This staff has a great chance to close strong...

[HoopsDawg]

It could be a great WR class if they can pull: AJ Brown, Sullivan, and Jamal Couch-all 4 stars

We have an opportunity for 2 really good corners in Broussard and Knott, both 4 stars

And if we can close out the Oline with Lashley, Cushenberry, and Allen that would be really solid.

Then you have Simmons and Jones on the D-line. And we have a good chance at Moon at OLB.

Those 11 guys to go with our current 14 commits plus sign and place Davis, Gooden, and Clark would be an excellent class for us.

Of course, if you start crossing names off this list, you start dropping in the rankings. The coaches need to get it done.

[msstate7]

Allen?

[HancockCountyDog]

It could be a great WR class if they can pull: AJ Brown, Sullivan, and Jamal Couch-all 4 stars

We have an opportunity for 2 really good corners in Broussard and Knott, both 4 stars

And if we can close out the Oline with Lashley, Cushenberry, and Allen that would be really solid.

Then you have Simmons and Jones on the D-line. And we have a good chance at Moon at OLB.

Those 11 guys to go with our current 14 commits plus sign and place Davis, Gooden, and Clark would be an excellent class for us.

Of course, if you start crossing names off this list, you start dropping in the rankings. The coaches need to get it done.

I really hope we can jump in late with another OL prospect. I like Lashley, but other than that, its guys that are going to take 2-3 years before they have a meaningful impact. With all the coaching turnover, Im hopeful that an OL prospect shakes loose and we can reap the benefit.

[Big4Dawg]

We are in on Willie Allen. We'll get one of his OV.

http://247sports.com/Player/Willie-Allen-23486

[msstate7]

We are in on Willie Allen. We'll get one of his OV.

http://247sports.com/Player/Willie-Allen-23486

Wow... If we could pull him and lashley that would be huge considering we have 2 more years of rankin and champion coming in next year

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

We are in on Willie Allen. We'll get one of his OV.

http://247sports.com/Player/Willie-Allen-23486

He's not going to play with Patterson?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I expect Willie Allen to OV on 1/22.

[jumbo]

I expect Willie Allen to OV on 1/22.

what do you think our chances are?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

what do you think our chances are?

We have a shot. MSU & TCU are the only schools treating him as a must have priority. UGA, LSU, & OM would all take him but he's not at the top of their board. He is with us plus he reached out to us for an in-home. A good OV & we may be able to steal 1.

[HancockCountyDog]

We have a shot. MSU & TCU are the only schools treating him as a must have priority. UGA, LSU, & OM would all take him but he's not at the top of their board. He is with us plus he reached out to us for an in-home. A good OV & we may be able to steal 1.

Thats great to hear. I've been hearing rumblings that he may be looking around, that's great news.

[Taog Redloh]

I really hope we can jump in late with another OL prospect. I like Lashley, but other than that, its guys that are going to take 2-3 years before they have a meaningful impact. With all the coaching turnover, Im hopeful that an OL prospect shakes loose and we can reap the benefit.

This is going to be the case with anyone. Those 5 star OL are few and far between. If you're waiting for an instant impact OL at MSU, you're going to be disappointed.

The problem with our OL is that we haven't been recruiting enough of them per year. I think we've only signed like 6 HS guys in the 2012 and 2013 signing classes, which are the heart of our team now. We needed at least 2 more, to go with the JUCOs we signed. We have done the same thing in 2014 and 2015, so unless we hit on 2 JUCOs, we will be struggling again.

Mullen is freaking hard-headed on this issue. I bet Deon Mix could be helping us right about now.

[maroonmania]

A lot of ifs in that post. I really hope our staff can pull down a strong class at the end, there really is no good reason not to. However, I guess the thing that keeps me from being overly optimistic is that in the past Mullen and staff have always gotten most of their big fish in the boat in the Summer and early Fall and normally just try to hold on for the most part in January with maybe 1 or 2 key additions at best. This year almost ALL the big fish will have to fall for us in January for it to be a strong class. Hard for me to feel confident about that given our recruiting track record under Mullen. Will keep my fingers crossed though that we can pull it off.

[HancockCountyDog]

This is going to be the case with anyone. Those 5 star OL are few and far between. If you're waiting for an instant impact OL at MSU, you're going to be disappointed.

The problem with our OL is that we haven't been recruiting enough of them per year. I think we've only signed like 6 HS guys in the 2012 and 2013 signing classes, which are the heart of our team now. We needed at least 2 more, to go with the JUCOs we signed. We have done the same thing in 2014 and 2015, so unless we hit on 2 JUCOs, we will be struggling again.

Mullen is freaking hard-headed on this issue. I bet Deon Mix could be helping us right about now.

No way on Mix, we dodged a bullet on that one.

It doesn't take landing a 5 star to have someone come in and contribute in year 2. Im not sure Willie Allen is that guy, I know a lot of teams are slow playing him for a reason, but I think he could be a nice add. I just don't want to have a Damien Robinson situation on our hands.

I agree that we haven't been signing enough, I look at the OL roster for next year, and it is a major concern because I don't think anyone that played meaningful snaps for us this year has proven that they can excel on the SEC level.

[Bothrops]

Damn Allen would be a great get.

[deltadawg99]

The problem I've got with our OL recruiting isn't stars, but it's who else has offered.

OL is very hard to evaluate, but if no other sec school has offered then that has to be pretty telling of the talent level of the prospect.

[HancockCountyDog]

It could be a great WR class if they can pull: AJ Brown, Sullivan, and Jamal Couch-all 4 stars

We have an opportunity for 2 really good corners in Broussard and Knott, both 4 stars

And if we can close out the Oline with Lashley, Cushenberry, and Allen that would be really solid.

Then you have Simmons and Jones on the D-line. And we have a good chance at Moon at OLB.

Those 11 guys to go with our current 14 commits plus sign and place Davis, Gooden, and Clark would be an excellent class for us.

Of course, if you start crossing names off this list, you start dropping in the rankings. The coaches need to get it done.

You listed 11 guys that could be here next year:

AJ
Sullivan
Couch
Broussard
Knott
Lashley
Cushenberry
Allen
Simmons
Kobe
Moon

Are we going to sign a full 25? If we do, someone is getting processed. Could be a big class - 28 signees?

I figured we were going to sign around 22, but Im just basing that off graduation and expected transfers/losses.

[maroonmania]

No way on Mix, we dodged a bullet on that one.

It doesn't take landing a 5 star to have someone come in and contribute in year 2. Im not sure Willie Allen is that guy, I know a lot of teams are slow playing him for a reason, but I think he could be a nice add. I just don't want to have a Damien Robinson situation on our hands.

I agree that we haven't been signing enough, I look at the OL roster for next year, and it is a major concern because I don't think anyone that played meaningful snaps for us this year has proven that they can excel on the SEC level.

Yes, that's been an issue for us in that the highest rated OL we've signed with Hevesy have been guys that got slow played at the end (specifically DRobinson and JThomas). Maybe that's even why we got them but that kind of thing should be a red flag because if a guy who doesn't have an injury gets high level offers pulled at the end there is almost always a good reason why.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

Couch is a 4 star?

[HancockCountyDog]

Yes, that's been an issue for us in that the highest rated OL we've signed with Hevesy have been guys that got slow played at the end (specifically DRobinson and JThomas). Maybe that's even why we got them but that kind of thing should be a red flag because if a guy who doesn't have an injury gets high level offers pulled at the end there is almost always a good reason why.

I know our fans bitch and moan about players we are going after taking visits and dragging things out - guess what, the reason they are doing that is because they have options. You know why they have options? Because they are good.

If you aren't defending your commits from other teams, that is a problem. Look at Bama, AU, and LSU - all three teams are fighting to keep their commits. Sure its stressful for John Q. Messageboader, but if no one is pushing you for your commits, then a majority of the time, you have a problem.

Who would we be most happy about landing? Lashley, Sullivan, Broussard, Knott, Simmons, AJ, Moon, or Kobe - all kids that will be taking multiple visits and are wanted by the entire SEC. If signing day becomes you signing a bunch of dudes that no one inside the power 5 wanted, you better hope you landed a bunch of Preston Smith/Mckinney's as opposed to Jake Thomas/Braxton Hoyetts.

[Johnson85]

This is going to be the case with anyone. Those 5 star OL are few and far between. If you're waiting for an instant impact OL at MSU, you're going to be disappointed.

The problem with our OL is that we haven't been recruiting enough of them per year. I think we've only signed like 6 HS guys in the 2012 and 2013 signing classes, which are the heart of our team now. We needed at least 2 more, to go with the JUCOs we signed. We have done the same thing in 2014 and 2015, so unless we hit on 2 JUCOs, we will be struggling again.

The problem with our OLine is that even in year 3, most of our players are just serviceable, if that. I do agree that you have to sign enough that you can miss on some without being killed, but I'm not sure that's as much of a problem as just not signing good prospects to begin with.

But regardless, it would be a lot easier to keep the line solid if we would get a few more guys that are serviceable in their second year on campus. That gives one year to to redshirt, one year to get experience as a backup, and then three years to contribute heavily. A lot easier for the numbers to work like that than if you RS a year, sit the bench a year, back-up a year, and then start two years. Just requires too many lineman if that's your typical development pattern.