jordan is ready to take on a bigger role. Like Gay, he has worked hard since the Yellow Jackets won the 2015 Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State championship.
“Just train during the offseason, go hard when the season comes, and just keep on praying,” Jordan said of what he has to do to get more attention.
Jordan made the most of his summer by going to several camps, including one at Southern Miss. He said he enjoyed his time there.
Talking to first-year coach Jay Hopson, Jordan feels Southern Miss will make him an offer soon.
“He didn’t give me an offer, but he talked to me and said, ‘We would like you to be here,’ ” Jordan said.
Jordan said he has texted with Southern Miss in the last few weeks and keeps in touch with Dantzler. Dantzler hasn’t pushed Southern Miss on Jordan, but he has showed him around and told him what it’s like in Hattiesburg.
Jordan hopes to attract attention from SEC schools, including MSU and Ole Miss. MSU, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss are his top three, and he hopes to play in the SEC.
Jordan has paid careful attention to Gay and will continue to as the year progresses. Although they are focused on winning another title, they also have talked about recruiting. Jordan has leaned on him for advice.
“He talks about all his business stuff,” Jordan said. “I just asked him, ‘How does it feel?’ He said, ‘It’s just a blessing to have all those types of schools coming for you.’ I’m just hoping and praying I’ll be like that one day.”
With knowledge of how the process works, Jordan hopes to make the right decision and won’t let outside factors affect his decision.
“I’m focused on myself and what’s good for me,” Jordan said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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