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Weekend visits recap
A lot of times, it can be exciting when you get a big time recruit on campus for a visit. That can lead to expectations of bigger things -- such as commits, flips, and so forth, which don't often happen. A lot of players -- if they haven't already wrapped up their decisions by this time -- typically don't make a noteworthy change or announcement until signing day. While that isn't always satisfying for those who follow recruiting, it is to be expected.
The first paragraph might describe MSU's big in-state weekend this past weekend: noteworthy due to some of the people on campus, but there weren't any "splash" commitment announcements or things of that sort. Again, that's not a big surprise this time of year as recruits often want to make all of their visits before deciding. Makes total sense to me, although it doesn't always to those who can't see beyond their fandom.
When we review the visitors list that was posted on Friday, all the players listed did make it to campus except for Chris Cunningham and Jamal Peters. Cunningham had to reschedule his visit, while Peters unfortunately had a family tragedy that kept him at home. Prayers to him and his family. Other than those two, though, Mississippi State hosted the full lot that was listed, and everyone seemed to come away impressed.
The focus for State fans was centered on three prospects: TD Moton, Leo Lewis, and Wake Forest transfer Corey Helms. Moton's tweet following the visit seemed to indicate that he had a good time, while Lewis has remained low key following his visit. Helms told 247sports that MSU is the team to beat at this point, although he still has visits to Texas A&M, Penn State and South Carolina before he ultimately makes his decision.
starkvillie WAS ALL LOVE!! APPRECIATE THE GREAT TIME! MAYBE W'ELL MEET AGAIN
— TD Moton (@__moton) January 18, 2015
Moton very quickly has become a big target for MSU following Gabriel Campbell's commitment elsewhere, so his recruitment will be an interesting one to follow going forward. Not that it guarantees anything, but three 247sports writers have put their Crystal Ball predictions in for Moton to MSU, which could be a good sign for the Bulldogs in the end. Like Helms, Moton will likely take several more visits before deciding.
One other interesting note from the weekend was that Leo Lewis was hosted by MSU QB Dak Prescott. As I said, Lewis is a big remaining target for State, so why not let your most notable player host him for the weekend?
Make sure you get over to 247sports and read all the recaps of the visits from this weekend, but in summary, most of the guys already committed reaffirmed that their visit was great and they are still solid with MSU. It sounds like the defensive guys like Manny Diaz and what he has in store for them, and the others enjoyed time spent with Dan Mullen, the staff, and the players.
Penn State after Moon?
While Dan Mullen and company were entertaining magnolia state prospects in Starkville this weekend, it appears that Penn State's James Franklin was checking up on a different Bulldog commit.
MSU commit RT @harrisonmoon1: Good in home visit with Coach Franklin and Coach Hand! #PennState
— Robbie Faulk (@robbiefaulk247) January 18, 2015
That's the twitter account of MSU OL commit Harrison Moon out of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. His 247sports profile isn't currently showing him with a Penn State offer, but could that change soon? Of course the tweet doesn't give us any details of the visit, but we'll have to watch to see if the Nittany Lions become a serious late contender for Moon's services.
Looking forward to next weekend
Where MSU's turn to host the big in-state prospects was this past weekend, next weekend will be Ole Miss' turn. And that will include Brandon DL Fletcher Adams who is currently committed to State. Adams has maintained that he wanted to make the visit to Oxford, and it looks like he still intends to do so. The Rebels will also host their current commit, Leo Lewis, who is a high remaining target for MSU. As a fan who went through the great Chris Jones battle two years ago, it certainly makes you nervous to see a guy like Adams taking that visit. But you do ultimately want these guys to end up where they want to be and to get to enjoy their visits, so I see no issue in that visit or any that other guys take.
State fans will also hold their breath a bit as safety Jamal Peters is on the early visitors list for LSU this upcoming weekend. While Peters seems solid in his commitment to MSU, it would be foolish to ever count out LSU until signing day comes.
As for Mississippi State, they will host a large contingency of out-of-state commits and prospects including state of Alabama recruits like Justin Johnson, Kendell Jones, Keith Mixon, and Nick Gibson. Next weekend's incoming visitors won't have as many potential new additions to the class; it will be more of a time for commited players to reacquaint with current players, the staff, and new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
That's it for today, folks. As always, we'll keep an eye out for any updates during the week and report them to you here should they happen.