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On Friday, Dan Mullen and company gained their third commitment for the 2014 class and their second commitment this week when Dontavian Lee, a running back from Forrest County AHS in Brooklyn, Mississippi, pledged to the Bulldogs.
Lee stands at 6 feet tall and weighs in at 200 pounds. MSU was Lee's only offer to this point, but he was receiving interest from Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and Louisiana. Lee is rated an 87 and three stars by 247sports. 247 also ranks Lee as the 20th best player in the state of Mississippi for the 2014 class. Scout.com and Rivals.com has yet to rank Lee.
My take on Dontavian Lee
Lee has a good frame and will benefit greatly from time in a college weight room. Not to say Lee is undersized, but he has a frame that could hold at least 10 more pounds and still maintain his speed. Speaking of his speed, he isn't going to run away from any body at the next level, but with his vision and cutting ability, his speed is more than serviceable. Lee is a very seasoned runner and he knows how to use his blockers. His football IQ will aid him in his transition to the college game.
I listed Lee just outside my top 12 in my 30 Mississippi players to watch list in February. When I come out with my updated rankings soon, I expect Lee to be somewhere in the 15-20 range. He is, without a doubt, the next best running back in the state this year behind Aeris Williams, who Mississippi State is also pursuing heavily for the class of 2014.
What does this mean?
Lee will likely be one of two backs MSU will take in this class. This likely means that when West Point running back Aeris Williams commits to MSU soon, they can call it a day at the running back position. This will give MSU two very solid backs in the 2014 class after taking just one (that could switch over to defense if necessary in Ashton Shumpert) in 2013. It also means that both backs in this class will come from inside the state for Dan Mullen and company. This also could continue a little bit of momentum that MSU has gained with two in-state commits this week. If MSU pushes some of their targets, they could be in line to stay on a little roll here in recruiting. It also means that MSU took the two best running backs within the Magnolia state this cycle.