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The first letter of intent of the day is in this morning for Mississippi State, as long time Bulldog commit and Manatee HS QB Cord Sandberg has officially signed with the Bulldogs.
The Bradenton, Florida native made his longstanding commitment to the maroon and white official this morning by signing, the school announced today through a statement on coach Dan Mullen's twitter account.
First fax of the day is in. Cord Sandberg is officially a Bulldog. #HailStateNSD
— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) February 6, 2013
Sandberg has been unwavering in his commitment to MSU since committing last summer, but unlike many other prospects, the worry now only increases for his future following signing day. Sandberg, as it has been chronicled well, is a highly sought after baseball prospect in addition to being a talented QB, and is currently projected as one of the top 100 prospects for this June's MLB draft. There has been increased enthusiasm in recent weeks that Sandberg could make it to Starkville this fall, but it looks like we still won't know for sure until shortly after the draft is complete this summer. Still, Bulldog fans should be excited about this young man's future in maroon and white.
High School
Manatee HS - Bradenton, Florida
Measureables
Height - 6'2"
Weight - 200 lbs
40 - 4.70
Recruiting Service Rankings
247Sports - 3-star (#51 FL, #13 dual threat QB), 89 Grade
Scout - 4-star (#23 QB)
Rivals - 4-star (#8 dual threat QB, #24 FL)
Offers
MSU, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Clemson, Iowa State, LSU, Missouri, North Carolina, UCF, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Western Kentucky
Bio (from HailState.com via our own WCF)
Cord Sandberg, QB, 6-3, 215, Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee)
HIGH SCHOOL: Regarded as one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks ... Standout in both football and baseball at Manatee High School, and one of the nation's top baseball prospects ... Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN.com, Scout.com and Rivals.com ... Member of the ESPN 300, and considered the 9th best dual-threat quarterback in the country and the 45th best player, regardless of position, in the state of Florida ... Named to the Rivals 250 list and 24th best player in the state ... Led coach Joe Kinnan and the Hurricanes to a near-perfect 13-1 season ... Twice nominated for Florida Mr. Football and Class 7A Player of the Year ... During his three years as starting quarterback, the Hurricanes were 39-4 playing in the highest classifications in one of the best football states in America ... Recorded three-consecutive 2,000-plus yard seasons with 78 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions ... As a senior, Threw for 2,674 yards on 186 of 265 passing with a 34-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio …Also rushed for 611 yards on 99 carries and 10 touchdowns ... Opened the season in front of a national televised audience on ESPN vs. Miramar High School ... Helped lead his team to a state championship during his junior year, throwing for 2,187 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 813 yards and 10 touchdowns ... Named first-team all-State by the Associated Press in Class 7A and Offensive Player of the Year ... Became starting quarterback during his sophomore year throwing for 2,855 yards with a 75 percent completion percentage and 25 touchdowns to only six interceptions ... Rushed for 10 touchdowns and 579 yards ... Named Class 7A player of the year following both his junior and senior seasons ... Named HTPreps.com Area's Most Valuable Offensive Player three years in-a-row ... On the diamond, he is a fourth-year starter in centerfield and left-handed hitter for the three-time district champions ... Played in the 2012 Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego, and has been rated the 46th-leading professional prospect of 2013 by Baseball America ... His father, Chuck, was an All-American baseball player at Florida ... Committed to the Bulldogs in June 2012 over offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri and Vanderbilt among others.
Highlights
Cord Sandberg 2011 Junior Season (via ManateeFootball)
John Luke's thoughts
Sandberg is winner. He is a leader. However, he is not a player that gets by on his intangibles alone. He has a strong, accurate arm. He has (I hate to make this comparison, but looking at him it's obvious) Tim Tebow-esque scrambling ability. Sandberg is an elite QB in the 2013 class. The catch with Sandberg is, he is an even higher rated baseball prospect and will likely be a first round MLB draft pick. If he shows up in Starkville, he could be the most impactful offensive signee of Dan Mullen's career.