Nigel Knott to announce in late September....

[CadaverDawg]

Who will it be? Any chance it's maroon and white?

[ShotgunDawg]

Who will it be? Any chance it's maroon and white?

If I were a betting man, I'd bet he doesn't commit then. I think he set that commitment date saying, "Surely I'll have it figured out by then.", but I don't think he will. I think his recruitment goes down to the wire to late January

[jumbo]

I'm saying FSU. He was all set to announce for them a month or so ago. He'll probably go all the way to NSD though.

[blacklistedbully]

Interesting case. Father played safety for Ole Miss, and would love his son to follow in his footsteps. But father has also said he'll let son decide, and Nigel's sister goes to MSU. Of course, MSU's track program is much, much better.

I suspect we'd have to be perceived as clearly better than UNM for us to land Nigel over them, and that's if he elects to stay in-state.

[ShotgunDawg]

Interesting case. Father played safety for Ole Miss, and would love his son to follow in his footsteps. But father has also said he'll let son decide, and Nigel's sister goes to MSU. Of course, MSU's track program is much, much better.

I suspect we'd have to be perceived as clearly better than UNM for us to land Nigel over them, and that's if he elects to stay in-state.

From all that I've heard, MSU is the preferred in-state option, but that he'll probably go out of state. I think one is a long way from over personally.

[maroonmania]

From all that I've heard, MSU is the preferred in-state option, but that he'll probably go out of state. I think one is a long way from over personally.

If that's the situation it would make sense about him going out of state. I'm sure his Father would be ostracized by the OM faction if his son went to MSU so the easiest solution for Nigel is to pick neither OM or MSU.

[PSYCHO(thesis)DEFENSE]

His only official visit prior to the announce date will be Oregon. Says he will still try to take all of his officials.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I think he announces for Bama & then we'll see in January & February. Unless the Oregon visit just blows him away.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think he announces for Bama & then we'll see in January & February. Unless the Oregon visit just blows him away.

Bama is starting to trickle into this state more than I'm comfortable. We simply can't lose our best players to them. The state of Mississippi MUST keep Bama, Auburn, & LSU out of this state. I'm OK with a local kid choosing FSU, Oregon, Oklahoma, etc... because those are random and don't effect long term potential of MSU.

Losing players to boarder schools is what I fear because it can start momentum for that school in state & we can't allow those schools to cherry pick who they want from Mississippi.

As of now: Bama is in on Knott, AJ Brown, Davis, & Simmons in the 2016 class & has Akers and the Morton kid committed for 2017. Although, I don't expect those to stick, that's too many. There is no reason for these kids to be leaving the state with what MSU & Ole Miss have to offer. No reason

[blacklistedbully]

Bama is starting to trickle into this state more than I'm comfortable. We simply can't lose our best players to them. The state of Mississippi MUST keep Bama, Auburn, & LSU out of this state. I'm OK with a local kid choosing FSU, Oregon, Oklahoma, etc... because those are random and don't effect long term potential of MSU.

Losing players to boarder schools is what I fear because it can start momentum for that school in state & we can't allow those schools to cherry pick who they want from Mississippi.

As of now: Bama is in on Knott, AJ Brown, Davis, & Simmons in the 2016 class & has Akers and the Morton kid committed for 2017. Although, I don't expect those to stick, that's too many. There is no reason for these kids to be leaving the state with what MSU & Ole Miss have to offer. No reason

Other than proven ability to win NC's, more TV presence, more exposure to NFL scouts, association with decades-long winning traditions? We may be on our way to some of this, and have shown it's perhaps within our reach to compete for an NC, but with Bama, Auburn & LSU, they have shown the ability to be a contender more often than not.

[HancockCountyDog]

My money is on Bama, he wants to see if he actually has a spot. He has a spot, but he is the type of guy Bama cuts on signing day.

[ShotgunDawg]

Other than proven ability to win NC's, more TV presence, more exposure to NFL scouts, association with decades-long winning traditions. We may be on our way to some of this, and have shown it's perhaps within our reach to compete for an NC, but with Bama, Auburn & LSU, they have shown the ability to be a contender more often than not.

Cut that SHIT out.

I am so sick of hearing MSU fans say this. It is the ultimate, PO Ole State attitude that needs to be exterminated from our fan base.

Yes, they have won more national titles because they have historically had better players (Imagine that....). However, the landscape is changing and has changed. We are both on TV more than enough for that to have any sort of factor & the talent levels of both MSU and Ole Miss is plenty enough to beat any college football team in America on any given day.

We aren't idiots, we realize they have won in the past. The better question is: why does that matter? It only matters because we allow it matter.

[scottycameron]

I'd bet on out of state also, that seems to be the consensus. And I'd put Bama at the top. Bama has a recent habit of losing Miss kids late though. I won't consider it over till signing day.

[MSUDawg99]

I think he announces for Bama & then we'll see in January & February. Unless the Oregon visit just blows him away.

I'm going with Bama as well

[MSUDawg99]

Here's what we'll know for sure though...if Steve Robertson doesn't make a trip to GHS then we know it's not State.

[sandwolf]

Father played safety for Ole Miss, and would love his son to follow in his footsteps.

Where did you hear this? From what I have read, his dad's biggest tie to his college career is to Tony Hughes.

[blacklistedbully]

Cut that SHIT out.

I am so sick of hearing MSU fans say this. It is the ultimate, PO Ole State attitude that needs to be exterminated from our fan base.

Yes, they have won more national titles because they have historically had better players (Imagine that....). However, the landscape is changing and has changed. We are both on TV more than enough for that to have any sort of factor & the talent levels of both MSU and Ole Miss is plenty enough to beat any college football team in America on any given day.

We aren't idiots, we realize they have won in the past. The better question is: why does that matter? It only matters because we allow it matter.

Don't be an idiot! I'm about as far as you'll come from a, "PO Ole State" kinda guy. I was one of the ones predicting 10 or 11 wins last year, and saying 8 should get CDM run outta town. So you can take that BS and shove it straight up your ass!

As I said, we have made significant changes, and shown we can at least compete at the very highest levels occasionally. We have IN NO WAY actually closed the gap with Bama. We could win the NC this year and still be way behind them. If you don't think it matters to many recruits that Bama is considered an NC contender almost every single year, then you are an imbecile.

The best we can say is we have made up SOME ground. But we are so far behind it's moronic to suggest otherwise. Yes, we competed last year (though we still lost to them), and yes, we can compete this year. But we have a LOT of repeated winning to do before we get anywhere close to the gravitas Bama has with most recruits.

[jumbo]

Where did you hear this? From what I have read, his dad's biggest tie to his college career is to Tony Hughes.



His dad did play at OM. The Tony Hughes connection is the one that is made up.

[ShotgunDawg]

Don't be an idiot! I'm about as far as you'll come from a, "PO Ole State" kinda guy. I was one of the ones predicting 10 or 11 wins last year, and saying 8 should get CDM run outta town. So you can take that BS and shove it straight up your ass!

As I said, we have made significant changes, and shown we can at least compete at the very highest levels occasionally. We have IN NO WAY actually closed the gap with Bama. We could win the NC this year and still be way behind them. If you don't think it matters to many recruits that Bama is considered an NC contender almost every single year, then you are an imbecile.

The best we can say is we have made up SOME ground. But we are so far behind it's moronic to suggest otherwise. Yes, we competed last year (though we still lost to them), and yes, we can compete this year. But we have a LOT of repeated winning to do before we get anywhere close to the gravitas Bama has with most recruits.

I think your ignorant to how this attitude hurts our program.

If you were a 4 or 5 star player, & most MSU people you know say this, then why would you come to MSU?

There is no doubt that your statement has some truth, but by acknowledging it, we are hurting our program. On a micro-level it's not that big of deal, but on a macro-level, it hurts our program when MSU people constantly say, "Well... I understand why he would go to Bama where he has a chance to win a national title."

Does he not have a chance to win one at MSU?
If MSU had the same players as Bama, would MSU have a better chance?

We talked about this a ton before, but recruiting is cyclical, and until the teams that are out of the cycle, say "17 that, they are no better and offer nothing more than us", how can those teams start recruiting at the level to win a NC?

It's my whole hearted opinion that Mississippi kids are better off and have greater opportunities going to MSU and Ole Miss than going out of state, and I disagree with people that say otherwise.

You can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Your choice....

I could care less about your earlier posts

[sandwolf]

His dad did play at OM. The Tony Hughes connection is the one that is made up.

I know his dad played at OM......but I was under the impression that Hughes was his coach at OM and that he had much more of a connection with Hughes than he did with OM.

[blacklistedbully]

I think your ignorant to how this attitude hurts our program.

If you were a 4 or 5 star player, & most MSU people you know say this, then why would you come to MSU?

There is no doubt that your statement has some truth, but by acknowledging it, we are hurting our program. On a micro-level it's not that big of deal, but on a macro-level, it hurts our program when MSU people constantly say, "Well... I understand why he would go to Bama where he has a chance to win a national title."

Does he not have a chance to win one at MSU?
If MSU had the same players as Bama, would MSU have a better chance?

We talked about this a ton before, but recruiting is cyclical, and until the teams that are out of the cycle, say "17 that, they are no better and offer nothing more than us", how can those teams start recruiting at the level to win a NC?

It's my whole hearted opinion that Mississippi kids are better off and have greater opportunities going to MSU and Ole Miss than going out of state, and I disagree with people that say otherwise.

Dude, you are making assumptions and putting words in my mouth. If I'm on record as saying LAST PRESEASON that I thought we could compete for the NC, how exactly do you get from point-a-to-point b (suggesting I somehow said we can't compete for a NC)?

My attitude is that we have grown immensely as a program, to the point we are capable of competing for a NC if we get the right players and the right breaks. For some kids that will be enough. But if you don't think recruits already perceive that 4 years at Bama is still a much greater chance at playing in an NC than 4 years at MSU, you are CRAZY.

What I say about it has ZERO impact on what recruits are thinking in this regard. It's a fact, and will remain so until we spend several years consistently in the top 3 of the SEC, with many of them #1. We need to have several finishes in the top 10 before we have a chance to change that overall perception. That, or Bama would have to take a nose-dive at least a few years, like they did before Saban, along with us winning consistently at the same time.

We are simply not able to say we offer as much as Bama right now across the board. But we can still appeal to the kind of kids that want to stay home and/or buy into the belief that we can do it here at State and that it would be incredibly special to be a part of that. We can still do it by getting those young men who are undervalued or realize their chances of playing time are greater, along with the chance that we can compete for an NC. And that's where we still differ. We offer a real chance to compete, whereas they offer a real likelihood.

This is not some closely guarded secret, no, "big reveal" I'm going to scare a recruit off with. Every damn one of these kids knows that already. We want the kids who know it and choose to come here anyway, and we can succeed with those young men of character. Just don't be foolish enough to think by getting to #1 during the season last year that any recruit now thinks his chances of winning at MSU are as great as winning at Bama. If you're trying to sell that, you're going to be wasting your time for now. We're much better off selling that it's possible to do it if they come here, and that they would be HUGE part of that, and that it would be incredibly special to be a part of that. We're better off acknowledging that we have much less history of winning, while also pointing to our incredible growth, highlighting how far we have come in such a short time. We're better off showing these recruits we are doing a fantastic job of developing players and putting them in the NFL than we have in our entire history.

That's the way we do it until we've had the kind of continued success that makes us perceived as being on a Bama-level.

[Jacksondevildog]

University of Alabama doctors worked on his knee after his meniscus tear. This didn't happen by chance. Look for him to roll with the Tide.

[jumbo]

I know his dad played at OM......but I was under the impression that Hughes was his coach at OM and that he had much more of a connection with Hughes than he did with OM.

His dad was there before Hughes was

[Schultzy]

Meniscus of the knee doesn't sound good, is recovery from that normal?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Meniscus of the knee doesn't sound good, is recovery from that normal?

Can't be too bad he'll be back playing Sept 25th.

[dawgwood]

I think he announces for Bama & then we'll see in January & February. Unless the Oregon visit just blows him away.
Who ever he commits to won't be the team he signs with on signing day.

[Schultzy]

Can't be too bad he'll be back playing Sept 25th.

That's good.

[sandwolf]

Meniscus of the knee doesn't sound good, is recovery from that normal?

I tore mine in the opening game of my junior season, had surgery (it is a very minor arthroscopic surgery) and was back on the field 4 weeks later. And that was actually the second time I had torn it......I had done it in the previous spring training too.

[msstate7]

University of Alabama doctors worked on his knee after his meniscus tear. This didn't happen by chance. Look for him to roll with the Tide.

What's the rule on this? Couldn't that be an impermissible benefit?

Could be completely legit and happen all the time. I have no idea

[sandwolf]

His dad was there before Hughes was

Oh ok.

[MedDawg]

Other than proven ability to win NC's, more TV presence, more exposure to NFL scouts, association with decades-long winning traditions? We may be on our way to some of this, and have shown it's perhaps within our reach to compete for an NC, but with Bama, Auburn & LSU, they have shown the ability to be a contender more often than not.

They also have a much higher chance of being buried down the depth chart. Bama puts more into the NFL but they also recruit more 5-star players. While there have been some successes, Mississippi HS players that go to Bama also have a long history of washing out/being processed by Bama.

I would bet a 4-star recruit has a higher chance of being drafted out of Mississippi State than Bama. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, at least for the last several years. Would actually be a good stat to use in recruiting or at least talk about on the boards.

[AlSwearengen]

They also have a much higher chance of being buried down the depth chart. Bama puts more into the NFL but they also recruit more 5-star players. While there have been some successes, Mississippi HS players that go to Bama also have a long history of washing out/being processed by Bama.

I would bet a 4-star recruit has a higher chance of being drafted out of Mississippi State than Bama. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, at least for the last several years. Would actually be a good stat to use in recruiting or at least talk about on the boards.

There have been quite a few #1 or #2 ranked MS players that have gone to bama and some extent lsu, never to be heard from again.

[TUSK]

Other than proven ability to win NC's, more TV presence, more exposure to NFL scouts, association with decades-long winning traditions? We may be on our way to some of this, and have shown it's perhaps within our reach to compete for an NC, but with Bama, Auburn & LSU, they have shown the ability to be a contender more often than not.

I'm glad you said that instead of me...

[TUSK]

What's the rule on this? Couldn't that be an impermissible benefit?

Could be completely legit and happen all the time. I have no idea

It's part of our "compensatory package"...*