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msbulldog
It was posted after the Ole miss story.
Where Mississippi State stands ahead of National Signing Day
Tyler Horka, Mississippi Clarion Ledger Published 11:02 a.m. CT Feb. 5, 2019
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STARKVILLE ? Mississippi State signed 14 players during the early signing window in December. Two months later, the Bulldogs can reach double-digits once again on National Signing Day.
Head coach Joe Moorhead has five hard commits heading into Wednesday, and he has his eyes on a handful of other targets who could bolster this 2019 class. Here?s a look at Mississippi State?s early signees, commits and targets broken down by position.
Quarterback
Early signees (1): Garrett Shrader
Commits expected to sign (0)
Targets (0)
The quarterback position was simple this offseason. Rising junior Keytaon Thompson has been with the program for three full seasons and is expected to be the starter in his third.
Garrett Shrader, though, enrolled early and could challenge Thompson for the starting job. Either way, Moorhead feels comfortable with who he has in the QB room heading into the 2019 season.
Running back
Early signees (1): Lee Witherspoon
Commits expected to sign (1): Kareem Walker
Targets: (1): Jerrion Ealy
Witherspoon and Walker will add much-need depth to Mississippi State?s roster behind rising junior Kylin Hill. The story of the day in Mississippi will be where the third-ranked running back in the country, Jerrion Ealy, signs.
Ealy, a Jackson Prep product, de-committed from Ole Miss in early January, and Mississippi State felt it could sway the talented dual-sport player to Starkville. Clemson, however, has emerged as the leading landing spot for Ealy.
Ealy is weighing more than just where he wants to play college football. Ealy is also a top MLB Draft prospect, and his decision very much has to do with which path allows him to keep his aspirations of being a major-leaguer alive.
Wide receiver
Early signees (2): Quinton Torbor, Kyziah Pruitt
Commits expected to sign (1): JaVonta Payton
Targets (2): Jonathan Mingo, Kendrell Scurry
Mingo is another in-state wildcard. He?s committed to Ole Miss, but the Brandon High School product could have Mississippi State on his radar.
Moorhead needs a difference-making wide receiver in this class. The wide out position was unstable in 2018. Torbor, Pruitt and Payton are nice three-star pieces who could add some stability, but Mingo is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound focal point of any offense he?s in.
Mingo took an official visit to Mississippi State two weeks ago while most of MSU?s signees and commits were also on campus. He has since taken official visits to Ole Miss and Georgia, though. He might be a long-shot to sign with State at this point, but Moorhead and company could definitely use him.
Tight end
Early signees (0)
Commits expected to sign (0)
Targets (0)
Don?t be too scared by those zeroes if you?re a Mississippi State fan. The Bulldogs will have six tight ends on the 2019 roster, led by rising senior Farrod Green. Rising junior Dontea Jones should also play a role next season, as could redshirt freshman Geor?quarius Spivey.
Offensive line
Early signees (4): Charles Cross, Nick Pendley, LaQuinston Sharp, Brevyn Jones
Commits expected to sign (1): Brandon Cunningham
Targets (0)
In a class that will have five offensive linemen, Cross is the crown jewel. The Laurel High School standout made himself a five-star player with a stout week of practices at the Under Armour All-American game last month. Moorhead went heavy with the offensive line recruits, and he?s happy he did so. He?s adamant that his team will be able to hang with anyone at the line of scrimmage.
Safety
Early signees (3): Jarrian Jones, Javeious Purvis, Fred Peters
Commits expected to sign (1): Martin Emerson Jr.
Targets (0)
When Emerson Jr. signs on Wednesday, Mississippi State will have landed a pretty good crop of safeties. Jones is the cornerstone in the class. The four-star Northwest Rankin product can do it all and will be a valuable addition for defensive coordinator Bob Shoop.
Jones can play corner back, safety or even wide receiver. Odds are he?ll stay on the back end of Mississippi State?s defense after losing Mark McLaurin and Johnathan Abram.
Corner back
Early signees (0)
Commits expected to sign (0)
Targets (1): Collin Duncan
Mississippi State is in a good spot at corner with Maurice Smitherman, Cameron Dantzler and Tyler Williams all returning after getting a good amount of reps in 2018. Dantzler and Smitherman emerged as the starters, and Williams is a viable backup.
Adding another piece in Duncan, though, would be huge for State. Duncan is a three-star player from St. James High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Indications are he has solid intentions to sign with the Bulldogs.
Linebacker
Early signees (0)
Commits expected to sign (0)
Targets (0)
Defensive end
Early signees (3): Jack Harris, Ani Izuchukwu, De?Monte Russell
Commits expected to sign (0)
Targets (1): Charles Moore
The early signees are all nice additions for a defensive end corps that lost a lot of production over the offseason. Louisville High School four-star recruit Charles Moore would cap off the class in a big way.
Moore committed to Mississippi State in August 2017 before de-committing a year and a half later, one month before National Signing Day. He appears to be heading to Auburn, but the Bulldogs are still very much in the running. They could use Moore?s talent on the d-line.
Defensive tackle
Early signees (0)
Commits expected to sign (1): Nathan Pickering
Targets (1): Byron Young
Until Cross received his five-star designation last month, Pickering was the highest-rated recruit in Mississippi State?s 2019 class. The borderline five-star Seminary High School product appeared to open his recruitment a bit at the end of last year, but it is believed that he will undoubtedly become a Bulldog on Wednesday.
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