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Visit Watch: Where are Mississippi State commits and targets visiting this weekend?

We take a look at where MSU commits and big remaining targets are visiting this weekend with just a weekend and a half left until National Signing Day.

By FWtCTrecruiting
Student Sports
Darrien McNair

3-star MSU LB commit
Ocala, FL
Jan 23rd visiting: Louisville

Darrien McNair has been an MSU commit for over a year now, but as we told you earlier in the week, he's taken some recent visits that make State fans wonder if he will still be a part of this class.  McNair visited Kentucky last weekend, and today he's set to travel back from Florida to the Bluegrass state to visit Louisville and Bobby Petrino.

There seems to be thought that he will also visit MSU a week from now on the weekend of the 30th, which is a good sign, so we'll have to see if he makes that visit.

TD Moton

3-star uncommitted DT
Shreveport, LA
Jan 23rd visiting: undecided

Moton has been a white hot name in MSU recruiting circles as he resurfaced on the Bulldogs' board just last weekend by announcing a visit to Starkville.  TD made that visit last weekend, and he left with what appeared to be a good impression of a school he was formerly committed to.  Then the typical message board fodder started to swirl: "Alabama doesn't have room for him; he's a grade risk and won't get in." And while those things may be true, I'm more inclined to think that's what fans want to think and what some recruiting writers publish because that's what the coaching staff tells them, true or not.  No matter what the case surrounding it was, Moton did ultimately part ways with Alabama yesterday afternoon, and he seems more and more likely headed to Starkville.

There are contenders, though, and one of those is Texas A&M.  The Aggies have their own prized DT prospect remaining -- Daylon Mack -- but it looks like they could try to take Moton in if Mack goes elsewhere.  As for visits, it looks like TD could visit College Station this weekend, but that sounded very much up in the air when Dan Mullen swung through to visit TD this afternoon ($).  It looks like Moton may just sit it out this weekend, which isn't a bad thing for MSU.

Kareem Orr

3-star uncommitted CB
Chattanooga, TN
Jan 23rd visit: Ohio State

Orr was a late Bulldog priority, but he moved off the Bulldogs' radar when he narrowed is list of schools to two this week.  There was thought that he might be on campus this weekend for a visit, but he will now visit Ohio State instead as the Buckeyes joined Virginia Tech as a finalist for his services.

Fletcher Adams

4-star MSU DT commit
Brandon, MS
Jan 23rd visit: Ole Miss

Adams, who committed to the Bulldogs back in September, has been at the center of constant conversation as to where he would ultimately sign in February.  Will it be State?  Ole Miss?  It seems to have bounced back and forth several times, with most maintaining that he would ultimately end up in Starkville.  Even with that being the assumption, his visit potential visit to Oxford this weekend is bound to make more than a few people nervous.

There still seems to be ambiguity as to whether or not he will make that visit after all, but he told 247sports ($) last weekend that he would, so I'm going off that assumption.  You can't fault Fletcher for taking his visits -- Ole Miss and any others he may take -- even if he is committed to MSU.  The visit may just be for fun, even if it does scare a lot of people in maroon and white (shades of Chris Jones has arrived for his official visit to Oxford come to mind).

Jamal Peters

4-star MSU S commit
Bassfield, MS
Jan 23rd visit: unknown/none

While Army All-American and MSU commit Jamal Peters seems to be headed to MSU this fall, that hasn't stopped schools like LSU from making his decision difficult for him.  The Tigers have continued to push for Peters' services, and there is talk that he could visit there before signing day in just under two weeks.  Peters still has to work in a visit to MSU too, as a family tragedy kept him from being able to visit Starkville last weekend.  It seems that all eyes are turned to not this weekend but the next for Jamal, as he will most likely be visiting MSU.  Or will it be LSU?  We'll have to watch what happens next week with his situation.  As for this weekend, I don't see anything on the books for Peters.  We'll certainly update everyone if that changes this evening.

Harrison Moon

3-star MSU OL commit
Signal Mountain, TN
Jan 23rd visit: MSU

One situation that got a bit interesting late last week was the recruitment of MSU commit Harrison Moon.  He tweeted last Sunday that Penn State coaches were in to see him for an in-home visit.  Moon told 247sports ($) that he had a previous relationship with Franklin and his staff when they were at Vanderbilt, and it seemed that they planned to show some late interest in him before signing day with hopes of getting him to visit.

Things seem to have settled back down since then, as Moon tweeted out the above yesterday, indicating that he'd be in Starkville this weekend instead.

Leo Lewis

4-star Ole Miss LB commit
Brookhaven, MS
Jan 23rd visit: Ole Miss

Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis Leo Lewis.  Chances are you've seen that name EVERYWHERE on message boards and Twitter in Mississippi recruiting talk over the last several weeks.  Lewis, who is committed to Ole Miss, visited State last weekend, and there seems to be some buzz that he is more wide open than Ole Miss would like.  With a guy like Leo, it's hard to really tell which way he's leaning because he tends to keep a low profile.  This weekend he'll take that low profile and visit Oxford with a sizable group of commits and uncommitted prospects.  State getting a visit from him was obviously a positive, but there's a chance that he could visit Ole Miss this weekend and then LSU the next.  That will be tough to top for State, but for now all State fans can do is sit and hope that what he saw last weekend in Starkville was enough to sway him.

Corey Helms

Wake Forest C transfer
Jan 23rd visit: South Carolina

The Bulldogs became a new face in the Cory Helms lottery last week when OL-coach John Hevesy offered a spot to the Wake Forest transfer.  Helms came in for a visit last weekend, and soon after named the Bulldogs his leader.  The problem in that is that he still has three other visits lined up -- one of which he took last weekend as well to Texas A&M -- so that leader board could change in a hurry.

According to this report, Helms is scheduled to visit Columbia this weekend and then State College on the 30th before ultimately making his decision near signing day.  That report is also interesting because it states that Cory hasn't named a leader.  That goes to show you that seven different recruiting writers may get seven different things from a guy, and all of their readers believe their version.  For instance, Texas A&M thinks Helms could even walk back into College Station tomorrow ($) and sign with the Aggies.  And he could, I'm not saying it's impossible.  But that shows you how wide open recruiting in general and more specifically the battle for Helms' transfer is.

Maurice Smitherman

3-star MSU CB commit
Adamsville, AL
Jan 23rd visit: none

Smitherman, a 3-star CB commit to MSU from Adamsville, Alabama, surprised some earlier this month when he announced that he may take some additional visits, including one to South Carolina who offered him in late December.  The visits seemed harmless: just a young guy wanting to see a few additional schools to make sure he made the best decision for himself.  Maurice seemed to change his mind about wanting to do that extra traveling, though, as he cancelled a previously-scheduled visit to Texas Tech this past weekend, and has seemed to shut down any additional visits as well:

Daron Payne

5-star Alabama DT commit
Birmingham, AL
Jan 23rd visit: MSU (unconfirmed)

Of all of the question marks on this week's potential visitors involving MSU, this may be the biggest one.  Payne, a 5-star defensive tackle prospect who is committed to Alabama, has been recruited by MSU pretty hard despite his commitment to Nick Saban and the Tide.  He is also a teammate of MSU commit Keith Mixon, who will be in town starting today for his OV.  While it is exciting to possibly get Payne in for a visit, it is in all likelihood a courtesy visit to Mixon and the coaching staff who have pursued the big guy for some time now.  You never know what may happen, but I would expect Daron to come and leave as an Alabama commit. And that's if he shows at all.

Chris Cunningham

3-star Virginia Tech TE commit
Jacksonville, FL
Jan 23rd visit: none

Cunningham, who is a 3-star TE prospect committed to Virginia Tech, was a player State was trying to get on campus last weekend, but unfortunately those plans fell through.  Since that time, Chris seems to have reaffirmed his commitment to the Hokies, as he has decided to not visit MSU after all.

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