National Signing Day: Mississippi State Bulldogs

With six days remaining to Christmas, college football coaches are getting an early dose of the Christmas spirit as they find out who will be the next future stars of their team during the early signing period for National Signing Day.

Looking to build on the success of his first season, Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead led his team an 8-4 mark this year and a New Year’s Day bowl birth against Iowa in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

The Bulldogs look to secure a top-25 recruiting class after the Moorhead’s success this season.

Here are the commitments in the early signing period for the Bulldogs.

Wide Receiver Quinton Torbor

Quinton Torbor made a name for himself as a wide receiver in the state of Louisiana. According to ESPN, the Destrehan, La., native is a four-star recruit and ranks No. 50 in the country among wide receiver prospects according to ESPN.

He as also been listed as the No. 16 recruit from the state of Louisiana by ESPN and No. 23 by 247Sports. The 6-feet-2, 190-pound Torbor has lots of speed and dynamic playmaking ability.

Bulldogs offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Luke Getsy said Torbor is an “all-around” athlete.

In his senior year, Torbor snagged 44 catches and 685 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 77 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns, playing an integral part in helping Destrehan reach the 2018 Class 5A semifinal game.

Safety Javeious “J.P.” Purvis

247Sports, Rivals and ESPN ranked Purvis as a three-star prospect. The Pelahatchie, Miss., native is a top-30 player in the state of Mississippi.

During his high school career, Purvis played on both sides of the ball. In four seasons, Purvis threw for 5,269 yards, 53 touchdowns and rushed for 4,832 yards and 71 touchdowns. Not to mention, Torbor averaged 7.8 yards per carry and recorded 24 100-yard games.

Bob Shoop, the Bulldogs defensive coordinator, praised Purvis’ versatility.

“J.P. is a versatile athlete who was an extremely productive offensive player in high school,” Shoop said.

“He has the speed, size and athletic ability to be an outstanding safety.”

Defensively, Purvis compiled 181 tackles, including 25.5 for a loss and recorded six interceptions in his four-year tenure. As a senior, Purvis passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns and an interception while rushing for 1,341 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.

Defensively as a senior, Purvis tallied 73 tackles with 14 of them for a loss, made four sacks and recorded three interceptions as a defensive back.

Cornerback Jarrian Jones

ESPN and 247Sports ranked Jones a four-star prospect. As the No. 13 recruit out of Mississippi and the No. 20 safety in the country, Jones caught 82 passes for 1,772 yards and 26 touchdowns.

On defense, the Brandon, Miss., native recorded 37 tackles, seven pass breakups and five interceptions over four years. Jones will also play in the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.

Defensive End Jack Harris

ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports tabbed Harris as a three-star defensive end and top-30 player in Mississippi. As a senior, Harris helped Oak Grove High School get to a 12-3 record and an appearance in the Class 6A state championship.

The Sumrall, Miss., native finished his career at Oak Grove with 73 tackles with 13 for a loss, six sacks, a forced fumble, recovered one fumble and three quarterback hurries. Harris received Region 3-6A first team honors and was selected to play in the 70th Annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game.

Quarterback Garrett Shrader

Shrader is a standout dual-threat quarterback. Tabbed as a four-star prospect by 247Sports Composite, ESPN and Rivals, Shrader helped Charlotte Christian to back-to-back NCISAA Division I championships in 2017 and 2018.

During his tenure with Charlotte Christian, the Charlotte, N.C., native compiled 9,023 yards of total offense, 107 touchdowns, throwing for 6,818 passing yards and 75 touchdowns in 34 games. He also rushed for 2,205 yards and 32 rushing touchdowns. Shrader was also selected as the 2017 and 2018 CISAA Player of the Year.

Offensive Lineman Nick Pendley

Rivals listed Pendley as the No. 50 recruit from the state of Georgia. Pendley is a three-time First Team All-County selection, three-time First Team All-Region honoree, earned two All-State selections and helped Creekview reach the third round of the Class 6A state playoffs.

Defensive End King Ani Izuchukwu

247Sports and Rivals listed Izuchukwu as a three-star defensive end. Nicknamed “King” by others, Izuchukwu is considered the fifth-best recruit from the state of Tennessee.

During his tenure at Davidson Academy, Izuchukwu recorded 80 tackles with 19.5 of them for a loss and 6.5 sacks, helping Davidson to the 2018 Class 2A State Championship. As a senior, he finished with 36 total tackles with 21 of them being solo, seven tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup and 20 quarterback hurries.

Running Back Lee Witherspoon

Alabama 247Sports named Witherspoon the No. 19 recruit in the state and ranked as the 43rd best running back in the country by ESPN.

After transferring to North Jackson High School prior to his senior season, Witherspoon broke two Alabama state records, the single-season state record for rushing touchdowns (53) and now holds the AHSAA record for total touchdowns in a season (59).

As a senior, Witherspoon led the state with 2,846 total rushing yards, averaging 19.2 yards per carry. He also recorded 25 tackles with 11 being solo, four tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one interception that he returned for a touchdown.

Offensive Lineman LaQuinston Sharp

Sharp played a integral part in East Mississippi Community College National Championship run in 2017 and 2018. 247Sports and ESPN ranked Sharp as the No. 2 junior college offensive guard.

The Columbus, Miss., native played at the right tackle position. Sharp’s first year with EMCC helped the team account for 2,335 rushing yards, finishing the 2017 season averaging 494.1 yards of offense and 48.3 points per game. In 2018, Sharp missed most of the season due to injury.

Safety Fred Peters

Peters is a four-star prospect from Columbia, Mississippi. Tabbed as the fifth-best junior college recruit from the state of Mississippi, Peterson has played two years at Jones County Community College, where he has put up elite numbers. In his first year at JCJC, Peters finished with 64 tackles, two interceptions and two tackles for a loss and helped lead the team to the MACJC Championship game.

In his sophomore campaign, Peters recorded 51 total tackles with 42 being solo, seven tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception. Peters was named the 2018 MACJC South Division Most Valuable Defensive Back, All-Region honors and First Team All-MACJC South Division honors.

Offensive Lineman Charles Cross

247Sports, Rivals and ESPN listed Cross as a four-star offensive tackle. Cross is a very talented offensive lineman. At Laurel, Cross was named First Team Offensive Line on the 5A- All State Team and helped Laurel to a 10-4 record and 7-0 record in district play.

Cross also played a big part in a Laurel offense that scored over 40 points six games in the 2018 season.

Offensive Lineman Brevyn Jones

Jones is a three-star offensive tackle, according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. ESPN ranked him as the 33rd ranked recruit from the state of Alabama.

Wide Receiver Kyziah Pruitt

Pruitt is a dynamic wide receiver and will look to bring his big playmaking abilities to the Bulldogs next season. Tabbed as the No. 23 and No. 24 from the state of Mississippi by ESPN and 247Sports, Pruitt recorded 2,824 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns and 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in a 49-game span.

As a senior, the Macon, Miss., native hauled in 28 catches for 362 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 445 yards and nine touchdowns. Pruitt also finished in the Clarion Ledger 2017 All-State team and was invited to compete in the 2018 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.

Defensive End De’Monte Russell

Russell has tremendous speed for a defensive end. Regarded by ESPN and 247Sports as a four-star defensive end prospect, Russell accepted an invitation to compete in the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.

The Jackson, Miss., native was named MVP of the Under Armour Big Man Challenge and the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp. At Provine High School, Russell compiled 131 total tackles with 37 for a loss and 14.5 sacks in his tenure. In his senior campaign, he recorded 52 tackles with 12 for a loss and 5.5 sacks and recorded a career-high four fumbles in his final season.