MSU Bulldogs Recruiting Recap: Visitors at the MSU - Tennessee Game this Weekend

For Dan Mullen and company, closing out the 2013 recruiting class is of the utmost importance. He knows there are big fish still in play, but he also has his sights set on a fast start for 2014. The Bulldogs put their best foot forward for big time targets from each class on Saturday night.

2013 Class visitor notes

• Most of the commitments so far for the class of 2013 were in attendance Saturday and were obviously impressed with what they saw, remaining solid in their commitment. Chris Jones, Brandon Wells, Jake Thomas, Dez Harris, BJ Hammond, and newest commitment Tyre'oune Holmes are a few of the names of the 2013 commitments that were on hand for the game at Davis Wade on Saturday night.

  Perhaps the most important 2013 visitor on hand Saturday night was Itawamba AHS athlete Ashton Shumpert. It is good to have a big-time uncommitted 2013 in-state target on hand for your biggest win of the season so far, and in attendance at a game with such a great atmosphere. It is definitely a positive step for MSU in his recruitment. He still reports that the process has a long way to go before he decides, so expect his recruitment to go down to the very end, maybe even NSD.

• Along with several current Bulldog commits and a big time high school target in Shumpert, JUCO DE Za'Darius Smith of East Mississippi CC was on hand at Saturday night's MSU-UT game taking in his second unofficial visit to MSU, according to Taylor Hamm of 24/7 sports ($). Smith is one of the most highly sought after JUCO prospects in the class of 2013, and is expected to decide between MSU, Florida State, and Texas A&M.
• Along with a big slate of in-state prospects, Orlando, Florida OT Shawn Curtis was in town Saturday on an unofficial visit to MSU, according to 24/7 sports.

• In-state running back commitment from West Bolivar high school Kalio Moore was not at the game on Saturday night. The good news, though, is that he also did not make it to Oxford for the Ole Miss game, either. He had originally planned on being at both. The whispers continue to surround Moore and his recruitment. Some insist that he is settled and his recruitment is over. Some say, he is destined to flip to in-state rival, Ole Miss. Most who are knowledgeable realize that he could go either way and that his recruitment is far from over. This will be one to watch until the end.

2014 Class visitor notes

• The lure of a big game and a big atmosphere was good enough to bring our many big 2014 targets of Dan Mullen and company Saturday night. Some big names were in town such as: Preston Dedeaux, a running back from Picayune, Alfred Dickens, a linebacker from Olive Branch, Alex Woodall, a quarterback (possibly MSU's top quarterback target in the class) from McComb, and Jamoral Graham, an athlete (probably wide receiver) from Decatur, MS were just a few names of 2014 prospects on hand. Graham told some he had committed to MSU last week, before talking to his high school coach and deciding to play out the process a bit longer. He is considered a heavy MSU lean and a big time target for MSU in 2014. Perhaps their number one target in the class.
• It is also rumored that 2014 Scout100 running back Bo Scarborough of Tuscaloosa, AL, was in attendance Saturday night. It has not been confirmed by anyone to this point.

Overall Notes

This game was the type of game that you catch the attention of recruits with the atmosphere alone. It also was on national television and gave targets a chance to watch even if they couldn't make it. This type of game does the job in recruiting without a win, but for MSU to pull out a win in an exciting game was huge. It could go a long way to closing out 2013 for Dan Mullen and company and also to help kick-start the 2014 recruiting season in a big way.