Out of those 24 three stars I would expect at least 5-6 to get processed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
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Out of those 24 three stars I would expect at least 5-6 to get processed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
I know its not of the same importance as it used to be with the transfer portal available, but I've been keeping up with recruiting to some degree since the Felker days and this is the worst HS recruiting class I can remember.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
@Mods can you take down the 2025 sticky and sticky this one?
Trust Lebby to coach them up!
I started both of these threads. The 2025 recruiting thread started on 4/25/24 with the last post being made on 2/4/25. I asked for it to be stickied. Through it's life, it got 639 replies, 251,449 views and was quickly rated five stars. I started the 2026 recruiting thread. It has been up since 6/11/25. It liked to have never got enough interest to be rated five stars. It is a long way to December signing day, but something positive better happen to this class before then. To date, it has 122 replies and only 15,694 views. Even I have little hope for the 2025 season and this class could easily end up with the worst rating of any high school class since I have been following it since 1963. Some say high school recruiting doesn't mean much anymore, but that being said I dare say we would take many of the players committed from schools ranked 1-36 and even some who will eventually pass us. Football is about dead at MSU including this site and I hate to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by vv83
Update: As I predicted our HS class has just dropped to a National ranking of #44 with 15 known name schools behind us with a higher per player ranking and spots to fill. Someone posted that we would probably process 5 to 6 of these 25 commits before signing day. And just who do we replace them with, other processed players from other schools hoping they are better prospects? Right now our long list of targets on 24/7 has only 2 prospects who are even listed as "warm" toward us. Some of these 25 have offer sheets that are very lack luster for the SEC. Maybe some of these guys blow up their SR year, but can we keep them in that scenario? This has the makings of the worse ranked HS recruiting class in my long MSU life. Time will tell. Better be some real diamonds in the rough that we have now. I hope something good is going on behind the scenes that only our coaches know about.
Yeah, it's not looking good. Only optimistic thing I can think of is maybe he's finding the diamonds in the rough that fit his system. I'll give that view a 0.1% chance. To be fair baseball coach change up probably stole some of the excitement from recruiting news.
TRANSFER. PORTAL. I've said this for two years now, we're going to be portal heavy until next year. We may have 23 commitments right now, but we'll end up with 15-17 and we'll portal the rest. Now next year we may go 20-22 HS recruits but we have to get immediate depth and difference makers. We can't wait 2-3 years for guys to develop.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrCoachKlein
Shhhh. Dont even try with them. They would rather melt and freak out. Some folks arent happy unless they are miserableQuote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
Not a bad strategy actually, especially since it should be easier to recruit 2027 kids (and we seem to have really good "ins" with the top MS kids at least) if we can string together 5-6 wins. Selling 2-10 to 26' kids has been a struggle to say the leastQuote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
Can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not miserable or freaking out. I understand we need to be portal heavy like SVS said. These 2 things aren't mutually exclusive. We need to be portal heavy and the current recruiting class is pretty lackluster.Quote:
Originally Posted by msugolf
Update: Had fallen to #45 nationally, but got a commit from Fl yesterday , IOL, .86 6'3", 300 lbs., very impressive offer sheet for a welcome change. Moved us back to #44, 26 commits all 3 stars. Loadholt seems to be working hard to get his type players for the OL for the future. Still at least 15 programs that will pass this class in ranking unless some blow up their SR year and we keep them or process some and replace with higher ranked players. Long way until December but this class is very concerning at this point.
I think if we can get off to a good start, we'll process some and see those JA guys come on board, at least White. Albert may be too far gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
Hope you are right. How many years has it been that we didn't even get one 4 star?Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
It would be a first since I started following it in like 05ish. Of course I would love to know the last time that neither Mississippi State/OM/Southern Miss had ZERO commits from anyone in the top 5 in the state.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
Update: Commit #27 - 6'2" 195 WR from Copiah Lincoln, 1st JUCO. Not rated at this time so we are still at #44 national ranking.
I miss those big bodied receivers we used to have on that 2014 squad.
Those were just projects that worked out. I mean Wilson was Mr. Basketball in Alabama and Fred Brown was just a raw athlete from Jim Hill.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brobi-wan
I saw Fred Brown play when he was at Jim Hill. I would just say he was underrated moreso than he was raw.Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
He and Dan had some issues.
He had some issues as well. Got caught plagiarizing like 4 times. The swept the first two times under the rug.....which by the way.....was an underrated quality of Dan's. Yea we had some guys get in trouble or get arrested during his tenure but a lot of stuff got swept under the rug. Heck Nick James should've gotten a DUI every weekend he was here but Mullen literally just had the cops follow him home from the bars every night.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
And then there was the Pita Pit incident......IYKYK.
Yeah- I'm sure that definitely went both ways with Dan and Brown for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
If you are coaching at MSU you definitely have to get in good with the Starkville police department.
Going to be the worst HS class we've signed in years.
Probably a mix but is it due to this staff can?t recruit? We aren?t putting forth the funds necessary to recruit well? Kids don?t want to play for 2-10? Other reasons?Quote:
Originally Posted by KOdawg1
Kids don’t want to play for two and ten. The kids who will play for us are doing it for money. They’ll also just leave when they’re offered more. Going to have to win a year or two with some mercs and then get some local kids to buy in.Quote:
Originally Posted by DawgFromOxford
It seems like the offensive staff is doing much better than the defensive staff right now. I just can't see the defensive staff hanging around much longer without significant changes.Quote:
Originally Posted by DawgFromOxford
Still #44 with 27 commits and an unranked JUCO WR. I just counted 16 more name teams that have a higher average ranking per committed player and spots to fill that could easily pass this class. Some on here have said that HS recruiting is not important anymore with the portal. Here are my two questions: !. Would you take many of the HS recruits on the 43 teams ranked ahead of us right now? 2. Can you process some players and beat the teams ranked ahead of us with their processed players? This class looks like a major disappoint that will get worse before signing day unless we win some games in '25 and look good and exciting in the losses. A couple of 5 or 6 wins need to be in SEC games also. JMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brobi-wan
You’re right. High school is less important. It hasn’t reached unimportance. I think we’ll be okay long term…IF we win in the next couple of years. We need 2 SEC wins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
It also looks a lot like Dan Mullen's typical class. You have a couple of studs like JJ Hill and then you have a bunch of diamonds in the rough like Nickerson.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
I think the issue that most have is the word "bunch" that you use. You have a couple, like Nickerson, but most of these guys are not those "raw" athletes that Mullen would recruit and develop...a LOT of these guys have neither the production nor the physical attributes that could lead to the hope that they'll develop into productive SEC players!Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
This class could easily end up ranked in the mid 50's. To date, there is not a single 4 star. As much as Dan hated recruiting, did he ever have a HS class ranked this poorly? Having a few "diamonds in the rough" is fine and we have developed some NFL players from these type MS players in the past. Check the offer sheets of the majority of these commits, it is very concerning. Hard to recruit to 2-10, 0-8 with a bunch of unknown coaches with an OTJ training HC (again) and an OTJ training DC. We must win our share in 2025 and look good in the losses. Only way to change this. Time will quickly tell.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tripp McNeely
The rankings are not entirely on the coaches. Our only 4 star got bumped down after he committed. And the best RB in the state is committed to us and has been completely ignored by the recruiting services. I dont expect this to ever change now. They are showing you they're ****ing you is what it boils down to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
Another Mississippi four star to an out of state school. Jase Matthews to Auburn.
And yes, OM is not getting them either. The difference is they are pulling a good many four stars from out of state. We have to turn the tide here at some point.
I'm interested to see how many of those stick. Lane doesn't really like recruiting at the HS level and if he sees some deficiencies in his roster this season, he's not going to wait 2 years to develop a HS kid. He'll process them, no matter how many stars they have, and go get a guy out of the portal.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZedFedder
I don't believe Mullen ever had a class ranked this low but just going off memory. But then again HS recruiting was more important back then. Biggest thing is we don't want to keep flipping the roster every year. Not only does it kill continuity in the program, it is very expensive. We have got to bring in SOME HS recruits that can play in the SEC and are willing to stick with us. To me, that is why it is so concerning how poorly we are doing in state. You would at least think MS recruits would be more willing to stick with us if they become solid SEC contributors than guys from out of state.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Dan would have to have a completely different strategy now with the portal for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by maroonmania
I don't know what's going on in state with recruiting because it's not like Ole Miss is just cleaning up with them either.
The thing about the portal is it kind of goes both ways. If you are a player from Mississippi you can take a chance on yourself and go to Bama, Georgia, LSU, Auburn because if things work out then you start at a blueblood and maybe you win a NC. If they recruit over you then MSU is probably always an option. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up getting a lot of players back in the next few years. We've already seen that happen with several players like Stone Blanton, Cole Smith, Scott Lashley, and Jaekwon Bouldin...and even guys like Ayden Williams who went to Ole Miss although Ole Miss has gotten more guys from us thus far.
Back when Dan was the coach your options were MSU or JUCO if you were still a freshman or Jackson State if you didn't want to sit out a year. One BIG problem with Dan is his ego and the fact that he would hold grudges against recruits sometimes. With the portal you can't do that.
I will say that if we are going to keep players that are developmental it's a lot more likely that we're going to keep them if they are from Mississippi rather than Georgia or Florida.
Two things Todd you said:Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
1) I don't know what's going on in state with recruiting because it's not like Ole Miss is just cleaning up with them either.
I think the NIL is or was an advantage for the blue bloods especially in the very beginning. Bit slowly other programs have gained a little mo and understand how to deal with the NIL.
2) I will say that if we are going to keep players that are developmental it's a lot more likely that we're going to keep them if they are from Mississippi rather than Georgia or Florida.
You nailed this comment. One thing about Mississippi High School football. We have a lot of small towns and many football programs have lots of say 2-star players, one reason is lack of money for faculties like in the weight room. Another reason is lack of media attention in some of the small towns.
I will add, With Lebby he was unknown as a HC because he is young. Sometimes a first year HC is like a freshman football player, he has to grow and learn what it takes. I do believe Lebby is a fast learner and given time he will be ok at Msu.
We just dropped to #45. There are also about 18 name programs that have many slots to fill with much higher average player ranking than us. This is very troublesome. The only way I see to prevent the worst high school class in my 62 years of following state since I was 8 years of age is to win enough games this year to change some minds. We may have to process several on this commitment list and flip some better players that 44 teams ahead of us and more to come think are better prospects.
We're going to go portal heavy again. Some of them will be processed yes, but some of the guys we got are being brought in for depth too. I would say, AT THIS POINT, there's only about 5-7 HS guys from any state on our board that we would take a commitment from. I mean you obviously take a kid like Bralan Womack, Tristan Keys, or Nolan Wilson if they called but they're not calling. None of those guys had any interest in either State or OM. Now to the realistic guys, a guy like TJ White you would take and I think there's a better than average chance he ends up in our class. Dereon Albert would be a take if he called. I don't think he will, but there's a chance. He's more set on out of state than White. Jase Matthews is another kid we'd take if he called. I think he's going to end up at either State or OM, but I can't say right now. Now on the flip side, if Xavier McDonald called either State or OM right now, I don't think either would take a commitment. A guy like Emmanuel Tucker, I don't think he'll decommit from LSU, but they could drop him. I don't think if he called we'd take his commitment after he decommitted from us and kind of ghosted Loadholt in the process. I think Kavon Conciauro from Houston Co in GA would be a take if he decommitted from Duke and I think he ends up in our class.Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldendawg
Overall I think this class is still going to be VERY portal heavy. I think 27 will be the first year you really see us after HS kids hard again. And look, this staff doesn't prioritize HS recruiting as much. They prioritize 12-15 guys a class and if they don't get those guys they're not going to pivot to a development who will leave in 2 years and never contribute jack squat. They'll go get a transfer. It's a lot like how OM is recruiting these days.