STARKVILLE — From the moment Dan Mullen took the Mississippi State coaching job in December 2008, he has spoken of the need to win the recruiting battle in the state of Mississippi every year.
But even Mullen might not have pictured dominating the state like this.
A few short months after fielding a team in 2014 that went to No. 1 in the country on the backs of unheralded recruits from Morton, Rosa Fort, and Tylertown, Mullen welcomed MSU’s latest recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day. This time, Mullen and his coaching staff blanketed the state like never before, landing eight of its top 10 prospects, and five of the top six, according to ESPN.com. That included Scout.com’s top two players from the state, Bassfield High School safety Jamal Peters and Brookhaven High linebacker Leo Lewis. Both are four-star prospects, and both were key to what nearly amounted to a Mississippi sweep for the Bulldogs.
“A lot of young people now, especially the top players in Mississippi, decided to come here and play for us,” Mullen said. “They can come here and play for their in-state school, get a great education, be developed and maximized to become the best they can be on and off the field, and that they will have the opportunity to compete for championships makes us such a great place. You saw that today.”
Peters and Lewis were the headliners, but MSU’s latest recruiting crop was supplemented by a wealth of talent from the Magnolia State. In all, 15 players from the state signed Wednesday, the first day high school seniors could sign National Letters of Intent with their school of choice. In comparison, Ole Miss signed four high school seniors from Mississippi.
“One of the things that’s always important to us is recruiting the state of Mississippi,” Mullen said. “When you look at this year’s recruiting class and see 15 guys from the state of Mississippi, it’s so huge. According to some of the rankings, eight of the top 10 players from Mississippi are coming here. That is so, so important. Those guys have so much pride in playing for Mississippi State and playing for the state of Mississippi. When you have that pride that you’re representing everyone in the state, it is special.”
In addition to Lewis and Peters, notable Mississippi players who signed with MSU included Collins High safety Mark McLaurin, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive back, and four-star Louisville High wide receiver Dontae Jones, who projects as a tight end for the Bulldogs.
Raiding Alabama
While the bedrock of MSU’s latest class was formed in Mississippi, Mullen found plenty of help in a neighboring state, too. The Bulldogs invaded the state of Alabama and emerged with seven signees, the same total as Alabama and Auburn.
The haul includes players like four-star tailback Nick Gibson, three-start wide receiver Justin Johnson, and three-star slot receiver Keith Mixon. All three are from the Birmingham area.
“We consider that a local recruiting area, especially when you consider Birmingham is just two-and-a-half hours away,” Mullen said. “That’s closer than Hattiesburg. The kids over there see us a lot, and their families are close enough that they can come to all the games. That’s definitely a place where we want to do well, and we have done that with guys already on our team.”
Brotherly love
Mullen didn’t have to look far to find quality defensive line help. He simply had to visit the home of one of his current players.
The Bulldogs signed four-star defensive tackle Fletcher Adams, a 6-2, 260-pounder, who is the younger brother of current Bulldog lineman Nelson Adams.
Like his older brother, Fletcher is a promising and versatile defensive lineman. He could be a force inside or outside at defensive end.
“(Fletcher Adams) is a really explosive player and multi-sport athlete in high school,” Mullen said. “How big is he going to get? I don’t know. His brother’s pretty big and athletic. He could start at end or play inside. He has that flexibility.”
Playing time?
Mullen has built a successful program based on upperclassmen. The sixth-year coach has redshirted 82 percent of his incoming freshmen in his time in Starkville.
But with his highest-rated recruiting class arriving for the 2015 season, Mullen could be forced to consider playing more younger players because MSU only has seven returning starters.
Asked to detail which incoming player might have a chance to see the field early, Mullen didn’t hesitate to mention Peters.
“He’s a special talent back there in the secondary, but also a huge need for us at that position with guys graduating and Kendrick Market coming off a severe injury,” Mullen said. “If he showed up on campus today, without stepping on the field, he might be on the two-deep rotation. He has a chance to make an immediate impact.”
With the loss of safeties Justin Cox and Jay Hughes and the season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury suffered by Market, the opportunity to play early could be there for Peters, who led Bassfield to three consecutive Class 2A state championships.
Position change already
Another hole on MSU’s roster is tight end, where the Bulldogs are trying to replace three-year starter Malcolm Johnson, who had 28 catches for 380 yards and three touchdowns as a senior.
Enter Jones, a four-star wide receiver at Louisville High, who threatens to grow out of that role. Mullen said the 6-4 target is well over his listed weight of 240 pounds, which portends a move to tight end as a replacement for Johnson.
“He brings size,” Mullen said. “Every time I see him, he’s bigger. He was 6-foot-4 and a half, 260 pounds on his visit. He’s a guy that does bring a tremendous mismatch. He’s just a big man. He gets on the scale and he’s big. It’s not fat. It’s not anything. He’s just a big guy, so he’ll create some mismatches for people.”
Jones caught 34 passes for 537 yards and three touchdowns as a senior at Louisville.
The next quarterback arrives
MSU’s biggest recruit committed in early January.
That’s when quarterback Dak Prescott announced he would return to Starkville for his senior season.
On Wednesday, Mullen went about finding a possible successor. Nick Tiano, a 6-5, 230-pounder from Chattanooga, Tennessee, figures to give the Bulldogs another dimension under center.
As a senior in 2014, he was 137 of 224 for 2,096 yards with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had 136 rushes for 723 yards and eight touchdowns to become the top quarterback prospect in the state of Tennessee.
“We spent time with him in camp to see him throw the ball,” Mullen said. “He has a very naturally strong arm. The ball jumps out of his hand. He’s very intelligent with great leadership skill. These are all things we’re looking for at quarterback. He comes in with a lot of the things we look for. He can come in and contribute.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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