A hot topic position for the 2013 class right now is Junior College receivers. The Bulldogs are in on a few JUCO wideouts and plan on taking two more (already have DeVante Scott committed). In an ideal situation, Dan Mullen and company would have two newcomers go through the spring at receiver. Some of the JUCO targets at WR are:
- Jonathan Rumph - He is a December grad out of Holmes Community College. MSU is on him hard and some even feel like the Dawgs lead. The feeling around Rumph is that he will decide soon. Tennessee has also been rumored to be in the lead and if you ask folks in Athens, they feel like they lead. This will be one to watch. I feel like it comes down to Tennessee and MSU.
- Corey Smith - Smith is a May grad from East Mississippi Community College. He is originially from Ohio and recently the Buckeyes have gotten in the picture. The feeling is that in the end Ohio State will decide to take him and it will be an easy decision for him to go back closer to home. While the Bulldogs would like to have him, losing him is not an issue, since he will not be able to go through spring practice.
- Jaelen Strong - Strong is from Pierce College in California. He is another May grad, but he will have three years to play three once he signs. He is a guy that the Bulldogs have gotten on lately. He is a prospect of interest, but the bulldogs haven't yet to decide if he is the guy that will take one of the spots in the class.
- Quantvious Leslie - Leslie is an LSU commit that has been looking lately. He goes to Hinds Community College. He has a pair of teammate committed to Ole Miss and has visited there, but also has interest in MSU. He is not a January grad, but is very talented and will get a look.
- Javess Blue - Blue is from Butler County Community College and is also new to this list. He is a December grad. He will get some looks because of that and because he is originally from Florida. He does not have the size of some of the others on this list, but he has the game and MSU is interested.
For now, these are the prospects to watch as far as JUCO wideouts are concerned. More names will pop up at this position. So I will make sure you guys are up to date on any new names. Now let's take a look at a few recruits and names that are popping up on MSU's board in the prep ranks:
- As far as high school receivers are concerned, the Bulldogs are still in the market as former Bulldog commitment DeAndre Woods recently committed to Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs seem to focused in one guy in particular, De'Runnya Wilson of Birmingham, Alabama. He is listed at 6-6 and 220 pounds by Scout. He seems to be really interested in MSU as well and something could happen in the next month or so.
- On the Kailo Moore front, all things appear to be the same. He visited again for the Tennessee game and said he enjoyed himself as he always does. While he continues to talk about how solid he is, the rumors of a switch after the season only get louder. As you know, his recruitment isn't over,but the Dawgs are in a good position right now to hold on.
- Another thing to look for in the class is another quarterback to come on board. The only name being mentioned is still Josh Dobbs of Alpharetta, Georgia. He is still committed to Arizona State, but it is believed he would come on board if MSU told him he was wanted. Cord Sandberg is still on board, but his MLB draft stock continues to rise. He understands MSU's need for a security blanket.
- The season for all-star games is almost here. January will be here before we know it and all-star game selections are not complete but getting that way. Chris Jones of Houston, Mississippi was recently invited to the under Armour All-American game. He had been previously invited to the Semper Fidelis All-American game. It was also announced yesterday that he will indeed participate in the Under Armour game. South Panola offensive lineman and MSU commit Deon Mix will also play in the Army All-American game, while Kailo Moore will participate in the Semper Fi game. Tony Conner of South Panola will play in the Under Armour game as well, which will take place on January 4th in Orlando, Florida. The Army All-American Bowl will take place January 5th in San Antonio, Texas. The Semper Fidelis bowl will be January 4th, as well, in Los Angeles, California.
- A new prospect that has recently come onto the recruiting scene for MSU is Elijah Daniel of Avon, Indiana. He is a 4-star defensive end, according to Scout. He is being recruited by new receivers coach, Tim Brewster. Brewster has connections to that part of the country, as well as with Daniel's family, and has arranged an official visit for Daniel November 17th when MSU plays Arkansas. It has been widely considered that Daniel would like to follow the top-ranked player in the country, Robert Nkemdiche. If that is the case, it could be a hard pull for the Bulldogs. We shall see how that plays out.
As for closing out the 2013 class, there are some big high school prospects that are within reach. Then there are a few high school players that are left out there that they will save a spot for. For the most part, though, this class should end with some quality junior college players. The high school players left on the board are:
- Ashton Shumpert - MSU appears to lead. This one will become more clear after his high school season is over.
- Tony Conner - appears to favor Ole Miss, with Alabama just behind. MSU has been in it the whole time, however. He will announce at the Under Armour game.
- Elijah Daniel - appears to favor others at this point and will likely follow Robert Nkemdiche, but he has agreed to visit and that is a positive thing for Dan Mullen and company.
- De'Runnya Wilson - appears to be waiting on the go ahead to commit to the dawgs. Could happen within a month or so.
- Josh Dobbs - same as Wilson. He will probably make the switch when and if the staff gives him the green light.
- Andrew Billings - MSU at one point really had momentum for the Defensive tackle from Texas. He now appears to be leaning towards staying close to home.
As for the JUCO players that MSU is poise to take:
- The receivers mentioned at the beginning of the post. They will take no more than two.
- Justin Cox - a 2011 signee originally from West Point. He has seen his stock skyrocket since going to East Mississippi. He is taking some visits, but expect him to resign with Dan Mullen and company.
- Za'Darius Smith - perhaps the biggest target left. He is giving MSU a long hard look and MSU has had success in getting guys from East Mississippi, but this one isn't a done deal. MSU, as well as others, still have some work to do to sign Smith.
Before we let you go, let's chat a little bit of basketball recruiting news as well:
- 2013 power forward commit from Shelton State community college in Alabama, Travis Daniels, visited for the Tennessee weekend. To no surprise, he enjoyed his visit and is very happy with his decision. The news however is that 2013 center prospect from Decatur, Georgia, Tosin Mehinti, told Daniels that he will decide in a few weeks and that the Dawgs are in it. Mehinti was in Starkville this past weekend to officially visit Mississippi State, according to 24/7.
That's it for this week, guys. I hope to bring you this on a weekly basis, or maybe even more if needed. Take it easy.
Header photo courtesy of Logan Lowery's Twitter.