Mississippi State National Signing Day 2014: Aeris Williams signs with MSU

Mississippi State's running starting running back of the future is officially aboard this morning, as West Point native Aeris Williams has signed with MSU.

Williams, the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi, becomes the BLANK Bulldog recruit for the class of 2014 to sign, the school announced today through a statement on coach Dan Mullen's twitter account.

We know @CoachKnox_MSU is happy! Fax just rolled in from 6-1, 200-pound RB Aeris Williams from West Point, Miss. (West Point HS)!

— MSU Football (@HailStateFB) February 5, 2014

Aeris was one of the most highly sought after recruits out of the state of Mississippi this year, but the talented product from nearby West Point shut his recruitment down early in the process despite a very impressive offer list.  He will come next fall behind likely starter/backup Josh Robinson and Ashton Shumpert, but I would not be surprised one bit to see Williams get on the field in some capacity next fall.  Ideally, MSU would redshirt the West Point native, but with his talent that may be easier said than done.  No matter what he does this fall, the MSU faithful are happy to have Williams as a part of the 2014 class.

Essentials

Aeris Williams
Running Back
West Point HS - West Point, Mississippi

Measurables

Height - 6'1"
Weight - 205 lbs
40 - 4.50

Stats

2,209 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns, 14 receptions, 3 touchdowns

Recruiting Service Ranking

247Sports - 4-star (#4 MS, #15 S), 94 Grade

Scout - 4-star (#20 RB)

Rivals - 3-star (#6 MS, #31 ATH), 5.7 Grade

Highlights

Offers

Mississippi State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Alabama (interest), Arkansas (interest), others (interest)

FWtCTrecruitings's Quick Thoughts

Williams is an awesome fit for the MSU offense as a player that possesses both great game speed and the ability to shed tacklers.  His build is like that of Ashton Shumpert, with a little more height to him than LaDarius Perkins and Josh Robinson.  Despite the talent in front of him, it may be hard to keep Williams off the field in 2014.  Definitely a running back that we could see consistently mentioned among the SEC's best further on in his career.

HailState.com Bio

HIGH SCHOOL: A four-star recruit according to ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247Sports and a three-star prospect by Yahoo.com ... A three-year starter for head coach Chris Chambless ... Ranked as the 42nd-best running back in the country and the 11th-best recruit in Mississippi by ESPN.com ... The Mississippi Association of Coaches 5A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior ... A 2013 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection who was also a member of The Mississippi Press' Fantastic 15 list of the state's top collegiate football prospects at the beginning of senior season ... Became the fourth Dandy Dozen player from West Point, joining Chris Washington (1989), Chris Jefferson (1990) and Michael Carr (2009) ... Took part in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic ... A 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl nominee ... Finished just shy of the 4,000-yard rushing mark (3,994 yards) in prep career ... Gained 1,697 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 265 carries during senior year ... Registered nine receptions for 85 yards and a score during final campaign ... Selected as the WCBI-TV Offensive Player of the Year following senior year ... Against Center Hill, rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns (32, 27, five and 15 yards) to help Green Wave to 69-41 victory ... Rushed for 1,519 yards as a junior with five touchdowns on 268 carries ... Added six receptions for 77 yards in 2012 ... A Columbus Dispatch All-Area Second-Team honoree as a junior, when the Green Wave advanced to the MHSAA 5A state semifinals ... Versus Hernando in 49-14 victory, ran for 112 yards and three scores (four, 10 and 15 yards) ... During sophomore season, rushed for 778 yards on 129 carries and contributed 12 scores ... Hauled in 13 passes for 250 yards and a pair of TDs as a sophomore.

PERSONAL: Family lived in Racine, Wis., before moving to West Point.