STARKVILLE — For the second straight recruiting cycle, Mississippi State has landed the No. 1 junior college inside linebacker in the country.
Monday, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College linebacker and 2021 prospect Navonteque “Bug” Strong filled a major need in Starkville as he announced his commitment to coach Mike Leach and the new Bulldogs staff.
“I’ve had some great ones in the locker room that walk around with an infectious smile, (but) he is elite,” MGCCC head coach Jack Wright told The Dispatch. “He is with the best of the best in that area as far as having his teammates rally around him and leading and and listening to him … He is as good as it gets in all those intangible areas.”
Spending the bulk of his snaps at the MIKE and WILL linebacker slots in defensive coordinator Dr. Brett Shufelt’s multiple scheme, Strong recorded 104 tackles and 8.5 sacks while playing in coverage and as a run stopper.
Projecting as an old-school thumper in the middle of the Bulldog defense, the former Scott Central standout was typically pulled off the field on third down by Shufelt at the start of the season. That quickly changed. With Strong flashing elite sideline-to-sideline athleticism, Shufelt felt he had little choice but to leave him on the field as much as possible.
Rewarding his position coach for the increase in snaps, Strong recorded fourth-down stops against Jones College and Hinds Community College — who finished Nos. 10 and 11, respectively in the NJCAA’s final football poll — to end both contests as he helped MGCCC to an undefeated season and the junior college national title.
“When I was doing the evaluation of him during high school, I was trying to pick out clips that I would show the other football guys,” Shufelt said. “And it was probably easier just coming up with plays that weren’t highlights, because every play, offense and defense, he was making it happen.”
Beyond his athletic ability, coaches at MGCCC raved about Strong’s studious nature both in the classroom and in the film room.
Armed with a masters and a doctorate from MSU, Shufelt classifies his freshman World Civilization course as “rigorous.” Blue books are doled out for assessments. All-essay tests follow.
Partaking in Shufelt’s class last summer, Strong thrived — growing with each subsequent lesson.
Strong also developed into an avid film critic. Boasting a deep football knowledge coupled with an ability to diagnose movement and formations at a higher level than most, he and Shufelt spent hours watching film on future opponents.
“I’ve just been consistently amazed with Bug,” Shufelt said. “He wasn’t the greatest student, obviously he didn’t qualify (out of high school), but he has not looked back, and he’s done very well in all his classes and in his work ethic.”
“He’s just a student of the game is what you could say,” Wright added. “He’s got a lot of qualities that are going to carry him a long way in this sport.”
While Strong still has a national title to defend alongside fellow MSU commit cornerback Cortez Eatmon and Oregon defensive back pledge Jadarrius Perkins before arriving in Starkville, he should offer the Bulldogs an instant-impact performer once on campus.
Joining a linebacker room that already lost Willie Gay Jr. a season early to the NFL draft, MSU will also have to replace soon-to-be three-year starter Erroll Thompson in the middle of Arnett’s defense. JUCO signee Tyrus Wheat, the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2020 class, should be in the fold. So too should redshirt sophomore Aaron Brule, who saw limited action last year but is slated for a bigger role in 2020.
A former MSU assistant himself, Shufelt compared Strong to one-time Bulldog Greg Favors — a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998 who went on to an eight-year NFL career. But whether he grows to be Favors or not, there’s a belief amongst those who’ve coached Strong that he’ll find himself playing on Sundays.
“I’m not saying we won the national title because of him, but I know we don’t win it without him,” Shufelt said. “For a freshman to do the things he did — I could see this kid getting bigger, faster, stronger. When you see the kid, you’ll know what I’m talking about.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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