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One Step Closer... R.L. Horton, Coach Larry Eustachy and Angelo Johnson were all smiles after Southern Miss defeated UTEP 64-51 on February 16. The Golden Eagles out-scored the Miners 36-10 over the final 15:25 to erase a 13-point deficit. Southern Miss is on the verge of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. Eustachy has made big strides over the past few seasons and the Golden Eagles may be Mississippi’s only Division 1 school to make the “Big Dance” this season. Photo by Bobby McDuffie - Xtreme PhotoFX - Ocean Springs, MS

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>>> MSM | PUBLISHER’S NOTE

MSM “All-Stars” - New Feature in 2011

ith every issue we like to add new features for the readers of Mississippi Sports Magazine. We also like to include stories and features of everyday people of our State. Beginning with this issue we have introduced “MSM All-Stars” to the publication. This section is devoted solely to Mississippi’s amateur athletes and is not regulated to just team sports. Anyone can send us a photo of their son, daughter, relative, neighbor, whoever, with a brief description about their achievement. We ask that you include full name, age and hometown. Mississippi Sports Magazine is a publication for the people of Mississippi and we do not want to miss out on someone deserving of recognition. Information can be sent to us by mail at Pevey Publishing, 405 Knights Cove West, Brandon, MS, 39047 or you can email submissions to publisher@mssportsmagazine.com

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Volume 3, Issue 5 March/April 2011

Published by Pevey Publishing, LLC Publishers Greg & Mendy Pevey Featured Columnists Steven Godfrey, Brian Hadad

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Greg Pevey Publisher Philippians 4:13

>>> MSM | MARCH/APRIL ALL-STARS Pearl High School’s Wesley Brown Honored by ESPN After playing basketball, not soccer, his junior year, Wesley Brown (right, #23) returned to spark Pearl to a Mississippi 5A soccer state title on February 5. The senior forward scored four goals in Pearl’s 6-0 win over East Central (Moss Point). Brown was the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals this season. Brown was also named ESPN’s Rise Player of the Week based on his performance. ESPN RISE is a high school sports magazine published monthly during the school year in 25 markets around the United States. The magazine is published by ESPN.

2010 Dixie Pre-Majors (16U) State Champions - Pine Belt Elite of Brooklyn, MS. Belt Elite from Brooklyn, MS won the Dixie Pre-Majors State tournament with a 4-1 record defeating Hattiesburg All-Stars and Laurel-Jones County two times each to claim the championship. The team represented Mississippi in the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series held in Guntersville, Ala. The team was coached by head coach Jason Hawkins and assistant coach Jake Hawkins. 4 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Contributing Writers David Armstrong, Kevin Broughton, John Davis, Paul Jones, Lanny Mixon, Chuck Stinson Contributing Photographers Bobby McDuffie, Greg Pevey, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Cover photo of Tobias Singleton by Steven G. Watson Advertising Sales Greg Pevey, Jay Pevey, Mendy Pevey Mississippi Sports Magazine™ is published bimonthly by Pevey Publishing, LLC to promote Mississippi’s sportsmen and women, colleges, universities, high schools, communities and citizens in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all labeled materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Mississippi Sports Magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Pevey Publishing, LLC is not affiliated with any institution, college, university, or other academic or athletic organization. Subscriptions are $24 (1 year, 6 issues). Make checks payable to Pevey Publishing, LLC and mail to: 405 Knights Cove West, Brandon, MS 39047 or subscribe online at www.mssportsmagazine.com.

Pevey Publishing, LLC Mississippi Sports Magazine 405 Knights Cove West • Brandon, MS 39047 Phone: 601-503-7205 • Fax: 601-992-2885 email: publisher@mssportsmagazine.com www.mssportsmagazine.com

>>>MSM | 2011COLLEGE RECRUITING RECAP

Contents

Inside 10 GODFREY’S TAKE

Steven Godfrey Outraged about Oversigining? Change the Victim

11 BRIAN

HADAD

A Table for Two at the Hotseat: Comparing Rick Stansbury and Georgia football coach Mark Richt

16 Recruiting: inside and out Kevin Broughton goes inside the world of Mississippi’s Big 3 recruiting services to give you a peak of Photo Courtesy Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum

their crazy world

28 MISSISSIPPI’S

“FAB 15” FOR 2011 David Armstrong

Perian Conerly: Mississippi’s First Lady of Sports

2011 College Football Recruiting Recap

og SoutheastScout.

Perian Conerly of Clarksdale was more than just Charley Conerly’s wife, she was a fixture across the country as a syndicated sports writer.

John Davis of the Oxford Eagle, Paul Jones of Bulldawgjunction.com and Lanny Mixon of BigGoldNation.com recap the signing classes of Ole Miss, Miss. State, and Southern Miss.

2011 Season

MISSISSIPPI LEGENDS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

com list Mississippi’s top High School and JUCO players to watch during the

By Chuck Stinson

36 MISSISSIPPI

GOLF

To Contact MSM > LETTERS, STORY IDEAS AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS • Email MSM at publisher@ mssportsmagazine.com or mail to Mississippi Sports Magazine, 405 Knights Cove West, Brandon, Mississippi 39047. Letters should include writer’s full name, address and home phone number and may be edited for clarity and space.

The Best Affordable Public Golf Courses in Mississippi for 2011

MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 5

>>> MSM | GODFREY’S TAKE

Outraged about Oversigning? Change the Victim

By Steven Godfrey Featured Columnist

versigning needed a poster child, and it almost had one in Chris Garrett. Last season ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” framed their story on oversigning around Garrett, a Tupelo High School quarterback who signed with LSU in 2009 and was on track to play in the ’10 season before being “cut” over the summer when coaches didn’t renew his scholarship, informed of the matter by mail and then (head coach Les Miles) dismissed his departure as an issue of commitment on Garrett’s part. Garrett provided that face of the innocent victim anti-oversigning fans, bloggers and journalists assumed they’d need to humanize the obtuse concept. The basic math of college football says that one team can hold a maximum of 85 scholarships, and sign 25 players maximum per recruiting season. Web sites like Oversigning.com feature a “wrong” and “right” set of math, the wrong being when “oversigning” more players than you have spots for occurs. Their example (and it’s a common case): 66 returning players are combined with a signing class of 29, creating a 95-man roster that must fall to 85 before fall practice. Attrition occurs, in the form of medical hardships, players quitting football, players being dismissed for behavior or academics or players electing to transfer. Attrition is a real issue for any major college team. However, Oversigning.com balks at methods other than ones listed above, such as “grayshirting” (a player pays his own way and walks on the team for a season, but doesn’t leave the school) or in Garrett’s case, being “cut” outright when coaches assume more players will leave before August than actually do. After Garrett’s story surfaced, oversigning should have become less of a “numbers game” and more a well-being issue for student athletes. LSU, along with Ole Miss under Houston Nutt and Alabama under Nick Saban, began to earn

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a national reputation as oversigning programs. Yet the large majority of fans didn’t care much about Garrett having his collegiate career unjustly altered for the worse (he signed with Northwestern State to play his sophomore season in 2010). Perhaps that’s because in the heart of the craziest division of the craziest conference in the nation, where nothing is too sacred for an opposing fan base to assault, it’s hard to cast stones. In a January report for Sports Illustrated, writer Andy Staples ranked the nation’s worst oversigning offenders by the numbers of recruits per the last four seasons (not including the just-completed 2011 classes). Anything above the 25 player “limit” per class was considered oversigning. The SEC West owned the rankings, with the entire division placing in the Top 15 (Ole Miss #2, Auburn #3, Mississippi State #4, Arkansas #8, Alabama #10, LSU #12). Even smaller non-BCS schools in the footprint of the Western Division, like Troy (#1) and Southern Miss (#7) made the Top 15, the obvious logic being that the abundance of junior colleges in the Southeast boost oversigning numbers by allowing Division 1 teams to sign and “place” talent that won’t initially qualify into a junior college. Oversigning.com has carried the crusade against teams like Ole Miss (Houston Nutt now famously signed 37 players in a single class, and spurned the SEC to adopt signing class restrictions). The web site features “The Bad List,” exposing athletic directors, school presidents and coaches that “have publicly defended their practice of oversigning,” which reads in the following order – “Houston Nutt, Ole Miss, Nick Saban, Alabama, Les Miles, LSU…” You can stop there, because that’s the point in which any remotely dedicated Rebel fan would warmly welcome any practice that includes their coach in the company of teams that have won three national titles in the last decade, morality be damned. That’s why Oversigning.com and its ilk are failing to register with more fans – some fans were angry about Cam Newton’s alleged price tag, but most admit they wish their team would’ve paid it. In big time college sports, it’s expensive (and hazardous to coaching and A.D. careers) to be as naive as what Oversigning.com suggests – signing the appropriate 25 each year, and offering scholarships to scout team walk-on players who’ve “earned a scholarship – if a deficit occurs before fall practice. Instead of the bitter but largely excepted re-

ality of a few players being unexpectedly “cut” each season, the real smoking gun should be a growing theory that oversigning is evolving past as an alleged response to “natural player attrition” and into a means of program building. If teams consistently bring in the extra 2-5 players per season on a consistent level, how could that not foster an atmosphere that abnormal roster attrition is not only acceptable, but inevitable? Suddenly college rosters between February and August start to resemble a NFL “training camp” roster that’s cut throughout an evaluation period. It also allows for, over the course of four seasons, a team to have brought in almost an entire extra recruiting class of 20-25 players for evaluation. It’s not too cold to think in terms of commodities, and an abundance of supply drives down value, even in the case of 18 year old athletes. Gambles on “project linemen” or behavior risks become less risky, because more bodies than usual can be brought in to cope. In the case of Nutt, oversigning shouldn’t be that embarrassing for Ole Miss fans, or even the right scapegoat for rivals – the real shame is discipline inside the program creating a raging amount of turnover. Just this month receiver and kick returner Jessie Grandy departed after a very promising freshman season. Nutt’s statement implied Grandy was “homesick,” for his native Little Rock, but message boards and blogs talked of rumored disciplinary issues for months before the departure was announced. Grandy had playmaker potential in the SEC, but is now instead another in a long, long list of high profile recruiting implosions for the Rebels under Nutt. Even Nutt’s perception as a lackluster disciplinarian won’t carry much water in a national argument. But if the SEC West continues to dominate the national title picture in the next decade, and “second tier” teams like Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas continue to win big bowls, the crusade will find support in terms of an obvious competitive disadvantage. Any other means of arguing against oversigning won’t register in the forum of “win no matter what.” Garrett who was intended to register with fans and media as the victim of fate left Northwestern State in December after a required season out of D1 ball to transfer back in. He’s walking on at Ole Miss. - MSM Steven Godfrey is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Contact him at sgodjr@ gmail.com or on Twitter, @IACGodfrey.com

>>> MSM | THE DAWGHOUSE

Table for Two at the Hotseat

Johnson has been suspended twice this season for academic and disciplinary reasons. Then there was the ugly incident between Renardo were to South Carolina, Arkansas, and Missis- Sidney and Elgin Bailey in the stands in Hawaii, sippi State, all top 25 teams capable of beating which will go down as the moment the national Georgia even at full strength. All four losses were media really turned on Mississippi State and close however, with Georgia having an opportu- Stansbury in general. Since then, Sidney has nity to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter. been crucified in the media both for his ongoGreen’s presence alone would have opened up ing NCAA saga and his play, which can only be the running game or freed other receivers to called lazy in the most generous terms. Sidney single coverage. The cramps and conditioning has been out of shape since day one, and his issues Green experienced in the Colorado game unwillingness to play hard on the defensive side would likely not have occurred had he been has made MSU, a team that under Stansbury playing previously. has always been tough defensively and on the The criticism Richt faces is double-sided. boards, soft in the middle. There were further By BRIAN HADAD When multiple players are getting arrested, it issues from the NCAA regarding the Bulldog’s Featured Columnist speaks to a lack of discipline within your pro- star point guard Dee Bost, who missed the entire he hot seat is a spot coaches must recon- gram. You recruit these players, you share in the non-conference slate as a result of a mandated cile themselves to over a lengthy career. responsibility for their actions on and off the suspension for his failure to withdraw from the Nearly every coach spends a season there field. The same way a coach gets credit when NBA draft by the NCAA deadline, and academic regardless of their overall record. A coaching a player plays well or excels in the classroom, issues from the prior semester. The absences of career is like anything else in life, over enough he must take some blame when a player under Bost and to a lesser degree Sidney are a big part time you’ll have some bad times. The question performs or can’t stay out of trouble. Further, of the losses to such poor teams in the non-conbecomes have you banked enough credit to get as a coach, you are responsible for making sure ference season. Had those two been going from your players understand NCAA rules and regu- day one, it’s likely State might not be looking at you through the lean years. This academic year has given the SEC two lations. A coach cannot, however, spend every the SEC tournament as a must win. great examples, and as I wrote this article, I waking moment with his players, holding their The issues Stansbury faces this season are found a lot of similarities. On the gridiron, no hand from sunrise to sunset. He cannot keep his similar to the ones he’s faced for the past decoach came under more scrutiny this past sea- players from making mistakes when he is not cade. His offense isn’t exactly the most technison than Mark Richt. Richt entered the season there to supervise. The interesting part of this cally sound, he seems to let players run the team with a career record of 90-27 for a 77 percent criticism is how quickly it is forgotten when the more so than he does, and the team’s conditionwinning percentage, good for second best in team is winning. It’s the combination of these ing is suspect at best. But in the past, Stansbury the conference behind Urban Meyer. Richt is external issues and the 6-7 record that will have has won enough to quiet those concerns. Now a coach with two conference titles, three divi- Richt in a win or go home mode for 2011. To that he is struggling, people think it’s time for sion titles, six top 10 finishes, and a 7-3 record that end, Richt is bringing in a consensus top a change, and their opinions are justified. Once in bowl games. But this season was a struggle, five recruiting class, signing six of the Rivals again however, there is a similarity which may and not only on the field. Nearly a dozen UGA 100, including the nation’s top running back bring hope, and that is a top recruiting class. football players were arrested this past year, and in Isaiah Crowell. With Murray being the odds Stansbury took advantage of the unusually deep two players were dismissed from the team. The on favorite for All-SEC quarterback to start the crop of talent in Mississippi and signed 3 of the NCAA also suspended all everything wide re- season, Richt should have the pieces in place to nation’s top 60 players, including Meridian’s ceiver A.J. Green for the first four games of the improve upon last season’s poor performance, Rodney Hood, rated a five star small forward season, a stretch that saw Georgia go 1-3, and and he’ll have to if he wants to stay in Athens. on Rivals.com, along with highly touted UTEP 0-3 in the conference. Green returned for the On the hardwood, and closer to home, Rick transfer Arnett Moultrie. There is little doubt fifth game of the season at Colorado, but cramps Stansburys run at Mississippi State is experienc- that next season will find Stansbury coaching for kept him out of the second half as Georgia fell ing a similar drop in performance. After a seven his job, and will need to at least make the NCAA 29-27. The loss of Green was especially tough on year run that included an outright SEC title, an tournament to see another year in Starkville. freshman quarterback Aaron Murray. It’s tough SEC tournament title, two SEC west titles, and Two coaches, two different sports, both men to win in the SEC period, but with an inexperi- five NCAA tournament appearances, the last generally recognized as good people off the field enced quarterback, it’s doubly so. Green would two seasons have been a bit on the disappoint- and court, both have brought a great deal of suchave provided an enormous security blanket ing side, with veteran teams having to win out cess to their respective schools, and now both for Murray during those first few games as the in the SEC tournament to assure a NCAA tour- will enter their next seasons needing a return nament berth. There has also been the ongoing to their previous winning ways if they want anfreshman found his way. It all culminated with a 6-7 record and an problem of transfers, robbing the program of other year as the head man. Will two different embarrassing defeat in the Liberty Bowl, as the continuity and depth. Even with all of these is- sets of Bulldogs hire new coaches next season, Bulldogs became the first SEC team to lose to sues, Stansbury entered the 2010-11 campaign or will Richt and Stansbury get the train going the Conference USA champ since the format in good standing among the majority of Missis- back uphill again? Coaches don’t forget how to for invitations was changed in 2006. Now obvi- sippi State fans, however, this season has been a win, you either are a winner or you aren’t. The ously you can’t say with any certainty that had complete train wreck. While there hasn’t been record books show Richt and Stansbury have Green been eligible from day one, it would have a problem of players running afoul of the law, won far more than they have lost, and I wouldn’t changed any results. The three conference losses there are clearly issues within the team. Ravern bet against them. - MSM

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>>> MSM | MS LEGENDS

The ‘First Lady’ of Mississippi Sports

Sponsored by

Perian Conerly is known for more than just being the wife of football legend Charlie Conerly, she was also a nationally syndicated sports columnist and author By Chuck Stinson Photos Courtesy of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum

ll you have to know about Perian Conerly is that when she was contacted about doing the interview for this piece, she was just settling in to watch Ole Miss and Mississippi State play a basketball game on television and wanted to wait until after the game to talk. The Delta native and widow of Charlie Conerly loves her sports. She has always loved the games and the competition. “I’ve always been an outdoor person. I was always roller skating on the sidewalk, playing football and softball with the boys. I’ve always liked to play games and been interested in it.” If Mississippi were to ever name a first lady of sports, Perian would have to be at or near the top of the list. Raised in Clarksdale she claims the title of tomboy to this day. For a woman born in 1926, Conerly still plays golf on a regular basis and just gave up tennis a few years ago. “I play with all the old men like I am. In fact, three of them are older than me. One of them is 93 and he is the only one that can see the golf balls”, she says with a laugh. “It takes us less time to play when he is in the group. We spend half our time looking for the balls in the rough but we have a good time.” Her love of football came prior to meeting the love of her life, Charlie. Her dad was the one who helped spark her interest in the game that would eventually help to shape a major portion of her life. “We used to go to the high school games and I would just run around in the stands playing. One day my dad sat down and got some cardboard and drew off a field and showed me the principles of football. He explained the game to me early so I would appreciate seeing it.” She has appreciated football ever since. She still tunes into NFL broadcast every Sunday via the NFL ticket. She also attends two to 10 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

three New York Giants games a year as well as Ole Miss home games and watches the Rebels away games and the rest of the SEC on TV. “I’m an SEC fan. I don’t care about Yale and Connecticut or whatever.” Aside from an occasional mystery, sports make up the majority of her viewing habits. “I just enjoy watching them. It’s my favorite thing on TV.” I just enjoy sports.” If Perian’s love of sports, and football in particular, was nurtured by her father it blossomed with a romance. Charlie Conerly was a star athlete at Clarksdale and at Ole Miss. “(Charlie) was five years older than I. I didn’t know him in high school. I knew who he was because he was the big hometown football hero. I was a lifeguard at the city pool and a friend introduced us and we started going out. We got engaged but I had another year at the W and he played his first year with the Giants in 1948 while I finished school and we were

married right after I graduated. “ Drafted in 1945 by the Washington Redskins, Charlie Conerly served a stint in the Marines before getting his NFL career started with the Giants in 1948. He was an instant success with the Giants being named the NFL Rookie of the Year. Perian could have won an award for rookie of the year during her first year in New York as well if they gave one to wives. Her outgoing personality and southern charm made her a team and city favorite. So much so that a little hometown column she was doing for the Clarksdale Press Register turned into a syndicated column that ran nationally. “People(in Mississippi) would ask me questions when we were up there in New York, ‘Do you really like New York?’ So I thought they don’t really know anything. I started writing a little weekly column. It was about sports and about New York and about what we did and the celebrities we met and the Jackson Daily

News picked it up. “ The syndication of her work came after she had showed an editor some of the insight she could offer after he originally had decided that was not what they were looking for in her writing. “He said this was very nice but not what we had in mind. Then I whipped out one that we had done about men impersonating players. Getting a free meal or bumming some money or something illegal like that. He said this is what we wanted and to have one a week. So it was syndicated and the New York Times picked it up which you know they rarely, at least in those times, picked up syndicated material and it went all over the country.” Her columns also found their way into Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. Asked what Charlie thought about her musings she offered this, “He was kind of amused. First I would let Pat Sumrall read over each column then I’d let Charlie read them over to prevent any silly mistakes. I think he thought it was cute maybe. I did enjoy it.” She was so well respected that she became the first woman to be a member of the Football Writers Association of America. “We knew all of the sportswriters and we would see them and we would mingle with them. One of them said that I needed to be in the Football Writer’s Association of America. I said, ‘Well yes, that would be good.’ So he said since my name is spelled the way it is they would just slip it in. I said, ‘Do they let women in?’ and he said, “I don’t know but they will never know’. He got me in and I had a little press card that I carried for years.” Even though her husband had guided the Giants to an NFL title in 1956, won an MVP in 1959 and was the Marlboro Man in a high profile ad campaign, Perian was almost as big a star in New York as Charlie. She was featured on the hit TV show “What’s My Line” and was approached by two publishers to do a book, eventually penning Backseat Quarterback a book about her life with Charlie and the Giants that was printed in 1963 and reprinted in 2003. Her sports writing ended when Charlie’s career closed after 14 years with the Giants. A career that has not been recognized as one worthy of Hall of Fame status by the Professional Football Writers and one she isn’t sure ever will be deemed worthy of enshrinement now. “He missed his chance. He should have gotten in way back and now people don’t remember. The statistics just don’t add up. I think they had so many from the Giants that after a little bit they just decided….I don’t know. I don’t know why he is not in. He should be.” Charlie Conerly was well known for being humble but even he, in a non boastful manner, was a little surprised at his absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “He never did talk about that”, said Perian. “But one time he told me he thought he would be in the Pro Hall of Fame but not the College Hall of Fame beMISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 11

cause Ole Miss lost all the films of him playing. So he thought they wouldn’t put him in with not having any films of his games.” His ability didn’t need any verification on film apparently, Conerly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966. Perian’s charm and outspokenness were a perfect fit for Charlie’s shyness. “I think he knew how good he was. He never let on that he knew. He was very soft spoken and quiet. Frank Gifford would say to the sportswriters who would interview him from time to time, ‘You’d better have his wife there or you’re not going to have much of an interview.’ I would prompt him when the guy would ask a question and Charlie would say, ‘Oh I don’t know’ then I would pipe up and blow his horn for him.” Life after football did not change the love of football or sports for the Conerlys. “We played a little tennis together and of course enjoyed football even after he quit we enjoyed it on television. We would play golf almost every day in the afternoon after my Bridge game.” Prior to Charlie’s death in 1996 the two would marvel at the way the game has changed over the years from the big bucks to the big egos. “They get paid a lot, which is good for 12 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

(Above) Perian and Charlie at home in New York with his 1959 NFL MVP trophy. (Bottom) Perian at a New York Giants game with Frank Gifford and Y.A. Tittle.

them. They act so silly in the end zone and he hated that. The ‘showboating in the end zone’. The ‘look at me, look at me’. He didn’t begrudge them the money but he thinks they could behave a little better. I think the same thing. When Charlie would score he would just had the referee the ball instead of all the gyrating and stuff. “ The most Charlie made playing with the Giants was $30,000 which at the time was good money but obviously nothing compared to the millions they players are making these days. Perian lamented the fact that the players don’t know what to do with all that money and recounted a story about how that was the case even during the days Charlie was playing. “The Giants owners would hold out a week’s pay and give it to them at the end because some of the guys would have to borrow money to get home. They (The Giants) would divide the players checks up by 13 instead of 12.” (The NFL played 12 games during the regular season at that time.) Despite how big the games, stadiums, players and salaries have become Perian will continue to watch. It’s in her blood. Football is and always will be a way of life for this self professed tomboy from Clarksdale who was married to the man they named the trophy after that is given to the best college football player in Mississippi every year since 1996. A trophy that could as easily be named the Conerly’s Trophy. - MSM

Perian at the 2009 Cotton Bowl in Dallas

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affordable ad rates for any size business!!! 1. Magazine readership has grown over the past five years. 2. Average paid subscriptions reached nearly 300 million in 2009. 3. 4 out of 5 adults read magazines. 4. Magazines deliver more ad impressions than TV or Web in a half-hour period. 5. Magazine readership in the 18 to 34 segment is growing. 6. Since Facebook was founded, magazines gained more than one million young adult readers. 7. The average reader spends 43 minutes reading each issue. 8. Magazines are the No. 1 medium of engagement — across all dimensions measured. Studies show that magazines continue to score significantly higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity and all of the other engagement dimensions, including “trustworthy” and “inspirational.” 9. Magazines and magazine ads garner the most attention: Research studies show that when consumers read magazines they are much less likely to engage with other media or to take part in non-media activities compared to the users of TV, radio or the Internet. 10. Magazines outperform other media in driving positive shifts in purchase consideration/intent. 11. Magazines rank No. 1 at influencing consumers to start a search online – higher than newer media options. *Sources available on request.

CALL US TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE FOR THE MAY/JUNE ISSUE! SPACE DEADLINE IS APRIL 22, 2011 For advertising information call Greg Pevey at 601-503-7205, Mendy Pevey at 601-941-1323, or Jay Pevey at 601-209-7000 Mississippi Sports Magazine • 405 Knights Cove West Brandon, MS 39047 • Phone: 601-503-7205 email: publisher@mssportsmagazine.com Visit us online MISSISSIPPI at: www.mssportsmagazine.com SPORTS MAGAZINE - 15

2 011 M S M R E C R U I T I N G R E CA P

OLE MISS REBELS RIVALS.COM TEAM RANKING: #19 • SCOUT.COM TEAM RANKING: #24 By John Davis The Oxford Eagle

le Miss football coach Houston Nutt was visibly giddy on National Signing Day. Why shouldn’t he be? He and the rest of his staff had just landed one of the best classes in the nation and in the process, more than two handful of the highest rated players in the state of Mississippi. Securing the signatures of more top-flight players from the state was a main objective for Nutt since he was hired at Ole Miss, but in 2011, he was finally able to deliver Mississippi kids like he has promised the last few recruiting seasons. “If you had told me last November that we were going to have four U.S. Army All-Americans, eight members of the (Clarion Ledger) Dandy Dozen, the top five players in Mississippi and that 12 Mississippi players said they wanted to be Ole Miss Rebels, I don’t know if I would have believed you,” Nutt said. “It is our staff and winning back-to-back Cotton Bowls that put us over the top. I have to give credit to the Mississippi mothers. They have just been awesome. For example, Aaron Morris’ mother recruited other mothers. Senquez Golson on the coast has been solid on Ole Miss for so long, along with Donte Moncrief, even being heavily recruited by other schools. The backbone of Mississippi stood strong.” In a year where several players stood out, it was Philadelphia linebacker C.J. Johnson’s signature on a letter of intent that had every Rebel fan buzzing about the 2011 season. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Johnson was once committed to play for MSU coach Dan Mullen, but when defensive coordinator Manny Diaz left for Texas, the Rebels were there to scoop up Johnson and let him be the centerpiece to the improvement on the defensive side of the ball. “I was so excited when (defensive coordina16 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

tor) Tyrone Nix called me around the time of the Army All-American Game in San Antonio and said C.J. was thinking of de-committing. Within five days of that decision, C.J. Johnson called me. I have never been more excited about a player. I had been hearing all of what happened in San Antonio against the best of the best. When I knew there was a genuine interest in him being here, I was very excited,” Nutt said. “When he got here with his mother, he fell in love with Ole Miss. He loved the FedEx Center and the academic system we have in place here. He knows he can take care of the athletic part of it. From there, he started recruiting for us. It was awesome for him to be leading the charge for us with (wide receiver) Tobias Singleton, (offensive lineman) Aaron Morris, (WR) Donte Moncrief and (DB) Senquez Golson. They wanted to come here and win an SEC Championship. It is exciting to get these guys because even though we did not do that well on the field, they were committed to coming here. We got them all.” This year’s group of Mississippi prep football players remained very tight during the recruiting process and Nutt was able to use that to his advantage once one committed. “You never know until signing day what will happen. There were a lot of questions asked of us about our season last year and they were hard to answer. On the positive side, I feel like the more we were able to get in touch with the families of these players and talk about trust and commitment, they knew where they wanted to go. They wanted to stay at home in Mississippi and win a championship,” Nutt said. “It is hard to explain, but it was the togetherness of this group that made this happen. They wanted to be here. They were here many times when this place was packed on gameday and wanted to continue packing it out on gameday. They are excited about a big crowd for BYU in the fall.” Ole Miss ended up signing 27 players this

year, a number that includes five junior college players who will all be eligible to participate in spring drills. Another player who has been added to the roster is quarterback Barry Brunetti, who played his freshman season at West Virginia after a standout prep career at Memphis-University School. Brunetti has yet to be cleared to play for the upcoming season — a waiver supporting his claim to play this year was recently submitted to the NCAA — but he will be with the team when the Rebels begin spring drills and will have three years to play regardless of when he is approved for competition again. Nutt had several need areas after his team finished the 2010 campaign with just a 4-8 overall mark. The defensive backfield was especially dismal and Nutt wanted more competition at both safety and cornerback to help the returning players become more productive. Ole Miss ended up signing a mixture of athletes to play defensive back from a guy like Golson, a 6-foot, 180-pounder from Pascagoula in with several defensive backs from the junior college ranks such as the speedy Wesley Pendleton (5-10, 170), who attended Natchez High before Co-Lin CC. Another signee who is expected to get a look at corner is South Panola standout Nickolas Brassell (6-0, 175). “Senquez Golson is a great athlete and wants to get a degree at the University of Mississippi. I am excited about the way Wesley Pendelton and Charles Sawyer are working right now. Nickolas Brassell is another guy we are excited about bringing in and not being afraid to send in on third-and-8 to stop people. He is that kind of athlete. I love it when a guy can play both sides of the ball. Brassell is one of those guys who can go both ways for us and make plays,” Nutt said. We know he is a great wideout. He can also play corner, safety or in the nickel package. A lot of players

we got have two-way ability. Tobias Singleton can take a kickoff or punt return back for us. That is what we are excited about. Athletes that have 4.4-4.3 speed that can play both ways are exciting.” Ole Miss’ wide receiver class has been rated as the top one in the SEC by Rivals.com thanks to guys like the physically imposing Moncrief (6-2, 203), Singleton (6-0, 185) and two Alabama athletes, Collins Moore (6-2, 185) and T.J. Worthy (6-2, 180). “We got some outstanding playmakers. I am excited about that group. Also, this is probably one of the best groups of receivers to ever come out of Mississippi. Tobias Singleton, Nickolas Brassell and Donte Moncrief were three huge guys to get. Getting T.J. Worthy and Collins Moore really helped us,” Nutt said. “ This group ran some unbelievably fast times. All three of them are so explosive. Tobias Singleton is physical like a sophomore in college. He can take a kick return or a punt return. He turns six yards into 16 yards. Nick Brassell will fit in well in the Wild Rebel. We can see him taking a snap and running the things that Michael Wallace ran. That is excit-

ing. Donte Moncrief might be the tallest wide receiver that has the total package. People have him covered and he still manages to catch the ball. He is physical and I love that combination. This is the most explosive group that we have ever had. We have to get the ball to them. We want to have a balanced offense where we can run and throw. I love to throw to our guys and we catch it.” The Rebels’ five junior college players include quarterback Zack Stoudt (6-5, 230) and defensive tackles Uriah Grant (6-1, 285) and Gilbert Pena (6-4, 336). “Zack is a strong-armed guy who took his team to the championship. Listening to (strength) Coach (Don) Decker talk about them, he is very impressed. Gilbert Pena is a strong guy at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds. He probably needs to lose a little weight, but I love how massive and wide his shoulders are,” Nutt said. “Wesley Pendleton ran one of the fastest 10 and 20-yard dash times. He is quick as lightning. Ivan Nicholas is strong and fast. I am excited about him. “(Grant) is a mature guy from Miami. He fell in love with Oxford and Ole Miss. When

you come from Miami to Oxford, it is quite a change. They either really like it, or they do not. He loved it. His mother is a sweet lady who had a great spirit about her during this process,” Nutt said. “She knew her son wanted to be here in Oxford, Mississippi. She knew that it was a safe place where he could get a great education. Miami came on strong with their new staff trying to talk to him, but he did not budge.” Rounding out this year’s class for the Rebels is Northwest Mississippi CC tight end Jamal Mosely (6-4, 250), Bay Springs athlete Cody Prewitt (6-3, 200), Taylorsville linebacker Marcus Mayers (6-2, 195), Itawamba AHS quarterback Maikhail Miller (6-34, 235), Fullerton CC defensive back Aaron Garbutt (6-2, 200), Tampa, Fla., linebacker Keith Lewis (61, 215), Jackson Callaway offensive lineman Justin Bell (6-3, 325), Winona athlete Chief Brown (6-2, 195), Arkansas offensive lineman Mitch Hall (6-6, 325), Raleigh defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton (6-3, 265), Birmingham, Ala., defensive end Kameron Wood (6-4, 220) and Sanford, Fla., linebacker Serderius Bryant (5-10, 220). - MSM

2011 OLE MISS FOOTBALL SIGNEES Name

Pos. Ht.

Justin Bell Nickolas Brassell Chief Brown Serderius Bryant Aaron Garbutt Senquez Golson Uriah Grant Mitch Hall Woodrow Hamilton Ethan Hutson C.J. Johnson Keith Lewis Marcus Mayers Maikhail Miller Donte Moncrief Collins Moore Aaron Morris Jamal Mosley Cody Prewitt Tobias Singleton Kameron Wood T.J. Worthy

OL WR DB LB DB DB DL OL DL OL LB LB LB QB WR WR OL TE DB WR DL WR

6-3 6-0 6-2 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-2

Wt. 320 175 190 200 205 180 280 330 265 295 235 215 195 235 200 185 310 250 200 190 220 180

Hometown (School) Jackson, Miss. (Callaway) Batesville, Miss. (South Panola) Winona, Miss. (High) Sanford, Fla. (Seminole) Westminster, Calif (High; Fullerton C.C.) Pascagoula, Miss. (High) Miramar, Fla. (Everglades; Eastern KY; Fullerton C.C.) Russellville, Ark. (High) Raleigh, Miss. (High) Destrehan, La. (High) Philadelphia, Miss. (High) Tampa, Fla. (Freedom) Taylorsville, Miss. (High) Fulton, Miss. (Itawamba Agricultural) Raleigh, Miss. (High) Madison, Ala. (Bob Jones) Jackson, Miss. (Callaway) Memphis, Tenn. (Kingsbury; Oklahoma St.; NW Miss. C.C.) Bay Springs, Miss. (Sylva Bay) Madison, Miss. (Madison Central) Birmingham, Ala. (John Carroll) Gadsden, Ala. (High) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 17

2011 OLE MISS FOOTBALL SIGNEES Justin Bell, OL, 6-3, 320, Jackson, Miss. (Callaway) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 23 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list … Earned first team All-Metro honors from The Clarion-Ledger and was a first team Class 5A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Rated the No. 26 player in Mississippi and the No. 39 offensive guard in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 66 offensive guard in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 92 by Scout.com … Participated in the Bernard Blackwell Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Helped lead squad to a 9-3 record as a senior … Coached in high school by Daryl Jones. Nickolas Brassell, WR, 6-0, 175, Batesville, Miss. (S. Panola) A U.S. Army, PrepStar and SuperPrep All-America selection … Listed No. 2 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Earned first team All-State honors from The ClarionLedger and was a first team Class 6A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … A member of the Rivasl100 and rated the No. 51 player in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 7 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com … Listed No. 24 on the Mobile PressRegister Super Southeast 120 … Rated the No. 7 wide receiver and the No. 56 overall player in the nation by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 29 wide receiver in the nation by ESPN.com … Rated the No. 1 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Posted 52 receptions for 875 yards and 13 TDs as a senior … Recorded 62 catches for 1,272 yards and 16 TDs as a junior … Won Class 6A state title as a senior and helped squad to Rivals.com High School National Championship as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation … Claimed three state titles in high school … Coached in high school by Lance Pogue. Chief Brown, DB, 6-2, 190, Winona, Miss. (High) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 19 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list … Earned first team All-State honors from The Clarion-Ledger and was a first team Class 3A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior .. Named 3A Offensive Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Rated the No. 22 player in Mississippi and the No. 46 safety in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 62 running back in the nation by Scout. com and No. 111 by ESPN.com … Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi AllStar Classic as a senior … Ran for 2,173 yards and 28 TDs as a senior … Also posted 61 tackles, eight interceptions and forced three fumbles on defense … Helped lead team to Class 3A state semifinals as a senior … Coached in high school by Ken Chandler … Full name is Chelarvez Brown. Serderius Bryant, LB, 5-10, 200, Sanford, Fla. (Seminole) A Parade All-America selection … A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 46 player in Florida SuperPrep … Named Central Florida Defensive Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel as a senior and two-time first team AllCentral Florida selection … Ranked the No. 83 outside linebacker in the nation by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 14 outside linebacker in the nation by ESPN. com … Ranked No. 10 on the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Super60 list and No. 34 on the paper’s Florida Top 100 list … Posted 151 tackles, four INTs and 2.0 sacks as a senior … Helped lead team to Class 6A state semifinals as a senior … Coached in high school by Michael Cullison. Aaron Garbutt, DB, 6-2, 205, Westminster, Calif (High; Fullerton C.C.) Junior College: A preseason All-America selection this season by JC Grid-Wire … Rated the No. 73 junior college player in America by SuperPrep … Named first team All-State by the California Community College Football Coaches Association as a freshman … Recorded 49 tackles and one INT this past season … Posted 49 tackles and four INTs as a freshman … Coached in junior college by Tim Byrnes … High School: Rushed for 1,245 yards and 18 TDs as a senior … Also caught 21 passes for 322 yards and two scores … Earned all-league and team MVP honors as a senior … Coached in high school by Ted McMillen. Senquez Golson, DB, 6-0, 180, Pascagoula, Miss. (High) 18 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

A SuperPrep All-America selection and rated the No. 8 player in Mississippi … Participated in the Offense-Defense All-American Game … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … A second team Class 6A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Rated the No. 10 player in Mississippi and the No. 33 cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com … Named the No. 25 cornerback in the nation and No. 271 player overall by Scout.com … A PrepStar All-Region selection … Recorded 3 INTs and scored 5 TDs as a senior … Coached in high school by Scott Sission. Uriah Grant, DL, 6-1, 280, Miramar, Fla. (Everglades; Eastern Kentucky; Fullerton C.C.) Junior College: Rated the No. 50 junior college player in the nation by Rivals.com … Received first team All-Conference honors from the California Community College Football Coaches Association as a sophomore … Posted 42 tackles, 17.0 TFLs and 6.0 sacks last season … Coached in junior college by Tim Byrnes … Eastern Kentucky: Recorded 17 tackles, 5.0 TFLs and 2.0 QB sacks in 10 games in 2009 … Transferred to EKU after redshirting at West Virginia in 2008 … High School: Originally signed with Wake Forest in the Class of 2007 but did not attend ... Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 55 defensive tackle nationally and the 97thbest player in Florida … Rated as the 71st-best defensive tackle by ESPN.com and No. 91 defensive end by Scout.com … A two-time All-Broward County selection … Posted 85 tackles as a senior with 14 sacks, a blocked field goal, four forced fumbles, one interception and 10 quarterback knockdowns … As a junior, finished with 60 tackles and 14 sacks … Invited to play in the North-South All-Star Game … Won back-to-back district championships at Everglades … Coached by Mike Palmeri. Mitch Hall, OL, 6-6, 330, Russellville, Ark. (High) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and ranked the No. 10 player in Arkansas by SuperPrep… Earned first team All-State honors from the Arkansas Activities Association and ArkansasVarsity.com as a senior … Rated the No. 9 player in Arkansas by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 33 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 58 by Scout.com … Coached in high school by Jeff Holt … Brother, Matt, is a sophomore on the Ole Miss football team. Woodrow Hamilton, DL, 6-3, 265, Raleigh, Miss. (High) A SuperPrep All-Region pick and rated the No. 18 player in Mississippi … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list … Earned first team Class 4A AllState honors from the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Rated the No. 19 player in Mississippi by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 84 defensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 99 by Scout.com … Posted 65 tackles, 12 TFL, six QB sacks and two blocked punts as a senior … Coached in high school by Durwood Anderson. Ethan Hutson, OL, 6-4, 295, Destrehan, La. (High) A U.S. Army and PrepStar All-American selection … A SuperPrep All-Region pick and listed as the No. 11 player in Louisiana … Listed No. 83 on the Mobile PressRegister Super Southeast 120 … Earned honorable mention Class 5A All-State honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as a senior … Rated the No. 8 center in the nation and the No. 12 player in Louisiana and by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 32 offensive guard in the nation by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 40 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com … Coached in high school by Stephen Robicheaux … Father, Mark, is offensive line coach at Tulane. C.J. Johnson, LB, 6-2, 235, Philadelphia, Miss. (High) A U.S. Army, Parade, PrepStar and SuperPrep All-America selection … Listed No. 1 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 10 Most Wanted list … Earned first team All-State honors from The Clarion-Ledger and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Named 3A Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Listed No. 19 on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 … Rated No. 1 player in Mississippi, the No. 2 inside linebacker in the nation and the No. 21 player overall in the country by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 4 middle linebacker and the No. 58 player in the nation by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 9 middle linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com … Rated the No. 5 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern first team … Earned team MVP honors at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Collected 149 tackles and two

INTs as a senior … Helped lead squad to 12-1 record and Class 3A state playoffs as a senior … Posted 151 tackles as a junior … Coached in high school by Teddy Dyess.

Southern first team … Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Helped lead squad to a 9-3 record as a senior … Coached in high school by Daryl Jones.

Keith Lewis, LB, 6-2, 215, Tampa, Fla. (Freedom) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 35 player in Florida by SuperPrep … Earned second team All-Suncoast Honors from the St. Petersburg Times as a senior … Rated the No. 57 outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 47 outside linebacker in the nation by Scout.com and No. 57 by ESPN.com … Recorded 102 tackles as a senior … Coached in high school by Tchecoy Blount.

Jamal Mosley, TE, 6-4, 250, Memphis, Tenn. (Kingsbury; Oklahoma St.; Northwest Miss. C.C.) Junior College: Rated the No. 27 junior college player in the nation by SuperPrep and No. 39 by Rivals.com … Listed No. 2 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Junior College Prospects … Earned first team All-State honors from the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges as a sophomore … Posted 42 catches for 350 yards and four TDs last year … Coached in junior college by Rickey Woods … Oklahoma State: Saw action in 11 games and caught five passes for 57 yards ... First career reception was an 8-yarder against Missouri State ... Caught two passes covering 26 yards, including a season-best 16-yarder, in the win over Troy ... Caught two passes for 24 yards in the win over No. 3 Missouri … High School: A Division I All-State honoree by the Tennessee High School Coaches Association ... Named to a spot on the Memphis Commercial-Appeal’s All-Area squad ... An all-district choice ... Scout.com listed him as the No. 30 tight end prospect in the nation and SuperPrep selected him as the No. 17 player in the state of Tennessee, regardless of position ... Hauled in 24 receptions for 479 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior ... Selected to play in the Tennessee East/West All-Star game.

Marcus Mayers, LB, 6-2, 195, Taylorsville, Miss. (High) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 14 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Earned first team All-State honors and named the Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … Rated the No. 14 player in Mississippi and the No. 25 outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 48 outside linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 66 by Scout.com … Posted 54 tackles, 12 TFLs, 3.5 QB sacks, two INTs and two forced fumbles as a senior … Helped lead squad to Class 2A state finals and a 13-1 record as senior … Coached in high school by Bud Blackledge. Maikhail Miller, QB, 6-3, 235, Fulton, Miss. (Itawamba Agricultural) A PrepStar All-America selection … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list … Selected to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Top-10 and All-Area Teams … Selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team … Participated in the Bernard Blackwell Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Rated the No. 24 player in Mississippi and the No. 23 pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 20 quarterback in the nation by ESPN.com … Ranked the No. 45 quarterback in the nation by Scout.com … Threw for 1,636 yards and 14 TDs as a senior … Also rushed for 1,148 yards and 22 scores … Coached in high school by Ashley Kuhn. Donte Moncrief, WR, 6-2, 200, Raleigh, Miss. (High) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-American selection and rated the No. 2 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Listed No. 7 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Listed No. 56 on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 … Rated No. 3 player in Mississippi and the No. 17 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com … Named the No. 24 wide receiver in the nation and No. 164 overall player by Scout.com … Selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team … Participated in the Bernard Blackwell Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Posted 21 catches for 441 yards and 9 TDs as a senior … Also posted 365 passing yards with 2 TDs and rushed 12 times for 144 yards … Returned two punts for TDs … Collected 48 tackles, 4.0 TFL and four interceptions on defense … Coached in high school by Durwood Anderson. Collins Moore, WR, 6-2, 185, Madison, Ala. (Bob Jones) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 20 player in Alabama by SuperPrep … Earned first team Class 6A All-State honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … Listed No. 17 on The Birmingham News Super Seniors list … Rated No. 9 player in Alabama and the No. 56 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 54 wide receiver in the nation by Scout.com … Recorded 46 catches for 808 yards and 10 TDs as a senior … Posted 50 receptions for 1,057 yards and 13 TDs as a junior … Coached in high school by Kevin Rose. Aaron Morris, OL, 6-5, 310, Jackson, Miss. (Callaway) A PrepStar All-America selection … A SuperPrep All-Region pick and rated the No. 9 player in Mississippi … Listed No. 6 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Earned first team All-Metro and All-State honors from The Clarion-Ledger and was a first team Class 5A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … A member of the Rivals250 and ranked the No. 146 player in the nation by Rivals.com … Listed No. 105 on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 Rated No. 6 player in Mississippi and the No. 13 offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 26 offensive guard in the nation by Scout.com and No. 54 offensive tackle by ESPN.com … Selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-

Cody Prewitt, DB, 6-3, 200, Bay Springs, Miss. (Sylva Bay) A PrepStar All-America selection … A SuperPrep All-Region pick and rated the No. 12 player in Mississippi … Named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 25 Recruits list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad … Earned first team All-State honors from The Clarion-Ledger and the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools as a senior... Rated No. 8 player in Mississippi and the No. 16 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 78 athlete in the nation by ESPN.com … Ranked the No. 79 safety in the nation by Scout.com … Collected 121 tackles and 8 interceptions as a senior …. Posted 2,406 rushing yards and 41 TDs … Accounted for 3,200 all- purpose yards during his senior season … Helped lead team to a 12-1 record and MAIS state semifinals as a senior … Coached in high school by Chad Odom. Tobias Singleton, WR, 6-2, 190, Madison, Miss. (Madison Central) A U.S. Army, SuperPrep and PrepStar All-America selection … Listed No. 3 on The Clarion-Ledger’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and was a member of the paper’s Dandy Dozen squad... Earned first team All-Metro and All-State honors from The Clarion-Ledger and was a first team Class 6A All-State pick by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as a senior … A member of the ESPN150 and rated the No. 128 player in the nation by ESPN.com … Listed as the No. 68 player in the nation by Sporting News … Rated No. 5 player in Mississippi and the No. 20 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com … Named the No. 22 wide receiver in the nation and No. 155 over player by Scout.com … Listed No. 90 on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 … Ranked the No. 3 player in Mississippi by SuperPrep … Selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern first team … Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic as a senior … Recorded 50 catches for 730 yards and 11 TDs as a senior … Also rushed for 383 yards and six scores … Posted 55 receptions for 890 yards and 19 TDs as a junior … Helped lead team to 12-2 record and Class 6A state finals as a senior … Coached in high school by Bobby Hall. Kameron Wood, DL, 6-4, 220, Birmingham, Ala. (John Carroll) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 19 player in Alabama by SuperPrep… Named to The Birmingham News All-South first team as a senior … Rated No. 16 player in Alabama and the No. 31 defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked the No. 42 defensive end in the nation by Scout.com … Listed No. 17 on The Birmingham News Super Seniors list … Posted 80 tackles, 10 sacks and three interceptions as a senior … Coached in high school by Chris Musso. T.J. Worthy, WR, 6-2, 180, Gadsden, Ala. (High) A SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Region pick and rated the No. 20 player in Alabama by SuperPrep … Rated No. 18 player in Alabama by Rivals.com … Posted 21 catches for 450 yards and nine TDs as a senior … Helped lead team to a 10-4 record and Class 6A state quarterfinals as a senior … Coached in high school by Joe Billingsley. MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 19

2 011 M S M R E C R U I T I N G R E CA P

MISS. STATE BULLDOGS RIVALS.COM TEAM RANKING: #44 • SCOUT.COM TEAM RANKING: #44 By Paul Jones BulldawgJunction.com

n 2010, the Mississippi State football program closed out the schedule with much success, including a dominating performance against Michigan in the New Year’s Day Gator Bowl. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Bulldogs’ recruiting Class of 2011. Yes, head coach Dan Mullen and his staff reeled in several solid prospects in the likes of safety Dee Arrington, receiver Joe Morrow and defensive linemen P.J. Jones and James Maiden among others. But the MU fanbase spent much time discussing those guys that de-committed - six in all - in the latter stages of recruiting, particularly linebacker C.J. Johnson who eventually signed with Ole Miss. But on Mullen’s board, the Bulldogs got a class that met most of their needs, particularly in the trenches. All in all, the Bulldogs signed a total of 22 players, including 15 from the Magnolia State. Four of those signees are already on campus in juco offensive lineman Joey Trapp and early high school graduates in quarterback Dak Prescott, offensive lineman Nick Redmond and defensive end John Harris. “A lot of good players came in,” said Mullen. “I think one of the big areas you look at is the offensive and defensive lines, which to me is where your foundation of your program is always gonna be. That’s where you win or lose football games. To come out with James Maiden, P.J. Jones - the top two defensive linemen in the state of Mississippi - is fantastic. We really filled a need today with Preston Smith at defensive end and I know (defensive end) John Harris is already here and working out. I think he’s already put on 25 pounds in our workout programs in just the short time he’s been here. “We also had two offensive linemen (Nick Redmond and Joey Trapp) enroll early and that is really invaluable. Hopefully in the future we get to get more and more. Of the four guys we had enroll early, Nick Redmond was the lone one in-state. We’ve got to work harder of being able to get in-state kids graduated early. I think we had several that had the opportunity to do that but it was just a different school system. With Daniel Knox coming in and then you have Justin Malone, who right now is playing on the No. 1 ranked (MAIS) basketball team in

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the state of Mississippi.” And concerning those late deflections, Mullen said he has a different view of what most consider a commitment. “I guess a commitment in my mind and in the minds of the media is very different,” explained Mullen. “A commitment in my mind is somebody that is coming to Mississippi State and not taking visits. If you are visiting other places, I never considered you committed in the first place. So I really didn’t have any decommits in the way I view it because the guys were visiting I don’t view them as part of our program. “That is how I view recruiting. We not allowed to comment about it so that’s all up to you guys and the Internet and how all you want to see it. A commitment to me is a guy saying he is coming to Mississippi State, that’s it and that’s where I am going and not taking any other visits. That’s where I want to be and hold my spot for me. Those that take other visits, I don’t really count them.” In fact, Mullen said he considers commitments more like reservations. “Maybe a reservation,” said Mullen. “If you make a reservation to a restaurant, they don’t hold you to showing up right there. They call up and say can you reserve me a spot there. That’s better I think. But some kids are committed and that is what always makes it kinda tough. Recruiting has taken on a life of its own in the perception of it as opposed to the reality of the situation and that is where things changed. “I know fans and Internet sites is a big business and folks on-line all the time looking at things and trying to figure out what is going on. But I think I have a much better idea but according to the rules, we can’t comment on them. I could probably give you all the answers of what’s gonna happen before you know on signing day.” Along with building depth up front, the Bulldogs also collected a solid group of defensive backs, led by juco All-American Darius Slay. In the high school ranks, MSU signed Arrington and Zach Jackson (both Dandy Dozen members), Justin Cox and Kendrick Market, who both captured state championship rings in 2010. Although the final recruiting rankings saw MSU finish in the lower 40’s by Rivals and

Scout, Mullen was pleased with the collection of secondary members. Mullen was also pleased with the signing of Morrow and Devin Fosselman, adding more receivers to a unit that will feature no seniors in 2010. “The way I view it is that the top four db’s in the state according to high school coaches were 1) Kendrick Market 2) Dee Arrington, 3) Zach Jackson and Justin Cox was No. 4,” said Mullen. “That’s how I viewed it. I guess that’s why I don’t look at the rankings. I talked to a lot of high school coaches that go down to the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game and watch all that talent. They said the two top receivers were Fosselman and Morrow. If they are the two top receivers we are pretty happy to get those types of guys. “I figured we got 15 players from Mississippi and the two other schools in the state didn’t get that many combined. So I would say we’re still on path in looking for what we want to do.” Of course, Mullen added on National Signing Day that he was never one to get caught up in stars or recruiting rankings. “Wisconsin has never been over 40th and I will take a Rose Bowl trip,” Mullen said with a laugh. “Both TCU or Wisconsin have ever been over 40, I think, in the last five years in recruiting. Maybe that’s a good number to be around and maybe that gets you to the Rose Bowl. “But I don’t pay much attention to that. To me, a program is about development. If we have 47 of 53 players we signed the last two years still contributing to our program right now, that’s a pretty good number. We’ll take those odds. That’s the evaluation and the development of this program. If not, I guess teams that were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 four years ago should have just played for the BCS Championship and I don’t think either of those teams played in it this year. So I don’t put a whole lot of weight into the rankings. “I make sure we get football players we know we can develop to become those stars. Not just in February and in high school cause those stars don’t stick with you on the field. We don’t get an extra first down cause you had stars beside your name. We have to go earn it on the field so for us, we go look for those guys. I am more concerned of our players’ performance on the field for this class over the next four years.” Concerning this class, the Bulldogs had ma-

jor selling points that centered around a 9-4 season and a No. 15 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. With a small class of seniors graduating, what MSU couldn’t see was lack of depth and early playing time. But like any year, Mullen said he wants guys that are not afraid to work hard and offers all newcomers the opportunity to get on the field early in their careers. “If guys are nervous about competition, I certainly don’t want them on our roster,” Mullen said. “Every day in our program you have to compete in everything that we do. That is what helps you win. There is no shortcut to the top of the mountain. You are gonna get there through a lot of hard work and on the football field you gotta compete. “We had some pretty solid depth last year and I look at this group and there are some guys that could come in and contribute right away. When you play in the SEC, we’re gonna make sure they are ready to go before we put them on the field. Having more guys come in midsemester certainly gives them an opportunity to get on the field earlier.” As noted above, Trapp was the lone junior college signee at mid-semester. Having Trapp on board now will eventually help to balance out the youth along the offensive line. Getting that balance across the board in future recruiting classes is also a top priority.

“Yea and you are always trying to keep the balance with your numbers,” Mullen said. “You are always are looking two and three years out and see if you have a bunch of guys leaving at a certain position so you can be balanced. You look at a guy like Joey Trapp coming in as a junior college offensive linemen. There is a little bit of a gap there on the offensive line where we have a bunch of older guys and bunch of younger guys. We needed some more in between guys so he comes in and fills that gap. That is really how we evaluate it each year. “You would love to get to the point each year where you have a senior at each position across the board and you go out and sign one player at all the positions. It never works out that way but you like to keep it that way. You know, two years ago we had three senior tailbacks and that is a little scary and having three guys at the same position walk out the door.” While most classes in the SEC were in the 2530 range, the Bulldogs had one of the smaller classes in the league. Glancing ahead to 2012 and with another small group of seniors in 2011, Mullen noted his program likely signs in the same range again next year. “As you look at it right there with the number of scholarships we have, you hear all this stuff of grayshirting and all the people oversigning,” noted Mullen. “That’s not our program and we

have a distinct plan in what we do for young men. You hear all unethical all of those things are and it’s hard for me to tell our guys we’re gonna be a man of our word and then not be a man of my word during the recruiting process to these young men. That’s not the type of program we are. “But for us, that’s how we looked at it and how the numbers fit for us. We didn’t have a very big senior class and actually don’t have a big senior class again next year. Our numbers may be even less next year, depending on attrition and on those three to four guys or that last 10 percent that doesn’t make it through the program.” One common theme in Mullen’s recruiting in Starkville has centered around signing versatile athletes. That trend continued this year with the likes of Arrington, Jackson and Bernardrick McKinney. “Looking at just some of the athletes in this class - Dee Arrington, Zach Jackson that are big-time hitters in the secondary - with size potential to grow,” noted Mullen. “One of the things we really focus on is recruiting football players. You look at a Dee Arrington who runs the ball that plays quarterback and plays receiver and all over the field. Zach Jackson does the

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2011 MISS. STATE FOOTBALL SIGNEES Name

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Dee Arrington DB Taveze Calhoun ATH Justin Cox DB Devin Fosselman WR *John Harris DL Zachary Jackson DB P.J. Jones DL Daniel Knox TE/OL James Maiden OL Justin Malone OL Kendrick Market WR Benardrick McKinney LB Derek Milton RB Joe Morrow WR Shaquille Perry RB *Dak Prescott QB *Nick Redmond OL Josh Robinson RB Darius Slay DB Preston Smith DL *Joey Trapp OL Rufus Warren TE

6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-6 5-10 6-4 5-11 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-5 5-9 6-1 6-6 6-5 6-5

210 180 175 190 230 200 260 250 270 300 180 205 200 200 210 225 305 200 190 225 285 235

Hometown (School) Wiggins, MS (Stone County HS) Morton, MS (Morton HS) West Point, MS (West Point HS) Woodville, MS (Wilkinson County HS) Boynton Beach, FL (Boynton Beach Community HS) Heidelberg, MS (Heidelberg HS) Tupelo, MS (Tupelo HS) Collinsville, MS (West Lauderdale Attend. Ctr.) Woodville, MS (Wilkinson County HS) Madison, MS (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) Batesville, MS (South Panola HS) Tunica, MS (Rosa Fort HS) Pineville, LA (Hargrave Military Academy) Ocean Springs, MS (Ocean Springs HS) Walnut, MS (Walnut Attend. Ctr.) Haughton, LA (Haughton HS) Gulfport, MS (Harrison Central HS) Franklinton, LA (Franklinton HS) Brunswick, GA (Itawamba [Miss.] CC) Stone Mountain, GA (Stephenson HS) Rolling Hills, CA (L.A. Harbor CC) Indianola, MS (Gentry HS) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 21

2011 MISS. STATE FOOTBALL SIGNEES DEE ARRINGTON, DB, 6-2, 210, WIGGINS, MISS. (STONE COUNTY) HIGH SCHOOL: A PARADE All-America selection and listed as the top defensive back prospect in the state of Mississippi … Named an All-American by SuperPrep Magazine and tabbed as that publication’s No. 3 prospect in the state … Rated the No. 4 Most Wanted prospect in the state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger … Scout. com ranks him the #9 safety prospect in the country and the #3 overall prospect in the state … Rivlas.com lists him as the No. 11 player in Mississippi and 23rd best safety in the nation … Played for Coach Brian Oaks at Stone … As a 2010 senior he was a consensus all-state performer and selected to the Mississippi-Alabama All Star … Named to the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl after his senior season … The Mississippi Association of Coaches picked him as their Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year, as well as first-team All-State … Credited with 121 tackles during his senior campaign, he also rushed for 1,121 yards and 15 touchdowns … Following the 2010 season he was a first-team All-State selection of the Clarion Ledger, which prior to the senior year also picked him to their ‘Dandy Dozen’ list of the state’s premier prospects … Named WDAM-TV All-Area Team selection, and All-South Mississippi by the Biloxi Sun Herald … As a junior rushed for ten touchdowns on 123 carries and gained 933 yards … Also recorded 79 total tackles and four interceptions … Committed to MSU in July 2010, with offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Southern Mississippi, and Memphis. TAVEZE CALHOUN, ATH, 6-1, 180, MORTON, MISS. (MORTON) HIGH SCHOOL: Named first-team All-State by the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger across all divisions … Also listed among the Top 40 Most Wanted in the state by the Clarion-Ledger … A consensus all-state prospect in the 3A division following his senior season … Selected by The Mississippi Association of Coaches to the 40-man roster for the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game … Played for Coach Miles Porter and led the Panthers to a 9-4 record, a 4-1 record in Region 6, and the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs … Credited with 90 total tackles and intercepted six passes for 112 yards of return during senior season … Also blocked one punt and caused two fumbles … Rushed 31 times for 205 yards and scored three touchdowns … Played both ways during his junior season … Helped lead the team to a 13-2 record for Coach David Parker and reached the south state finals of Class 3A where they lost to eventual state champions Tylertown … As a junior rushed 23 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns … Also caught seven passes for 255 yards for three more touchdowns … Defensively posted 42 tackles and intercepted three passes … Starred on defense as a sophomore … Credited with 60 total tackles and a pair of interceptions with seven passes broken up … Committed to Mississippi State in January 2011. JUSTIN COX, DB, 6-1, 175, WEST POINT, MISS. (WEST POINT) HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as the #22 player in the state by Rivals.com … Also rated the #23 overall player in the state of Mississippi by Scout.com … Played on both offense and defense for the two-time Mississippi Class 5A champions at West Point playing for Coach Chris Chambless … His junior and senior teams compiled a 28-2 record with him directing the offense at quarterback and leading the defense at cornerback … He was among the three finalists for Mr. Football in Mississippi by the Clarion Ledger, and the newspaper also tabbed him as first-team All-State from all classifications … He was the #10 player on the CL’s post-season ranking of the state’s Ten Most Wanted Prospects for 2010-11 ... The Mississippi Association of Coaches selected him as first-team All-State quarterback in Class 5A ... Chosen for the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game and started at left cornerback in the December classic ... For the 2010 season he led the Green Wave to a 14-1 record ... Rushed for 1,274 yards and 17 touchdowns, and was 80-of-153 passing for 1,131 yards ... Finished his junior year with 1,248 passing yards and 12 touchdowns ... Ran for 622 more yards and nine touchdowns … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010 over offers from Ole Miss and several others. DEVIN FOSSELMAN, WR, 5-10, 190, WOODVILLE, MISS. (WILKINSON COUNTY) HIGH SCHOOL: A top wideout prospect in the state of Mississippi following a stellar high-school career … Rated the No. 14 prospect in the state by Rivals.com … Selected by the Mississippi Association of Coaches for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game ... The Jackson Clarion-Ledger ranked him among the state’s best 25 seniors on their post-season Top 40 Prospects list ... That newspaper also named him second-team All-State ... He was named to the Natchez Democrat All-Metro area team for both 2009 and 2010 ... Caught 52 passes for 703 yards and three touchdowns during his senior season despite fighting injuries ... Opened the year

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with nine catches and 171 yards, as well as nine tackles on defense before being sidelined three weeks ... Caught 47 balls for 1,035 yards and scored eight touchdowns during his junior season ... Starts at point guard for the Wilkinson County basketball team … Committed to Mississippi State in June 2010 over offers from Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi. JOHN HARRIS, DL, 6-6, 230, BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. (BOYNTON BEACH COMMUNITY) HIGH SCHOOL: Starred for head coach Rick Swain at Bounton Beach Community High School … Recorded 65 total tackles along with six sacks during the 2010 season … Also credited with 14 tackles for loss on the year … Rated a three-star prospect by recruiting services Rivals.com and Scout.com … Ranked the 13th best prospect in the state of Florida by The Palm Beach Post … Widely recruited during his prep career, was offered by more than 20 schools nationwide … Chose Mississippi State in November 2010 over Boston College, UCF, West Virginia, Wisconsin and a host of others … Graduated from high school in December and enrolled during the spring of 2011. PERSONAL: Son of Sam Harris and Shevone Harris … Born Johnathan Lamar Harris on December 30, 1992. ZACHARY JACKSON, DB, 6-1, 200, HEIDELBERG, MISS. (HEIDELBERG) HIGH SCHOOL: Rated among the top 25 of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s 40 Most Wanted List ... Prior to the 2010 season he was picked by that newspaper to their ‘Dandy Dozen’ list of the state’s top overall college prospects ... Ranked the #16 prospect in the state by Rivals.com and #17 by Scout.com ... All-Area pick by WDAM-TV ... Missed four games in mid-season with a separated shoulder, but was still able to compile 756 rushing yards on 87 carries and six touchdowns ... Was 18-of-45 passing for 224 yards with a pair of touchdowns ... Finished with 43 total tackles, 39 of them solo stops, and caused one fumble … Missed first five games of senior season with a broken foot ... As a sophomore he passed for 1,154 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while rushing 233 times for 1,348 yards and 16 touchdowns ... Was named to the WDAM-TV All-Area team as a sophomore and the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player... Committed to Mississippi State in February 2010 over Ole Miss and others. P.J. JONES, DL, 6-3, 260, TUPELO, MISS. (TUPELO) HIGH SCHOOL: A top defensive line prospect in the state of Mississippi following an outstanding high school career … Rated the No. 6 prospect in the state regardless of position by Rivals.com … Also rated the #21 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by Rivals … Earned a four-star rating from Rivals.com … Listed among the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s 25 Most Wanted, one of only three defensive linemen among the top 40 prospects … Rated the nation’s #43 defensive tackle prospect by Scout.com which also ranks him the 12th-best college prospect in the state from all positions… Played defensive tackle as a senior for Coach David Bradberry ... Chosen by the Mississippi Association of Coaches to the MississippiAlabama All Star Game ... Coaches Association also named him second-team AllState in Class 6A ... The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal named him to their All-Area squad … Scout.com named him to its All-State first defense … Posted 84 total tackles, including seven sacks, while forcing three fumbles during his senior season ... Missed part of his 2009 junior year with injury, but was credited with 46 total tackles, as well as five sacks ... Committed to Mississippi State in January 2011 over offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and UCLA. DANIEL KNOX, TE / OL, 6-5, 250, COLLINSVILLE, MISS. (WEST LAUDERDALE ATTEND. CENTER) HIGH SCHOOL: Excelled at tight end during his prep career … Rated a three-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … Scout.com rates him the nation’s #44 tackle prospect, and the 13th-best college prospect from all positions in Mississippi … Played for Coach Glenn Sanders at WLAC … Jackson Clarion-Ledger ranked him among their post-season list of the state’s Top 40 Prospects ... Selected by the state coaches association for the 62nd annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic ... Named to Scout.com’s All-State Offense as a first-team offensive lineman ... An August knee injury kept him out of the season opener and the following two games ... Helped the Knights to a 9-3 record during his junior season ... Caught 14 passes for 150 yards and three scores … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010 over offers from Ole Miss, Southern Miss and others. JAMES MAIDEN, OL, 6-4, 270, WOODVILLE, MISS

(WILKINSON COUNTY) HIGH SCHOOL: A top recruit in the Mississippi prep ranks … Scout.com ranks him the country’s #35 tackle prospect, as well as the 11th-best college prospect at all positions in Mississippi this year… Played both offensive tackle and defensive tackle for Coach Elbert Lyles ... Selected after the season to play in the MississippiAlabama All Star Game ... He and teammate and fellow MSU signee Devin Fosselman were the first Wildcats ever chosen to the elite state squad ... Selected firstteam All-State from all classifications by the Clarion Ledger newspaper ...Rated as one of the Top 25 prospects in the state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger ... Scout. com named him first-team All-State as an offensive line prospect... MaxPreps rates him the number-one offensive tackle prospect in Mississippi ... Two-time All-Metro selection of the Natchez Democrat ... Played defensive tackle as a senior and was credited with 35 total tackles and one quarterback sack ... As a junior he was credited with 46 tackles as a defensive lineman … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010 over Ole Miss, LSU and Southern Mississippi. JUSTIN MALONE, OL, 6-6, 300, MADISON, MISS. (MADISONRIDGELAND ACADEMY) HIGH SCHOOL: Highly-promising recruit played only two seasons of high school football … Finished his short prep career by leading Coach Mack Norwood’s Patriots to the championship round of Class AAA-Division I ... Selected first-team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools … Named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger All-Metro Jackson team ... That newspaper also listed him among their Top 40 Prospects from the state prep ranks regardless of classification ... Has played a whole varsity career on the basketball court for MRA … Committed to Mississippi State in November 2010. KENDRICK MARKET, WR, 5-10, 180, BATESVILLE, MISS. (S. PANOLA) HIGH SCHOOL: Highly touted athlete from one of the top high school programs in the nation … Three-year starter on both sides of the ball and in the return game, and a two-time All-State selection ... Rated the No. 15 prospect in the state regardless of position by Rivals.com … Helped lead Lance Pouge’s South Panola team to state titles in both 2009 and 2010 ... Recognized by the Mississippi Association of Coaches as first-team All-State in Class 6A as a linebacker following his senior season ... The MAC also picked him for the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game where he practiced at cornerback, safety, linebacker, as well as both return positions ... Named first-team All-State as a linebacker by the Jackson ClarionLedger … Also ranked among the Top 40 Prospects list, taken from all classes ... For the 2010 season as a starting defensive back he was credited with 52 tackles and six interceptions … Also rushed for 726 yards with six more scores ... He earned his first All-State recognition as a junior playing both on offense and defense ... Scout.com placed him on its first-team All-State defense after the 2009 season, one of just two juniors on the team ... For the year he had 64 total tackles, including two sacks, and intercepted a pair of passes ... On offense he rushed 64 times for 587 yards and was 20-of-30 passing for 312 yards and four touchdowns … Committed to MSU in October 2010 with offers from Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and others. BENARDRICK MCKINNEY, LB, 6-4, 205, TUNICA, MISS. (ROSA FORT) HIGH SCHOOL: A top defensive prospect in the state of Mississippi …. Rated among the top 25 Most Wanted by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger ... He is the first Rosa Fort player to sign with a SEC program since 2001, following in the footsteps of his 2010 high school coach and former Bulldog receiver McKinley Scott ... He led the RFHS Lions to a 7-4 overall record last season, with a 3-3 finish in Region 2 play and a first-round playoff appearance in Class 4A ... The state’s high school coaches selected him to the North/South All-Star Game as a linebacker … Started at quarterback for Rosa Fort his senior season … Accounted for 2,036 total yards of offense and 22 touchdowns with 1,334 passing and 702 yards on the ground … Threw for 15 touchdowns and ran for another seven … Credited with 66 tackles from his linebacker spot ... Threw for 530 yards with five touchdowns as a junior ... Also rushed for one score and 100 yards that season and posted 34 total tackles on defense ... Also served as the team’s punter as a junior ... Also starts for the Rosa Fort basketball team … Committed to Mississippi State in September 2010, after being recruited by Ole Miss, Memphis, and LSU. DEREK MILTON, RB, 5-11, 200, PINEVILLE, LA. (HARGRAVE (VA.) HIGH SCHOOL: Physical running back from the Louisiana prep ranks who played his senior high school season at Hargrave, Va., Military Academy for firstyear Coach Troy Davis … Rushed for 740 yards on just 43 carries with 10 touchdowns ... Played three varsity seasons at Pineville High School where he compiled almost 4,500 rushing yards ... Rushed for 1,800 yards with 15 touchdowns as a

junior ... Earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association first-team All-State honors … Also tabbed All-Central Louisiana ... Ran for 1,227 yards and ten touchdowns as a sophomore ... Committed to Mississippi State in January 2011, with offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee, Memphis, North Carolina and Oklahoma State among others. JOE MORROW, WR, 6-5, 200, OCEAN SPRINGS, MISS. (OSHS) HIGH SCHOOL: One of the top wide receiver prospects in the nation … Named an All-American by SuperPrep Magazine and tabbed as that publication’s No. 6 prospect in the state … Rated the 8th-best college prospect from all positions in Mississippi by Scout.com … Also rated the No. 30 wideout in the nation by Scout … Rated a four-star prospect by recruiting services … Selected by the Mississippi Association of Coaches for the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game ... Also selected to the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl ... Jackson Clarion-Ledger ranked him #9 among their Ten Most Wanted Prospects in Mississippi ... Caught 44 passes for 618 yards and five touchdowns during his senior season ... Also accounted for 51 total tackles and intercepted a pair of passes ... As a junior caught 40 passes for 770 yards and 11 touchdowns … Plays basketball for Ocean Springs as well … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010 with offers from Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Memphis and LSU. SHAQUILLE PERRY, RB, 6-2, 210, WALNUT, MISS., (WALNUT ATTENDANCE CENTER) HIGH SCHOOL: One of the most versatile athletes in the state prep ranks ... Rated as the No. 22 prospect in the state regardless of position by Scout.com and No. 24 by Rivals.com … Led Coach Timmy Moore’s Wildcats team to an 8-4 overall record and the first round of the north state playoffs ... The Mississippi Association of Coaches selected him as first-team running back in Class 2A … Also tabbed by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger as a second-team All-State from all classifications at running back ... Was first-team All-Area and the Area Offensive Player of the Year by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal ... Played in the Mississippi High School All-Star Game ... Rushed for 2,188 yards as a senior and scored 37 touchdowns ... Also caught 16 passes out of the backfield for 311 yards and three touchdowns ... On defense, he finished with 58 total tackles with one sack and an interception ... Ran for 1,197 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior ... Credited with 27 tackles in the 2009 season … Named Tippah County Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 … Committed to Mississippi State in January 2011 over Ole Miss, Memphis, Southern Mississippi and South Alabama. DAK PRESCOTT, QB, 6-3, 225, HAUGHTON, LA. (HAUGHTON HS) HIGH SCHOOL: Highly recruited quarterback from the Louisiana prep ranks … Led the Haughton High Buccaneers to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the 4A state quarterfinals … Named first-team all-state by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association … Completed 159 of 258 passes (62 percent) for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns during his senior season at Haughton … Rated as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation … Rushed for 951 yards and 17 touchdowns on 90 attempts during his senior year (10.6 yards per carry) … During his junior season, completed 144 of 252 passes for 2,172 yards and 27 touchdowns … Rated a three-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … Committed to Mississippi State in July of 2010 and enrolled in school during the spring of 2011 … Chose State over LSU, TCU and a host of others. PERSONAL: Son of Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott … Full name is Dakota … Born 7/29/93 in Sulpher, La. … Two older brothers, Tad and Jace … Jace will be a senior offensive lineman at Northwestern (La.) State in 2011. NICK REDMOND, OL, 6-5, 305, GULFPORT, MISS. (HARRISON CENTRAL) HIGH SCHOOL: Promising offensive tackle prospect from the Mississippi Gulf Coast … Rated a three-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … Ranked the No. 23 prospect in the state regardless of position by SuperPrep Magazine … Committed to Mississippi State over other in-state programs … Chose the Bulldogs in September of 2009 … Graduated from high school in December of 2010 and enrolled in January of 2011. PERSONAL: Born Nicholas Ashton Redmond on 11/03/1992 … Son of Lisa Redmond. JOSH ROBINSON, RB, 5-9, 200, FRANKLINTON, LA. (FRANKLINTON) HIGH SCHOOL: Big play threat out of the Louisiana prep ranks … Helped lead Coach Shane Smith’s Franklinton Team to the Louisiana Class 4A championship … Picked by Louisiana Sports Writers Association to the first-team All-State 4A squad … Named Honorable Mention on the Baton Rouge Advocate’s state-wide

MSU SIGNEES CONT. ON PAGE 40 MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 23

2 011 M S M R E C R U I T I N G R E CA P

SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES RIVALS.COM RANK: N/A • SCOUT.COM RANKING: #80 By Lanny Mixon Biggoldnation.com

he dust has settled and the smoke has cleared on the 2011, Southern Miss football recruiting class. The Eagles inked 25 prospects on National Signing Day and filled the void left by the graduating seniors. The Southern Miss staff took more steps to expand Southern Miss’ recruiting footprint signing prospects from Jacksonville to San Francisco, from New Orleans to New York City. Geographically speaking this is without a doubt the most diverse Eagle class ever. When you break it down by state, the Eagles signed eight prospects from Alabama, five from Mississippi, four from Georgia, two each from Tennessee and Louisiana, and a prospect each from California and New York. Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora described his class this way. “I was trying to think of the best word to describe this class and the best thing I can come up with is just ‘special’. I am extremely excited about this class and I know the staff is excited about it because they’ve done a tremendous job of putting this class together.” This class doesn’t have the star power as some of Fedora’s previous classes at Southern Miss but it features a nice mix of quality high school players and JUCO transfers who should contribute early. “It’ll take four year, or three years to really tell about this class,” Fedora said. “But, I think overall what you’re going to be saying four years from now, after these guys win multiple championships, is that it is a very special group.” With depth issues and scholarship numbers largely a thing of the past this year Fedora and staff were able to focus more on specific needs, and look for players that fit into the program. One area of specific focus for Southern Miss this year was character and a desire to recruit and sign players with a high level of character and integrity. “This group of young men has a lot of class. I have been in each and every one of these kids’ homes. I met their families and they all have class and character, great athleticism, speed, size, integrity and another word that comes to mind is “desire” to be great,” Fedora 24 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

said. “They all have high football IQs. In addition, they all had strong family backgrounds and it was really interesting getting to know each and every one of these kids and finding out about their families and support systems. They all understand the meaning of commitment. A lot of these guys were committing to us early on and they stuck with us from the beginning, even though were in there hammering away. They are winners and all have a desire to graduate.” Getting top targets committed early was key for Southern Miss, but when you take early commitments that doesn’t mean that other programs simply stop recruiting those prospects. Fedora gave credit to his staff for maintaining close contact and building strong relationships with the players they were recruiting. “That is a tribute to the staff. This staff has done a tremendous job of building relationships with these kids and keeping those relationships going. There was a lot of talk, a lot of smoke, about this kid is thinking about this and these schools are talking to him, but every one of these kids has been solid all the way through.” Concord (Calif.) High quarterback Ricky Lloyd may be the most talked about signee in the class, and for good reason. Lloyd completed 69% of his passes during his senior year for 4,451 yards, 52 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. Lloyd visited the Southern Miss campus for a summer camp, fell in love with the program and committed early. He held solid despite late interest from power programs like Boise State and Oregon. Lloyd may have gotten most of the headlines but the focus for the class was on the offensive line and receivers. The Eagles signed five offensive linemen including a deep snapper. This impressive class of linemen is lead by Garrett Clark, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound interior line prospect from North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.). Clark was ranked the No. 35 offensive guard prospect in the nation by rivals.com. The Eagles also signed two talented but under-rated offensive tackles in Vincent Brown (6-foot-6, 308) and Rashad Hill (6-foot-7, 275). Brown played this past season at ASA College in Brooklyn, NY while Hill played as a senior at ED White High in Jacksonville, Fla.

With only one scholarship center on campus, that was an obvious need for the Eagles. They inked solid prospect Jordan Greene from Brother Martin (New Orleans, Lou.). They also made a move on one of the best deep snappers in the nation, Prattville (Ala.) High’s Lance Schuffert. In Fedora’s offenses it’s not uncommon to see eight to ten wide receivers in a game for Southern Miss on a given week. This creates a need fro quality depth at receiver. The Eagles made a push to solidify receiver numbers by signing five wide outs. The group is lead by Franklinton, Lou., star Chris Briggs. The Eagles had fight Pitt and Minnesota down to the wire for the 6-foot4, 190-pound pass catcher. The Eagles also signed Briggs former team-mate Jhyryn Taylor. Taylor spent this past year at Pearl River CC after playing a year at LSU. Briggs and Taylor both attended Franklinton High. The Eagles also signed quality pass catchers including Trey Becton-Martin (Memphis, Tenn.), Cooper Harrington (Birmingham, Ala.), and Emmanuel Johnson (McKenzie, Ala.). The Eagles also signed three tight ends, which may be a record for the program for a single signing calls. “We got into a situation where we have only two on scholarship for next year and it was important that we went out and got some, especially with the importance of (that position) is in our offense,” Fedora said. Southern Miss uses two different styles of tight-ends in the fast paced offense. They utilize a traditional style TE that most programs have on the roster, but they also use a hybridpass catching tight-end in the mold of former Eagles Shawn Nelson and Johndrick Morris. Gadsden City (Ala.) prospect Collin Jarbo fits the mold of the traditional TE, standing in at 6-foot-5, and tipping the scale at more than 225-pounds. Jarbo is strong, athletic and has good hands. But, the Eagles are in need of the hybrid position and North Cobb (Ga.) pass catcher Max Mason looks to fill the bill. A talented, athletic 6-foot-7, 215-pounder Mason was utilized as a wide-out in high school but will transition to the hybrid position at Southern Miss. Central (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) hybrid Keivondre Watford was a late commitment that helped the Eagles fill out the class nicely.

Southern Miss fans will be happy to see a recruiting class featuring a balanced group of defenders that fill various needs all across the field. The class is headlined by a player that many consider Mississippi’s top high school defensive lineman in 2011 – Michael Brinson. Brinson from tiny University Christian (Flowood, Miss.) was as under-recruited and under-rated as any prospect in the South this past year. At 6-foot-4, 240-pounds he wrecked havoc on opposing offense in high school. Look for him to grow into a 285-pound interior defensive lineman that could dominate C-USA in coming years. Three other talented linemen will be joining Brinson on the defensive line - Rakeem Nunez, Michael Smith and Khalid Wilson. Nunez a native of Belize, played his high school ball at Pheonix City (Ala.), graduated early and has already enrolled at Southern Miss. At 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, Nunez is physically ready for the college game. Enrolling early will give him a shot a playing as a true freshman. Nunez who speaks four languages (English, Spanish, Creole and Graifuna) is an excellent student and is expected to catch on quickly.

Wilson has spent the last two years at East Central (Decatur, Miss.) CC, has already enrolled at Southern Miss and is expected to work his way into the two-deep rotation at defensive tackle this spring. Smith the most natural defensive end in the class was a lightly recruited, but very talented defender from Wenonah (Birmingham, Ala.) High School. The Eagles also signed three linebackers in the 2011 class, two outside linebacker prospects and a true middle backer. In the middle, the Eagles signed Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn) defender Trent Johnson, who was a three year starter for the competitive private school program. On the edge the Eagles picked up two very talented, very fast defenders in LaGrange (Ga.) High’s Chauncey Smith and Gadsden (Ala.) High’s Terrick Wright. The area where the Eagles struggled the most this past season was in the defensive back-field. Fedora and his staff dipped into the JUCO ranks for immediate help. A big key for the Eagles was resigning 2009 placement Martez Thompson from Gulf Coast (Perkinston, Miss.) CC. “We still communicated with him over those two years and we are anxious to get him back

and finally we have him back on campus and excited about having him here,” Fedora said. “He had two really good years down there at Gulf Coast and the whole time that we were communicating with him we were also communicating with the staff down there and they were saying good things about him which just made us feel better about the decision we made two year ago.” In addition to Thompson the Eagles signed Pierce (Los Angelas, Calif.) CC defensive back Clifford Johnson. Johnson was a highly sought after defender out of Jacksonville, Fla, in 2009, until a random act of violence derailed his promising senior year. As he and friends exited a Burger King, a drive by shooter opened fire hitting three of the young men. Johnson had a number of offers from schools in the West this year, but decided to head east to be closer to his family and friends in Florida. Ed Wilkins from Union Grove (McDonough, Ga.) is a true lock-down cornerback who should develop and add quality depth for the future. While this class may not have the star appeal that some in the past have from top to bottom Fedora and his staff and turned in a Rock Solid signing class. - MSM

2011 SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL SIGNEES Name Tray Becton-Martin Chris Briggs Michael Brinson Vincent Brown* Garrett Clark Jordan Greene Cooper Harrington Cortez Hartzog Rashod Hill Collin Jarbo Clifford Johnson* Emmanuel Johnson Trent Johnson Ricky Lloyd Max Mason Rakeem Nunez Lance Schuffert Chauncey Smith Michael Smith Jhyryn Taylor Martez Thompson* Keivondre Watford Ed Wilkins Khalid Wilson Terrick Wright

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

WR WR DT OL OL OL WR DT OL TE DB ATH LB QB TE DL DS LB DE WR DB TE DB DT LB

5-10 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-4 6-6 6-3 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-1 6-2

160 195 260 315 286 270 180 295 265 226 180 175 206 185 215 300 245 230 222 175 200 215 165 300 205

Hometown (School) Eads, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian HS Franklinton, La./Franklinton HS Flowood, Miss./University Christian School Miami, Fla./ASA Institute Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett HS New Orleans, La./Brother Martin HS Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian HS Gulfport, Miss./Gulfport HS Jacksonville, Fla./Ed White HS Gadsden, Ala./Gaston HS Jacksonville, Fla./Pierce CC McKenzie, Ala./McKenzie HS Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers HS Concord, Calif./Concord HS Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb HS Phenix City, Ala./Central HS Prattville, Ala./Prattville HS LaGrange, Ga./LaGrange HS Birmingham, Ala./Wenonah HS Franklinton, La./Pearl River CC Pascagoula, Miss./Miss. Gulf Coast CC Tuscaloosa, Ala./Central HS McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS New Orleans, La./East Central CC Gadsden, Ala./Gadsden City HS

* Signed in December during the early junior college period MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 25

2011 SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL SIGNEES Tray Becton-Martin, WR, 5-10, 160, Eads, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian HS Caught 48 passes for 664 yards and six touchdowns for an average of 13.8 yards per catch as a senior for coach Major Wright … Earned Tennessee Sportswriters Association All-State team honors … Added 40 receptions for 602 yards and nine TDs as a junior … Earned three stars from ESPN and two stars from both Rivals.com and Scout.com … Son of former Memphis running back John “Tweet” Martin and former Lady Tigers basketball guard Kiva Becton. Chris Briggs, WR, 6-4, 195, Franklinton, La./Franklinton HS Caught 54 passes for 867 yards for a 16.1 per catch average at 4A state champion Franklinton High this past fall .. Added 15 touchdown receptions and posted three 100-yard receiving games, including a five-catch performance for season-high 134 yards and four TD catches against Covington … Had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in 34-28 state championship victory over Karr at the Louisiana Superdome … An honorable mention Class 4A All-State selection by the LSWA … Voted All-District 9-4A at wide receiver … Uncle, Jake Reed, played for the Minnesota Vikings … A three-star athlete by Rivals. com and a two-star by Scout.com. Michael Brinson, DT, 6-4, 260, Flowood, Miss./University Christian School Played both running back and defensive end at University Christian School for coach Phil Hannon as squad went 9-3 last season… Tabbed all-Metro by the Clarion-Ledger … Named a first-team All-MAIS selection following senior season … Voted District 5-1A all-conference at defensive end … First Division I signee at the school since its opening in 1997 … A three-star recruit and No. 26 rated player in the state by Rivals.com … A three-star player by Scout.com and a two-star by ESPN. Vincent Brown*, OL, 6-6, 315, Miami, Fla./ASA Institute An offensive lineman from Miami, Fla., who played last season at the ASA Institute in New York City, where the program finished with a 7-3 record … Was a second-team Northeast Football Conference selection on the offensive line … Prepped at Monsignor Pace High School and played just one season … Lone campaign was good enough to earn him All-Star team honors in the state of Florida .. Will have three seasons left for Southern Miss … A three-star offensive lineman by Rivals.com. Garrett Clark, OL, 6-4, 286, Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett HS Transferred to North Gwinnett High School and played for coach Bob Sphire his senior campaign, after playing at Mainland High in Daytona Beach, Fla. … Garnered preseason AAAAA honors for All-State heading into senior campaign … Played in the Rivalries of Gwinnett All-Star Game … Earned honorable mention All-State honors and second-team All-Central Florida by the Orlando Sentinel during his junior campaign … A three-star offensive lineman by Rivals.com and was also listed as the No. 35 offensive guard and No. 51 player in the state of Georgia … Earned three stars from both Scout.com and ESPN. Jordan Greene, OL, 6-3, 270, New Orleans, La./Brother Martin HS Attended Brother Martin High School and played for coach Mark Bonis … Voted a two-star offensive lineman by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN … An honorable mention 5A All-State selection by the LSWA … He was a threeyear starter and played in the 2010 Darren Sharper Lake Pontchartrain All-Star

26 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Football Classic. Cooper Harrington, WR, 6-0, 180, Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian HS Played for Class 5A state runners-up Briarwood Christian for coach Fred Yancey … Team went 13-2 during his senior campaign, but he battled through an injury … A three-star wide receiver by Rivals.com and a two-star by both Scout.com and ESPN ... Had 1,314 all-purpose yards, 290 yards rushing with three touchdowns, 633 yards receiving with six touchdowns, 285 kick return yards, 106 punt return yards and was 3-for-3 passing with two touchdowns during his junior season … Earned Shelby County Reporter Honorable Mention All-County that season. Cortez Hartzog, DT, 6-4, 295, Gulfport, Miss./Gulfport HS Played for coach Mike Justice at Gulfport High School … Named 6A 1st Team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Coaches … Picked second-team AllState by the Clarion-Ledger … Named All-South Mississippi by the Biloxi Sun Herald … Chosen Region 4-6A first team and defense line … Recorded 50 tackles and six sacks … Participated in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic … A three-star recruit by Scout.com and a two-star by Rivals.com. Rashod Hill, OL, 6-6, 265, Jacksonville, Fla./Ed White HS Played for the 2010 District 4-4A champions for Ed White High School and coach Terry Gilliam … Team finished season with an 8-3 mark as he helped open holes for an outstanding running squad … A two-star offensive lineman by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Collin Jarbo, TE, 6-3, 226, Gadsden, Ala./Gaston HS Named the Etowah County Player of the Year his senior campaign for coach Josh Averett at Gaston High School on the strength of 36 catches for 894 yards and second TD catches … A three-time ASWA all-state pick and a 2010 Alabama’s Most Wanted Top 50 selection … A member of the Gadsden Times Dirty Dozen … Totaled 643 receiving yards and was honored as All-State First Team All-County First Team WR, Gadsden Times All-Area First Team at tight end as a junior … Had 634 receiving yards and was honored as All-State First Team, All-County First Team, Gadsden Times All-Area First Team as a sophomore … A three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN. Clifford Johnson*, DB, 5-11, 180, Jacksonville, Fla./Pierce CC Played at Pierce College in Los Angeles, Calif., the previous two seasons for coach Efrain Martinez … His team went 8-3 this past fall has tallied 10 tackles, including seven solos, to go along with five pass breakups … Played his prep football at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla. … A three-star recruit by Rivals.com and a two-star by Scout.com. Emmanuel Johnson, ATH, 5-11, 175, McKenzie, Ala./McKenzie HS Played for coach Miles Brown at McKenzie High School whose team finished 10-3 during senior campaign and region championship … Became first person in history of school to participate in Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game and caught a 36-yard touchdown pass … Named to 1A ASWA All-State team at Athlete … Accounted for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards last season and led McKenzie to the second round of the state playoffs as a junior … Named to the ASWA 1A All-State team as a defensive back … Was an honorable mention pick as a running back in 2008.

Trent Johnson, LB, 6-2, 206 , Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers HS Played for coach Kevin Locastro at Christian Brothers, where they finished 9-1 this past season and won the Division II-AA West Championship … Totaled 27 tackles (16 solos) to go along with two tackles for loss, two interceptions and a pass breakup … A two-star recruit by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN … Tallied 64 tackles as a junior. Ricky Lloyd, QB, 6-2, 185, Concord, Calif./Concord HS Led the state of California in passing yards and completions, finishing with 4,451 yards and 301, respectively, this past season at Concord High School for coach Brian Hamilton … Both numbers finished No. 4 in the country … Finished season with 52 TD passes (tying a NorCal record) and a 69 percent completion percentage … Helped lead team to school’s first North Coast Division II championship … Voted North Coast Section Player of the Year, Division II Player of the Year by NorCalPreps.com, Metro Area Player of the Year and All-Metro first team by the San Francisco Chronicle, first team All-California by Calhispots.com and All-East Bay Player of the Year by the Contra Costa Times … Played in the East Bay vs. Sacramento All-Star Holiday Classic … One of seven finalists for the 2010 California Mr. Football … His three-year passing totals, including his two years as a starter, included 7,579 yards on 509-of-791 passing with 94 TDs and just 22 interceptions with a 64.2 completion percentage … A 2010-11 Scholar-Athlete. Max Mason, TE, 6-7, 215, Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb HS Played for coach Shane Queen at North Cobb High School … Caught 26 passes for 481 yards and four touchdowns, while averaging 18 yards per catch … Added a 36.0 yards per punt average over 16 boots … A three-star player by Rivals. com and a two-star by Scout.com … Played in the Cobb All-Star Senior Bowl. Rakeem Nunez, DL, 6-3, 300, Phenix City, Ala./Central HS Played for coach Woodrow Lowe at Central High School .. His team finished 9-2 in 2010 and captured the Region 3 6A championship … Tallied 132 career tackles, to go along with 17 sacks and four forced fumbles … Picked second team All-Area by the Opelika-Auburn News and was an Alabama Top 50 player, ranking No. 39, by the Tuscaloosa News … A three-star defensive lineman by ESPN, as well as earning two stars from both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Lance Schuffert, DS, 6-2, 245, Prattville, Ala./Prattville HS Was an All-Metro and Prattville Progress Super Team selection for coach Jamey Dubose … Started in 32 straight games and lettered in three seasons … Earned All-County honors twice and was an All-State honorable mention selection as well … Played in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic and started at center … Named a two-star athlete by both Scout.com and Rivals.com … Played in the National Underclassmen World Gridiron Classic in Charleston, S.C., following his senior campaign. Chauncey Smith, LB, 5-11, 230, LaGrange, Ga./LaGrange HS Played for coach Steve Pardue at LaGrange High School … Posted 104 total tackles (69 solos) to go along with eight tackles for loss three sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions – both for touchdowns … Made the LaGrange Daily News All-County football team … Added 120 tackles (89 solo), 26 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception as a junior … A two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Michael Smith, DE, 6-5, 222, Birmingham, Ala./Wenonah HS Played for coach Ronald Cheatham at Wenonah High School … Recorded a 78-yard fumble return against Woodlawn for a touchdown … An honorable mention 5A ASWA All-State selection and Best of the Rest selection by the Birmingham News … Tallied 97 tackles (64 solos) to go along with seven sacks

during junior campaign … A three-star player by Rivals.com and a two-star by Scout.com. Jhyryn Taylor, WR, 6-0, 175, Franklinton, La./Pearl River CC Played last season for Tim Hatten at Pearl River Community College … Caught 19 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns … Transferred to Pearl River from LSU … Played in nine games with no starts during his two years with the Tigers … All nine appearances came during his redshirt freshman season in 2009 ... Saw action in a backup role at wide receiver and on special teams ... Named to the Rivals.com Louisiana Top 30... Rated as the No. 50 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com ... Rated as the 12th best overall prospect in Louisiana by Rivals.com ... Named to the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Blue-Chip List, Mobile PressRegister’s Super Southeast 120 and PrepStar’s All-Southeast Region team ... First-team all-state in 2007 after catching 47 passes for 827 yards and 14 touchdowns ... As a junior, had 40 receptions for 650 yards and seven touchdowns ... Coached by Shane Smith at Franklinton High School. Martez Thompson*, DB, 6-1, 200, Pascagoula, Miss./Miss. Gulf Coast CC Attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College the last two seasons … Posted 28 tackles (23 solos) to go along with 2.0 tackles for loss as the Bulldogs finished 10-2 and won the MACJC championship as a sophomore ... Also defeated Grand Rapids 62-53 in the Mississippi Bowl … Prep at Pascagoula High School where he was a first-team all-state selection by the Clarion-Ledger and the MAC … Garnered All-South Mississippi Honorable mention selection by the Sun Herald … Participated in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic in Mobile ... Recorded 44 tackles and four interceptions on defense and had 32 receptions for 598 yards on the offensive side of the ball .. Was rated a two-star receiver by Scout.com and Rivals.com out of high school and was part of the signing class of 2009. Keivondre Watford, TE, 6-4, 215, Tuscaloosa, Ala./Central HS Played for Dennis Conner at Central High School … Made the switch back to tight end after playing quarterback last year with the team … Also a standout basketball player for the school … A two-star recruit by Scout.com … Voted a West Alabama All-Star. Ed Wilkins, DB, 5-10, 165, McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS Prepped at Union Grove High School for coach Paul Burgdorf … Was a secondteam All-Southern Crescent selection … A two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Khalid Wilson, DT, 6-1, 300, New Orleans, La./East Central CC Played the last two seasons at East Central CC for coach Brian Anderson … Tallied 50 tackles (28 solos) with three tackles for loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles during sophomore season … Added 54 tackles (42 solos) with five tackles for loss and three sacks as a freshman … Played his prep football at Wilson Academy in New Orleans … A three-star recruit by Rivals.com and a two-star by Scout.com. Terrick Wright, LB, 6-2, 205, Gadsden, Ala./Gadsden City HS A 6A honorable mention All-State performer for coach Joseph Billingsley at Gadsden City High School … Tallied 104 tackles, 10 sacks, 17 QB pressures, two forced fumbles … Was All-Area at Defensive End and Most Valuable Player … Started in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic … Lettered four times in football, three in track and once in basketball … Won the U.S. Academy of Science Award, the U.S. Academy Business Leadership Award and registered over 90 percent grade point average … Father player college baseball at Alabama A&M … Voted the No. 37 player in the state of Alabama by Rivals.com and also garnered three stars … Given two stars both by Scout.com and ESPN.

MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 27

>>> MSM | TOP15 OF 2012 Mississippi Sports Magazine presents the 2011 “Fab 15” by David Armstrong of SoutheastScout.com

2011 Mississippi High School “FAB 15” MSM

Channing Ward

DE/ (Senior) Aberdeen HS OLB Compiled 125 tackles, 18 sacks and 29 tackles for loss

as a junior at Aberdeen HS. Unanimous 1st Team All Ht: 6-3 Wt: 232 State selection, Defensive player of the year 3A and 1st Team All American by Max Preps. Played basketball as well up to Junior year but, will concentrate on football senior year. Has been clocked at sub 4.5 in the 40 and possesses great physical attributes. Getting attention by Universities nationwide.

MSM

Quay Evans (Senior) Morton HS

Rated one of the top DT’s in the country by many. Was selected 1st team All Region and 1st Team All State as a Ht: 6-2 Junior. Has been selected to play in the Under Armor Wt: 310 All American game as a senior. Had 62 tackles, 43 assist and 10 sacks as a Junior. Possesses great strength and quickness. Bench pressed 225lbs 28 times as a sophomore and can dunk a basketball. Has been timed at 4.9 in the 40 yard dash at numerous camps.

MSM

Anthony Alford

QB/ (Senior) Petal HS ATH Possibly the most electrifying

player in the State of Mississippi. The top dual threat Quarterback this year. Ht: 6-1 Wt: 205 Completed 75 passes on 138 attempts for 1399 yards in 2010. Passed for 16 touchdowns while giving up only 5 interceptions. Rushed 169 times for 1253 yards and 19 touchdowns. Had a long run of 65 yards. Possesses great speed and quickness along with good decision making ability. Can play a number of positions at the next level.

MSM

Nick James (Senior) Long Beach HS

Along with Quay Evans is one of the most gifted big men in the State this year. Possesses freakish strength

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 340 and quickness. Has been timed at sub 4.9 in the 40 yard

dash at multiple national combines. Can bench press 225lbs 30 times and power cleans 300lbs. Nick has earned MVP honors at several national combines. He is on the ESPN Top 150 list for 2012. He is a true 3-4 nose tackle and is garnering attention from Universities throughout the country.

MSM

Jeremy Liggins (Senior) Lafayette HS

All State Quarterback in 2010 who led Lafayette High School to the State Championship. Extremely versatile Ht: 6-3 Wt: 235 quarterback who rushed for 17 tds and passed for 20 tds in 2010. Completed 83 of 143 passes for 1661 yards and rushed 170 times for 1186 yards including one long run for 74 yards. He is a physical runner, which for his size makes him hard to bring down. Should continue to cause problems for defenses in 2011.

28 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

MSM

RB/ CB

Xavier Grindle (Senior) East Marion HS

Very explosive athlete capable of playing both sides of the ball. Rushed the ball 146 times for 1262 yards and Ht: 6-0 Wt: 190 8 tds in 2010 for an average of 8.6 yards per carry and 126 yards per game. Caught 12 passes for 185 yards and 1 td as well. At cornerback he snagged 2 interceptions. Returned 19 punts for 187 yds for a 9.8 ypr average. Was All Area selection in football as a Junior. Was clocked at 4.5 in the 40 at the All American Combine in San Antonio, TX.

MSM

Tony Connor

DB/ (Junior) South Panola HS ATH May be the best athlete in the

State and therefore makes the Fab 15 as a junior. Versatile athlete that can Ht: 6-2 Wt: 200 play FS, SS, CB, QB , RB or WR. Was the State 200m Champion as a freshman and has started every game at South Panola since his freshman year, something unheard of. Has been timed at sub 4.5 in the 40. Is already getting attention from Universities across the country.

MSM

Corderyl Weathersby (Senior) Pascagoula HS

Extremely athletic defensive back who earned 1st team All State as a Junior cornerback for Pascagoula Ht: 5-10 Wt: 175 HS. Compiled 37 tackles in a two game stretch in 2010 which is unheard of for a cornerback. Had over 400 yards in kick returns for a 26 yard per return average in 2010. Typical lockdown cornerback with excellent hips and good speed. Also an excellent basketball player.

MSM

Kalo Moore (Junior) West Bolivar HS

Possibly will be the best running back in the State this year as a junior. Possesses the speed, quickness and Ht: 5-11 Wt: 190 toughness to be a big time running back at the next level. Rushed 258 times for 2300 yds and 32 touchdowns in 2010 as a sophomore. Averaged 8.9 yds per carry for a 153 yd per game average and a long touchdown of 87 yards. Bench presses 275 lbs and squats 350 lbs and has been timed in the 100m at 10.38 sec and in the 40 at 4.3 sec. He accomplished these statistics while playing only about three quarters a game on a 12-3 West Bolivar team.

MSM

Todd Mays

QB/ (Senior) Olive Branch HS ATH Athletic quarterback who led Olive Branch High School

to the second round of the playoffs in 2010. Complet-

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 205 ed 108 of 188 passes for 18 tds and 1750 yds and only

3ints. Rushed the ball 148 times for 553 yards and 10 tds. Has an extremely strong arm. Can throw the ball over 70 yds in the air and runs the 40 in the 4.5 range. Very intelligent at reading coverages and in the classroom. Could also play RB, WR or DB at the next level.

MSM

RB/ LB

Richie Brown (Senior) Long Beach HS

Earned All State and All Region honors at LB as a Junior at Long Beach HS. Versatile athlete with size and speed, Ht: 6-2 Wt: 220 4.5 in the 40, that makes him one of our Fab 15. Had 95 tackles, 56 assist for a 12.6 tackle per game average. Rushed the ball 50 times for 333 yds and 7 tds, with one long run of 82 yds. Average 6.6 yards per carry. Also had 9 receptions for 214 yards and 1 td. Has been the leading tackler on the team since his sophomore year. Projecting as a LB at the next level. Getting a lot of attention.

MSM

Devon Desper (Senior) Madison Central HS

Played in only the first six games last year as a Junior due to a leg injury but showed enough to make our Fab Ht: 6-4 Wt: 295 15. Possesses good strength and size to be a solid Div I center. Excellent shotgun snapper and has the feet to be a superb in the pass protection area. Plays in one of the elite programs in the State at Madison Central for Coach Bobby Hall. Look for him to have an excellent senior season. Getting a lot of Division IA attention.

MSM

Isaac Gross (Senior) South Panola HS

Strong, aggressive DT that has anchored the defensive front at South Panola for the past two years. Possesses Ht: 6-2 Wt: 250 good speed and mobility which makes him a force to contend with in the middle. Totaled 67 tackles, 8 assist and 10 sacks in 2010. Averaged 5 tackles per game. Bench presses over 300lbs and is a very hard worker. Plays DT for South Panola but may project at DE at the next level.

MSM

A.J. Jefferson (Senior) North Pike HS

Has possibly the quickest 1st step of any DE in the State this year. Started garnering attention after lead-

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 240 ing North Pike HS to the State Championship game in

2010. Earned 1st team All State honors in 2010. Compiled 85 tackles, 59 assist while not playing in 3 games in 2010 due to injury. Had an amazing 19 sacks resulting I 167 yds lost for an average of 1.5 sacks per game. He is catching the eye of many scouts.

MSM

Kirby Wixon

OG/ C

(Senior) Pearl HS

Earned 1st Team All State and All region honors in 2010. Is a great athlete for his size. Has good feet and is Ht: 6-4 Wt: 325 a mammoth in the weight room. Pitches and plays first base on the baseball team and also plays goalie for the soccer team. Coach Perry says he is the “best” offensive lineman he has coached in his years. Has also played some DL. Has the makings of a excellent offensive guard or center. Getting a lot of attention by recruiters.

THE NEXT 15 Cordaryl Gaines .......SR.....OT....6’5....320 ....................Provine HS. Maurice Bennett........SR.....DT....6’3....280......Madison Central HS. Temario Strong .........SR..DE/LB..6’2....210............South Panola HS. Jaborian McKenzie.....SR.....RB.....5’9....180............ Trinity Episcopal Ashton Shumpert......SR.....RB.....6’1....180....................... Tupelo HS. Quadzing Rogers........SR.....DT....6’2....280................ Mooreville HS. Adarrious Perkins......SR.... WR....6’2....190..............Forrest Co. AHS.

Rodrick Boose.............SR.....DB...5’10...175.................... Gulfport HS. Shelton Cole...............SR.... WR....6’2....195................... Meridian HS. Demarcus Dennis......SR.....RB....5’10...205...................Lafayette HS. Lawrence Brown........SR.....TE.....6’5....220.................New Hope HS. J’Mon Scott.................. SR....RB....5’10...170...... Lake Cormorant HS. David Adams.............. SR....DT....6’3....260.............. South Delta HS. Frederick Brown......... SR... WR....6’2....175......................Jim Hill HS. Sammy Epps............... So.... WR....6’3....195...............Greenwood HS.

BEST OF THE REST D’Author Cowan....SR..... WR......6’3.....175............ Olive Branch HS. Alonzo Peavey........ Sr...... LB......5’10....200............... Pascagoula HS. Artis Thigpen..........SR...... LB......5’10....200................ West Jones HS Hunter Estes...........SR....... K.......6’o.....170................ West Jones HS Tyler Jackson..........SR....... K......5’11....190.................. Lafayette HS. CJ Bates...................SR..QB/WR..6’2.....187..................Louisville HS. Griff Loftis...............SR...... QB......6’3.....205................ Mooreville HS. Trevonte Feston..... SR...... S........6’0.....180................. Oak Grove HS Lleland Ducksworth.. SR....ATH.....6’1.....205...........North Forrest HS. Kel Thurman.......... SR..... OL......6’6.....330..................... Raleigh HS. DJ Thompson.........SR..... WR......6’3.....176..........................Pearl HS. Demarcus Jones.....SR...... LB......5’10....225......................Morton HS. Joski Palm...............SR......DT......6’1.....270......................Morton HS. Randall Boyd.......... SR.. DL/LB..5’11....230........................Forest HS. Tupac Horne........... SR.. FB/LB...5’10....225..................... Raleigh HS. Alex Nicholson....... SR..... QB......6’1.....174......... NE Lauderdale HS. Quantavious Peterson.SR. QB/Ath... 6’0...... 195................. Broad Street HS. Drew Rowell ...............SR....... QB....... 6’3...... 196..........Madison Central HS. Stewart Summers..SR...... QB......6’1.....185.................................MRA James Booth................SR....... RB...... 5’11..... 200............. Harrison Cntrl HS. Chris Conard.......... SR..... FS.......6’0.....175.............Water Valley HS. James Carr.............. SR.....OG......6’3.....260............... Lumberton HS. Vernon Butler......... SR..... LB.......6’3.....235................North Pike HS. Dalton Davis........... SR.....DT......6’3.....295............. East Central HS. Jamal Malone.............SR.......DT.......6’4......245..........Jefferson County HS. Andante Nelson..... SR.....DT......6’4.....300..................... Provine HS. Blake Sharp............. SR..... DE......6’4.....250......... Heritage Academy Xavier Pitts............. SR.....DT......6’3.....275.............. Greenwood HS. Milton Davis........... SR..... TE......6’5.....220................ Grenwood HS. Quintavious Burdette.... SR...... ATH......5’10...... 180...........................Senatobia HS. Deonte Evans......... SR..... RB.....5’11....190................... McComb HS. Keonte Harper ....... SR..... RB......5’8.....165..................... Clinton HS. Cedric Giles............. SR..... CB......6’0.....180..................... Clinton HS. Desmond Jones...... SR..... RB.....5’10....185..................Aberdeen HS. Braxton Anderson.. SR..... WR.....5’11....190..................Aberdeen HS. Brandon Edwards... SR..... LB.......6’0.....205................West Point HS. Frederick Brown..... SR.... WR......6’2.....175..................... Jim Hill HS. Aaron Brownlee..... SR.... WR......6’0.....180 .......... W. Oktibbeha HS. Jocquell Johnson.... SR.....OT......6’4.....285...................Callaway HS. Grant Landrum..... SR..... DB.....5’11....170.....................Sumrall HS. Gemon’ee Brown... SR.....DT......6’0.....280.........................Petal HS. D.Q. Reynolds......... SR.....DT......6’1.....345 ................. Lafayette HS. David Adams.......... SR.....DT......6’3.....255..............South Delta HS. Raymond Gee......... SR.... WR......6’3.....180................. Cleveland HS. Skyler Mcvey.......... SR..... OL......6’3.....330.....................Sumrall HS. Kevin Brothern...... SR..... LB.......6’1.....225............Bogue Chitto HS. Nigel Green............. SR...... S........6’1.....165 ............. NW Rankin HS. Ladarius Coleman.. SR..... DE......6’1.....265............... Moss Point HS. Donovan Smith...... SR.... WR......6’2.....190......... Ocean Springs HS. Justin Mack.................SR...... WR...... 6’1...... 180.... RH Watkins HS. (Laurel) Lee Smith................SR..... WR......6’1.....191............ Philadelphia HS. Michael Mordecai.. SR...... K.......6’3.....180.......... Jackson Academy MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 29

>>> MSM | CLASS OF 2012 Mississippi Sports Magazine presents the 2011 “Fab 15” by David Armstrong of SoutheastScout.com

2011 Mississippi JUCO “FAB 15” MSM

Steve McNair, JR.

MSM

Deuce Koon

Pearl River CC

Jones Junior College

The 6’0 185 receiver led the MACJC in receiving last Ht: 6-0 year with 56 receptions for 631 yards. He also had 3 Wt: 185 touchdowns and averaged 11.3 yards per reception. A product of Oak Grove High School, Mcnair signed with Southern Mississippi out of High School. He possesses 4.5 sped in the forty and has also played some Defensive back.

MSM

Quan Fletcher

MLB

Pearl River CC

MSM

Melvin German

A product out of Miami, Fl, should have a great sophoHt: 6-2 more season and get plenty of attention from Division Wt: 230 I recruiters. Quan has all the physical attributes to play in the SEC. Runs well and is always around the ball. Transferred to PRCC from Marshall and definitely projects to go to a BCS University.

Pearl River CC

Led the MACJC in passing last year, completing 240 of Ht: 6-3 369 passes for 2,728 yards and 16 touchdowns. ComWt: 190 pleted 65% of his passes and averaged 303 yards per game in the air. Very elusive quarterback capable of picking up yards with his legs which makes him a dual threat. Earned 1st Team All State as a freshman and some All American honors. German prepped at Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, Florida.

MSM

Donald Hawkins Northwest Miss. CC

Big man with good feet that is expected to have a great Ht: 6-5 sophomore season. Had SEC offers out of High School Wt: 300 and should entertain some good offers this spring and fall. Prepped at Rosa Fort HS in Tunica, Mississippi.

MSM

Darone Bailey, Jr. Coahoma CC

Tall rangy player with excellent feet. If he gets in the Ht: 6-6 weight room and improves his strength he could be a Wt: 305 SEC type offensive lineman. At 6’6 and 305 he has all the physical tools to be a great one. Prepped at Cleveland, Eastside High School.

30 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Earned 2nd team All Sate honors as a freshman at Jones

Ht: 5-11 Junior College. Caught 29 passes for 471 yards and 2 Wt: 190 touchdowns for the Bobcats in 9 games. Possesses excellent speed, 4.5 in the forty and great hands. Prepped at Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, LA.

MSM

Erick Buchannan

Itwamba CC

MSM

Deon Belue

Has good size, speed and strength to be a solid Division Ht: 6-2 IA receiver. Will be the Indians go to man this year and Wt: 190 is expected to have a great sophomore season. Prepped at Aberdeen High School where he was part of the 2009 State Championship team.

Notheast CC One of the top cornerbacks in the State this year. True

Ht: 6-0 lockdown corner with excellent speed and size. Placed Wt: 180 in Northeast CC by Univ. of Alabama. Excellent kick returner as well. Led the MACJC in punt return yardage in 2010, averaging 20.3 yards per return with a long return of 80 yards. Hometown is Tuscumbia, AL.

MSM

Anthony Brown

MLB

Northeast CC Finished 7th in the State in 2010 with 56 tackles and 29

Ht: 6-3 assist. Has excellent range on the field from sideline to Wt: 230 sideline. Prepped at Cairo High School in Cairo, Georgia. Possesses all the qualities to be a solid Division IA linebacker. Also has played some tight end.

MSM

Denico Autry East Mississippi CC Prepped at Albermarle High School in Albermarle, NC.

Ht: 6-6 May be the top Junior College prospect in the State in Wt: 245 2011. Great athleticism and speed off the edge along with a long rangy frame makes him a top prospect. Should catch some eyes this year for the Lions.

MSM

Gary Brown East Mississippi CC Signed with Univ. of Florida out of High School and at-

Ht: 6-3 tended for a semester. Rated a 5 star recruit by Rvals. Wt: 305 com and Scout.com as a senior at West Gadsden High School in Greensboro, FL. Should create plenty of problems for opponents this year on the defensive front.

MSM

Damien Jacobs East Mississippi CC

Big DT placed in East Mississippi CC by Florida State. Ht: 6-4 Rounds out what should be a dominating defensive Wt: 340 front for the Lions in 2011. Runs well and very athletic for a big man. Prepped at Bourgeois High School in Gibson, Louisiana.

MSM

Javon Bell

Gulf Coast CC Earned 1st team All American honors in 2010 for the

Ht: 6-0 Bulldogs. Has excellent speed, great hands and great Wt: 180 leaping ability. Has been clocked at 4.4 in the forty yard dash. Getting a lot of interest from Division IA schools. Prepped at Ribault High school in Jacksonville, Florida.

MSM

James Gillum Gulf Coast CC

Was the leading freshman rusher in the State in 2010. Ht: 5-11 Rushed 170 times for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wt: 190 Coach Campbell says he will be one of the best he has had before all is said and done. Possesses great speed, 4.5 in the forty and is hard to bring down. Prepped at Pearl River Central High School.

MSM

Dequavoius Cobb Copiah-Lincoln CC Was courted by many Division IA schools out of Au-

Ht: 6-1 burn High School, Auburn, AL. Placed in Co-Lin by AuWt: 185 burn Univ. Has all the skill to be a top performer. Good size for a cornerback which makes him a good match up for big and small receivers.

BEST OF THE REST Snoop Rollins .............WR...... 5’8....... 170................. Pearl River CC. Chris Redmond............SLB...... 6’1....... 230................. Pearl River CC. Ketrick Wolfe..............DE/LB.... 6’3....... 230................. Pearl River CC. Justin Graham.............. DE....... 6’4....... 225................. Pearl River CC. Jay Jones.........................RB....... 5’6....... 180.................. Northwest CC Terrance Evans..............SS....... 6’0....... 190.................. Northwest CC Fred Plummer...............WR..... 5’10...... 180....................Coahoma CC Colton Jackson.............WR..... 5’10...... 180....................Coahoma CC Keith Reynolds............ OLB...... 6’0....... 190....................Coahoma CC Anthony Mclean.......... CB...... 5’10...... 170....................Coahoma CC Adam Williams............ DE....... 6’3....... 250....................Coahoma CC Jared Washington........ DT....... 6’2....... 310....................Coahoma CC

Malik Lofton.................WR...... 6’0....... 180............................Jones JC. Chris Smith....................SS...... 5’10...... 190............................ Jones JC Mitchell Brown............ ATH.... 5’10...... 200............................ Jones JC Jonathan Ducksworth.WR...... 6’3....... 205............................ Jones JC Anthony Wilson........... DE....... 6’3....... 225............................ Jones JC Mckay Tingle................. OL....... 6’4....... 280............................ Jones JC LaSean Williams.........WR...... 6’2....... 175....................... Holmes CC Brandon Williamson... DE....... 6’4....... 210....................... Holmes CC Havier Murphy............. DT....... 6’0....... 300....................... Holmes CC Keon McGaughy............RB....... 6’0....... 200.................. Itawamba CC. Ryan Thompson............SS....... 6’0....... 190................... Itawamba CC Conner Popeck............. OL....... 6’4....... 295................... Itawamba CC Will Goodwin................K/P...... 6’2....... 170................... Itawamba CC Dillon Mitchell...............TE....... 6’3....... 215 .................. Itawamba CC Jeremy Spikner...........CB/FS.... 6’0....... 185.................. Northeast CC. Jamarcus Goodloe.........RB...... 5’10...... 225................... Northeast CC Devin Lindsey................SS....... 6’2....... 220.................. Northeast CC Ryan Jones................. CB/RB... 5’11...... 190................... Northeast CC Taylor Earhart.................K........ 6’0....... 170................... Northeast CC Jonathan Bates............. CB....... 6’0....... 175................... Northeast CC Pat Moore...................... DE....... 6’3....... 245................... Northeast CC Chanston Jeter............. OL....... 6’4....... 315................... Northeast CC Jonathan Braddock...... OL....... 6’4....... 280................... Northeast CC JJ Harbin........................WR...... 5’9....... 180.................... East Miss CC Rodney Davis................WR...... 6’0....... 200.................... East Miss CC Lacolton Bester............WR...... 6’3....... 200.................... East Miss CC Warren Jones................ OL....... 6’2....... 305.................... East Miss CC Bo Wallace.................... QB....... 6’4....... 200.................... East Miss CC Dylan Holley...................C........ 6’3....... 310................. Gulf Coast CC. Wade Wells....................LB....... 6’3....... 225.................. Gulf Coast CC Will Scott........................K....... 5’11...... 195.................. Gulf Coast CC Otis Jacobs.................... CB....... 6’1....... 185.................. Gulf Coast CC Cordell Giles................. DE....... 6’5....... 215.................. Gulf Coast CC Telvis Henderson......... CB...... 5’11...... 185.................. Gulf Coast CC Pat Wilson......................RB...... 5’11...... 200.................. Gulf Coast CC Lamar Smith..................RB....... 5’9....... 185.................. Gulf Coast CC Charles Watson.............SS....... 6’2....... 185.................. Gulf Coast CC Cordell Paige................. DE....... 6’2....... 265.................. Gulf Coast CC Rashad Fortenberry..... OL....... 6’5....... 290.................. Gulf Coast CC BJ Tenner........................TE....... 6’3....... 255.................. Gulf Coast CC Joel Davis.......................RB....... 5’9....... 180..........Copiah-Lincoln CC Danny Hobbs.................RB...... 5’10...... 185..........Copiah-Lincoln CC Denhenrent Collins..... CB...... 5’11...... 175..........Copiah-Lincoln CC Davian Noble................ CB....... 6’0....... 175..........Copiah-Lincoln CC Will Ashley.................... OL....... 6’5....... 275..........Copiah-Lincoln CC Kyle Williams.................K....... 5’11...... 170.......................... Hinds CC Godfrey Thompson....LB/KR.... 6’1....... 190.......................... Hinds CC Deon Anthony...........QB/WR... 6’0....... 205.......................... Hinds CC Adam McWilliams.......WR...... 6’2....... 200.......................... Hinds CC Jeremy Lee.................... DB...... 5-10..... 180.......................... Hinds CC DJ Bedingfield............... DT....... 6’3....... 260.......................... Hinds CC Larry Coleman.............. DE....... 6’4....... 245.......................... Hinds CC Alfred Franklin.............WR...... 6’3....... 172.................. Southwest CC Fidel Montgomery....... DB...... 5’11...... 180.................. Southwest CC Wayland Dancer......... OLB...... 6’1....... 210................. Miss Delta CC. Lakarius Cattlidge..........S........ 6’0....... 180................. Miss Delta CC. Korey Brown...................S........ 6’1....... 200.............. East Central CC. Jimmy Broomfield........ CB...... 5’11...... 190.............. East Central CC. Blake Matherne............ QB....... 5’9....... 180.............. East Central CC. Darius Wren..................RB....... 6’0....... 200.............. East Central CC. Chris Ficklin...................LB...... 5’11...... 195.............. East Central CC. MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 31

>>> MSM | FEATURE

Recruiting: Inside and Out Kevin Broughton goes inside the world of Mississippi’s on-line Recruiting services to give you a look at their ‘crazy’ world By Kevin Broughton, Contributing Writer

wo decades ago, there was a truism about college athletics in the Southeast. With the exceptions of, say, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, it went like this: “At (fill in school name here), there are two seasons. Football and spring football.” In the last 10 years or so, commensurate with the rise of the Internet, there’s been an addendum. Recruiting is the third season. And it lasts all year. Google “football recruiting insanity,” and you’ll get 31,000 results in a tenth of a second. Jay Coulter, who blogs at Track ‘Em Tigers (an Auburn-centric site and part of the SB Nation network) made an introspective statement that could be seconded by a lot of recruiting junkies in a moment of candor: There’s something not quite right about a middle-aged man sitting glued to a television watching kids pull bulldogs, hats and God knows what else from under the table to reveal their college destinations. I don’t blame the athletes. They’re just gifted kids. I blame myself and the talking heads that make the whole darn process so incredibly intriguing. Even though I’m somewhat ashamed of the whole production and my role in it, I must admit that I’ve already taken a peek at the class of 2012. I know. I’m like a dog to trash. The intensity ramps up every year. The “season” that ended with National Signing Day Feb. 2 didn’t even end. Jadaveon Clowney, a freakish defensive end from South Carolina and the consensus No. 1 high school player in the nation, took diva status to new heights. Oh, there was the obligatory press conference and the what-hat-will-he-grab intrigue, but Clowney let the anticipation build. He strung at least three colleges out until his birthday – Feb. 14 – before signing with Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. ESPN, a relatively new convert to the recruiting faith, was there to capture it all, live. “The World Wide Leader and other specialty sites have taken a process that got virtually 32 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

no attention 15 years ago and made people like me care too much,” adds Coulter. He asks, rhetorically, “What the heck is wrong with me?” The diagnosis can be left to others, but suffice it to say Coulter doesn’t suffer from this malady in solitude. Business is booming in the recruiting field, because there are millions of junkies across the country who’ll pay a monthly fee for their fix. Consider four Mississippians who make a living satiating the recruiting-crazed masses. Oddly, all have been in their respective jobs for right at three years. Two are former print reporters. One practiced high finance. One is a journeyman coach. Three of the four found their current jobs after involuntary separations from their last. All feed their families tracking the decisions of 17- and 18-year-old boys. The Bulldog The high drama and intrigue that led up to – and in the Clowney case, beyond – National Signing Day was not limited to the handful of elite blue-chippers whose announcements were covered breathlessly by ESPN. April will make three years that Paul Jones has been an analyst and reporter for Bulldawg Junction, the Mississippi State affiliate of the Sports Infusion network. And this was the most bizarre recruiting season he’s been through. “A lot of this drama is created by fans. This was the craziest year,” Jones says. Coach Dan Mullen guided the Bulldogs to an 8-4 regular season and capped it off with a New Year’s Day Gator Bowl win over Michigan. State and its self-assured coach seemed to have momentum, coming off a 2010 signing day that saw the Bulldogs ink the lion’s share of Mississippi’s top prospects. Then came the craziness. “State had a really good year, but lost some big recruits late to a rival that had a bad year [on the field],” Jones says. The Dogs lost three high-end commitments as signing day loomed. South Panola receiver Nick Brassell flipped late to Ole Miss. Not a huge surprise, given the Batesville-to-Oxford pipeline’s storied history. Jermaine Whitehead, a highly touted cornerback from Greenwood, decided on Auburn. But it was the defection of AllAmerican Philadelphia linebacker C.J. Johnson that stung, and puzzled, the most. “This kid was the second commit of Mullen’s 2011 class,” Jones says. “He committed December of his junior year. Maybe being committed so long, he felt he’d never had his moment in the spotlight.” What made Johnson’s flip so bitter, though, was his unofficial status. “C.J. wasn’t just one of the first and best commitments of the class, he was the lead recruiter. He was out there, actively trying to get other recruits to commit. And at the drop of a hat, he switches,” Jones says. The consensus is that Johnson’s status was up in the air as soon as then-State Defensive

Coordinator Manny Diaz left to take the same job at Texas. If nothing else, his switch is a reminder that “verbal commitments” have no binding effect; short of his signature on a letter of intent on signing day, a recruit’s word is worth exactly what you pay for it. It is the nature of the job. Much of it was familiar territory for Jones, a Grenada native and State alumnus. With his degree in sports communications and years covering high school and college athletics (at various times on the State, Ole Miss and USM beats), Jones had a working knowledge of – and often, relationships with – many of the schools and coaches he’d need to mine for recruiting information. Nearly three years into his tenure with Michael Wardlaw, Bulldawg Junction’s owner, he sees more similarities with the traditional news businesses than differences. “With regard to our team sports reporting it’s virtually the same: It’s news, good or bad,” Jones says. “We don’t try to hide or shelter our subscribers from bad news.” Stylistically, it’s a little different. “You’ll have more space on the Internet. But we try to keep a story to 500-600 words. You won’t keep someone’s attention online if you go much over that,” he says. “But it’s a lot like when I covered games for a newspaper. I want the team to win or lose, and do it in a timely manner.” Beyond that nod to old-media deadlines – please, no overtime! – Jones takes himself out of the story, and writes it straight-up: score, stats, and reactions from coaches and players. Having covered high school sports for a variety of publications may give Jones a bit of a leg up with recruiting-coverage inroads; he didn’t make the jump from traditional to electronic media with a blank slate. Still, there’s a balance he has to strike. “Am I a fan? Yes. I might have known a certain recruit since he was in junior high school,” Jones says. “I may want him to sign with State, but I would never bring the ‘fan’ aspect into covering the kid’s recruitment process. If he goes somewhere else, I’ll wish him well.” It is a perspective borne of personal relationships with these young men that he tries to impart to his subscribers. “Getting to know these players outside of sports, that’s something I really like,” Jones says. “They’re people. And as mad as we get as fans after a loss, these kids take it harder than anybody.” And to give some degree of insulation from potential fan ire, Wardlaw and Jones have a set of relatively simple guidelines for “Junction” members. “It’s two simple rules,” Jones says. “No attacks on players or recruits, and no foul language. For the most part, our guys are good about that.” These rules of thumb don’t extend so far as to stifle opinion, even when some might fear an ill-conceived messageboard comment could sway a recruit to another school. “Look, we have a lot of high school

coaches and athletes, parents of recruits, and former State players who are members of our site,” he says. “Generally, I’d say that maybe .005 percent of the time that might be a concern. Most of the time what’s posted on a message board doesn’t affect kids. Not in the era of Facebook.” The calendar has something to do with the potential for reckless rhetoric on the Bulldawg Junction message board, by way of sheer volume. “Most of the year, we’ll have 600-700 people online at any given time,” says Jones. “In December and January, right up to signing day, we jump to 1,100 to 1,400 folks online.” And not coincidentally, that’s when he has to step up his call volume to recruits. “That’s one of the tough things about it,” he says. “During the fall, they’ve got practice and workouts. They’ve got to be tired, and honestly, the last thing I want to do is talk to a recruit at night. But then again, I’m only calling them about once a month during that time. Once January rolls around, I’m calling them once or twice a week. I feel kinda bad, because I really don’t want to bug them. But it’s the job.” As hectic as the last few days leading up to signing day are, probably his least favorite time of year is right now. “In the spring, I’m really juggling sports and recruiting. Junior Days are going on, and baseball’s just getting started. We’re still in the midst of basketball season.” Jones pauses. “And spring football is just around the corner.” The Businessman Lanny Mixon doesn’t mince words, and he’s not ashamed. “I’m never going to tell you that I’m a journalist. I’m not. I’m a businessman who appeals to his customers.” The New Augusta native and Southern Miss alumnus never took a journalism course. Why would he? Graduating with a degree in banking and finance, he never envisioned he’d cover recruiting for a living. And but for a financial meltdown, he likely never would have. The former corporate banker was forced to make a change three years ago. “When the banking crash happened in 2007, Citibank laid me off. There were, I think, 30,000 others,” says Mixon with a chuckle. But even though his corporate gig had him traveling 250 days a year, he had found time for an avocation that would ease the transition. “I had been involved in recruiting and analysis for quite a while, part-time, for several recruiting annuals,” he says. “We launched Big Gold Nation as part of the Rivals Network in January 2008.” His former hobby gave him a baseline of the contacts so necessary to competing and thriving in the frenetic world of recruiting. But his business background and ethic contributed, too. “Just like any other job, you need contacts. There’s no magic formula,” Mixon says. You’ve gotta make the calls. You’ve gotta go see these guys.” That means coaches and players. MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 33

“I attend coaches’ clinics and conventions every year. It’s all about building relationships,” he says. “If you do this business right, it’s about trust.” From trust comes access; but it’s something that has to be maintained. “I’ve been on six different high school campuses this week, and talked to probably 20 coaches. They want to see you at practice, and on the sidelines at their games. The players want to see you there.” That sought-after players can sense a recruiting guru’s interest shouldn’t surprise, especially in recent years. Many thrive on the attention, though few reach the diva stratosphere of young Master Clowney. “There have been vast changes the last five years,” says Mixon. “This generation of recruits has grown up in this saturated market.” Combine the exponentially escalating demand for recruiting morsels with the boom in social media, and you’ll get your share of teenaged athletes ready to revel in the attention and milk it for all it’s worth.

ing racket. But it’s only part of the job. Just like his colleagues, Mixon has stories to write and message-board threads to moderate. On the content side, Big Gold Nation’s approach to reporting differs slightly from that of his counterparts’, and it rests on supply and demand. An unabashed fan of his alma mater, Mixon tries to strike a balance. “You have to be mindful of who your customer is, but also maintain a level of credibility,” he says. “Yes, I went to USM, but I approach this from a business standpoint. Especially with regard to team coverage, we focus on what our customers want to hear.” Subscribers, he says, “are coming to our site to get excited about their team. Too often, traditional media focus on the negative.” Case in point: Two years ago, former USM running back Damien Fletcher was arrested for discharging a firearm outside his apart-

a prohibition against portraying athletes in a negative light; no unsubstantiated rumors will last long on a thread. And then there’s Rule #8. “There’s absolutely no attacking recruits. It doesn’t happen much; most folks who post regularly realize these are just kids, amateur athletes,” Mixon says. “They may not make the best decisions all the time, but they’re kids.” Perhaps not surprisingly, the intra-board sniping by subscribers happens most often when nothing’s going on. “The petty backbiting is in the summer time. Something about the summer doldrums makes them turn on each other,” he says with a laugh. “Well, that and losing to UAB two years in a row.” And while cyberspace grenade-throwing isn’t unique to Big Gold Nation, there is a clearly defined cadre of its subscribers who are occasionally quick to pounce: the Jeff Bower loyalists. “There’s a certain percentage of USM

The On-Line Players - Jones, Mixon, McCready

Mixon has classified recruits into a rough continuum of attention-seeking. “A quarter of them, I’d say, love all the attention; they can’t get enough,” he says. “Another 25 percent don’t want to talk to anybody. The remaining, roughly 50 percent are somewhere in between.” That middle-ground plurality is the easiest group to deal with. The recluses and the spotlight-hogs require a bit of finesse and ambivalence, respectively. Rather than continually call the shy ones, “a lot of times, you can reach them via text message or talk to them on Facebook. It can be a lot easier that way,” he says. “The ultra-divas? I call them the least amount possible. There are a few guys who really get a kick out of telling one guy one thing, then 15 minutes later, telling another analyst something completely different.” It’s tedium to be endured by anyone whose grocery money comes from the recruit34 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

ment. “We laid out the facts, and when the story was over, it was over,” Mixon says. “We didn’t ignore it or make excuses. We didn’t dwell on it for weeks to sell a few more papers.” After the recent shooting at a night club that saw three Golden Eagles seriously injured, Mixon took note of a newspaper headline. “I don’t even remember what paper it was, but it said something like, ‘Fifth gun-related incident involving USM.’ Well, in four out of five of those incidents, Southern Miss students were the victims. Again, we focus on the news that interests our customers.” A good chunk of those customers don’t just read sports and recruiting news; they’re online to chime in and mix it up with fellow fans. But there are guidelines. “Rivals is the oldest and biggest of the recruiting networks, and there’s a network-wide set of policies that we and our subscribers have to abide by,” he says. There’s

folks who haven’t gotten over Bower’s departure,” says Mixon. “It didn’t matter if it was Larry Fedora replacing him or Tom Landry, they weren’t gonna support Larry. It’s less than ten percent, probably closer to five. But they never miss an opportunity.” Bower never lost to UAB; Fedora is one-for-three against the Blazers. So what’s the verdict on Fedora’s 2011 recruiting haul? Mixon: “Overall, it’s a good solid class for USM. There’s not the ‘star’ appeal of past Fedora classes, but there are a lot of ‘character’ guys who are willing to work hard and know how to win. I think in a few years, this class will look a lot stronger on the field than it does on paper.” The Purist In the summer of 2008, a rookie talk-show host interviewed Neal McCready about his

new gig with Rebel Grove, the Rivals-affiliated Ole Miss site. Knowing of McCready’s journalistic pedigree, the host asked him about the challenges he’d face, going from traditional reporting to “advocacy or public relations.” The retort was quick and sharp. “I dispute that,” he said, before easing into an accommodating answer. Nearly three years later McCready is still sensitive to any allusions to a potential “rahrah” factor in his coverage of the Rebels. The Ruston, La. native, who earned his undergraduate degrees from Ole Miss in broadcast journalism and history, is quick to point out the similarities to traditional journalism. “In many ways, it’s the same gig,” McCready says. “It’s like another beat. I have the same attitude I had when I was the Auburn beat reporter for the [Mobile] Press Register years ago. We try to break stories, and get them right. There’s more of a volume, more depth and detail than a traditional journalism beat, but it’s very similar.” McCready returns to one key point several times during a visit: He is not a fan. Well, he loves his Chicago Cubs, but he doesn’t have a rooting interest in the team he covers professionally, his alma mater notwithstanding. “People like me are a real minority,” he says. “I couldn’t care less if the person covering the Cubs is a Cubs fan. I just want the information.” Perhaps because it’s counterintuitive, he stresses the point. “I think – and get this quote right, please, but when it comes to our subscribers, I think they think they want another fan providing coverage,” says McCready. “I know for a fact I’d be better off financially if I were a bigger fan. But I’m not gonna sell out to make subscriptions. We try to be very detailed, very objective.” If McCready bristles at even an oblique questioning of his objectivity, it’s probably scar tissue from his last media assignment. In addition to being a beat writer and later a columnist for the Press Register, for six years he hosted the afternoon drive show on WNSP in Mobile. “I worked in one of the most, if not the most, football-passionate states in the country,” he says. “I was fired from that show – and we had great ratings – for not being proAlabama enough. My boss flat-out told me that.” It begs the question, just how good was Alabama during the Mike Shula years, when McCready was a radio fixture in ‘Bama-crazy Mobile? How “pro-Alabama” could one reasonably be in those years? No matter; he was sacked. And that started the shot clock on a career change. The newspaper business was starting to decline, or was entering its death throes in 2008, depending on whom you ask. “I saw an industry that was troubled. Working more wasn’t a big deal,” McCready says. “But what was coming was more work, for less money, and no job secu-

rity. I did a lot of soul-searching.” He returned to Oxford in March of 2008. So there was an adjustment period, yes, but his print-journalist ethos was never far below the surface. And it colors every aspect of his job, from writing stories to calling recruits to moderating the Rebel Grove message boards. Anyone who’s ever subscribed to a recruiting site is familiar with a common response when a controversy over a high school athlete erupts. It goes something like, “You shouldn’t post that garbage! Don’t you know recruits and their families and coaches read this board?” McCready is dismissive of the idea. “I’m not one of those ‘control’ types,” he says. “I’m fairly liberal when it comes to posts, because people are paying a fee to be able to express an opinion, and that includes opinions about recruiting.” Just a hint of the former radio host peeks out now. “The notion that a post on a message board could hurt recruiting? I think it’s bunk. These are high school athletes considering playing in the SEC; they’re used to the scrutiny. If it bothers them, maybe they should go play in the MAC. There’s a lot less scrutiny there.” But recruiting is what drives his occupation, and that necessarily entails calling teenagers regularly to glean any inkling as to where they might sign. One would assume that it’s part of the job an old-school newsman would find mundane, bordering on infuriating. “It’s not that bad,” McCready says. “Yeah, it gets old, but you do it, and you can do it without harassing kids. If you’re calling a kid every other night, or several nights a week, I think that’s harassment.” Hence Rebel Grove’s policy of calling a recruit no more than once every other week. Regardless of what entity is signing his paycheck, McCready will always be a journalist. But members of “team-specific electronic media,” as he called them, are still viewed suspiciously – if not derisively – by their traditional counterparts. “Newspaper guys still have an air of superiority, and to some extent, it’s justified,” he says. “That’s one reason I’m glad guys like Gentry Estes and Wes Rucker (former SEC beat reporters) have made the switch to this side of things and joined the 24/7 Network. It will be good for this industry, I think, to get some more quality, experienced journalists on board.” The newspaper and radio veteran doesn’t rule out a return to traditional media. “I really enjoy what I do. But at 41, I’d hate to think I’d reached the end of my career path,” McCready says. “But it would have to be a special opportunity. I live in a safe city with good schools for the kids. And I certainly don’t miss working two jobs and seeing less of my family.” The Scout The last in this cast of characters works another angle of the recruiting game. He doesn’t have to talk to kids on the phone, nor to paying

customers in cyberspace. He has a tightly defined skill set. “I am,” says David Armstrong, “a collector and evaluator of information.” Armstrong started SoutheastScout.com after his last stop in an 18-year coaching career. The Nashville native and Brentwood Academy product was a three-year letterman at quarterback for Western Kentucky. It seemed that coaching would always be his life. Over those nearly two decades, he had stints as an assistant or head coach at Louisiana College, Samford, and a handful of junior colleges. After his last stint – offensive coordinator at Hinds Community College – he made a change. “I found myself out of coaching, and didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Armstrong says. “It actually came to me talking with a buddy one night on the porch.” He reflected on a competitive disadvantage some college coaches found themselves at when recruiting at JUCOs. “I saw a need. We’d have coaches show up from Michigan or Nebraska, and they were at square one; they didn’t know where to begin,” he says. “I thought, ‘Why not help these guys? I can save them some time.’” Southeast Scout’s clients are coaches. Armstrong’s service compiles copious amounts of information on junior college players in Mississippi, Kansas and Texas, and on high school prospects in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and West Tennessee. A fairly large geographical footprint, and as you might expect, it requires some road work. “I take one long trip in the spring, and another one in the summer,” Armstrong says. “I don’t talk to players. I don’t care what they’re doing. I don’t have time for that. I meet with the coaches and go down the roster, and I look at film with them. When I isolate on a top prospect or two, I give that coach a selfaddressed envelope so he can send me game film.” That’s the “collecting” part. Then it’s endless hours of viewing game film or highlight DVDs of players – the “evaluating.” His client base runs the spectrum , and grew from year 1 to year 2. “My clients are coaches at anywhere from the NAIA level all the way up to Division 1-A; from Mississippi College to Ole Miss, State, Kentucky and Auburn,” he says. The demand is there, obviously. “Our first year we had 15 clients, and this past year we had 35. So it’s growing. It’s a fun job. The work load is maybe a little more than when I was a coach. I work a lot more nights.” As do the coaches, analysts and members of the team-specific electronic media for whom college football recruiting is their livelihood. Oh, and don’t forget the fans. They never sleep. Because you know that four-star out of Brookhaven? Well, word is his soft verbal to State is bogus, and he’s still taking his visits, and Alabama’s in the mix now! Seriously. Go turn on your computer…. - MSM MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 35

>>> MSM | MS GOLF

The Best Affordable Public Golf Courses in Mississippi for 2011 Special to Mississippi Sports Magazine

ere’s a news flash for you: the economy stinks. If that caught you off guard because you’ve been lighting your fireplace on these cold winter nights with extra $1,000 bills you have laying around, then flip forward a few pages because this article will have no interest to you. You will be especially uninterested if you don’t like sampling some of the great public golf courses that Mississippi has to offer without requiring you to up the limit on your credit card. However, if you play golf and you live in Mississippi, then you know that the past ten to fifteen years have seen an explosion of some great golf courses across the Magnolia State—from courses tied to casinos to private and resort courses to some nice public tracks. It’s important to remember that there’s one big difference between playing golf today and ten years ago—disposable income. For that matter, there’s a big difference between now and two years ago….or a few months ago. Every couple of years, publications like Golf Digest and Golf Magazine (and just about every other major golf publication) put together lists of “Best This” and “Best That” for golf courses. Best Private, Best New, Best New Private, the list goes on and on. But what if you wanted to know where to get the most “bang for your golfing buck” in Mississippi? What if you wanted to know about the courses that don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on advertising or have an advertising agency on retainer? Those courses that you’ve probably heard of but didn’t know a lot about because they don’t host a tour event, get much press in Golf Digest, or buy commercial time on the Golf Channel or your local cable access channel? Then look no more, because here it is: The Best Affordable Public Courses in Mississippi 2011. We’ve even gone so far as to break them out by region so you can plan your next golf road trip! First some ground rules: Each course in this list was selected based on a number of scientifically-established criteria formulated by experts from NASA working with a group of Rhodes Scholars at a think-tank in the San Fernando Valley in California. We were looking at the overall “experience” you receive at each facility; not just

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The Refuge - Flowood, MS because the architect was internationally known or a former PGA Tour player. And not because the course has “always” been on some other list. The bottom line is that these courses are fun places to play and where you will get the most value for your dollar. Our actual list of criteria consists of: design and playability, course conditioning, facilities, customer service/friendly staff, overall value, and public access (these are truly public courses—not semi-private courses supported by members who allow some outside play from the public). All criteria carry the same weight and a course with a great design, but has been forced to cut back on conditioning can score as high as a course with good conditioning and customer service, but a design that’s not as strong. Remember, we are rating the “overall experience” for you the golfer. All of the courses on our list can be played with cart for less than $40 during the week and less than $50 on weekends at the time we played them. We should also note that none of the courses we played knew what we were up to when we called for the tee time or played the course. We didn’t want special treatment or free golf just because we were conducting a survey—we’ll leave that up to the restaurant critics. We were just another twosome playing golf like the thousands of others they see each year. To make it easier to follow along, we

broke up the state into four regions: North, Central, Pine Belt, and Gulf Coast. It was difficult to create five regions (for a top 5 or top 10) due to the location of the courses that qualified as public and affordable, so we picked one in each of the four regions as well as an honorable mention in each region. Think of it as an Elite Eight for public golf. That being said, we’ll start at the north end of the state and work our way south—naturally—like gravity moves the muddy water of the Mississippi River. North Region: There are plenty of quality golf opportunities in the northern part of the state, especially near the Memphis area; but of all the public courses in this region, one stood out above the rest: Ole Miss Golf Club in Oxford. The course (known locally at the University Course) is owned and operated by the University of Mississippi and underwent an extensive renovation of the entire course in 2008. Practically every nook and cranny of the course was redesigned including all new green complexes, new bunkers, new cart paths, new irrigation, and the relocation of a number of holes to open things up and stretch the course out a bit (presumably for the Ole Miss golf teams who call the course home). The course has a wide range of playing options from multiple tees and golfers we spoke with from single digit handicappers to seniors

said the course played as challenging or as easy as they wanted by simply playing from different tees. When you drive to the golf course, you are greeted with a visual sampling of what you are about to enjoy with the fourth, fifth and sixth holes playing along the tree-lined entrance road up to the new renovated clubhouse—a model of public course efficiency. The clubhouse is perched high atop the hillside with the first and tenth tees and ninth and eighteenth greens all visible and readily accessible. The driving range and practice green are literally just outside the pro shop door. The staff was friendly and informative and treated us like we were long-time friends. The course is home to a great collection of par three holes, but the best hole on the course is a toss-up between the short par-4 13th (which they say is the architect’s favorite) and the deceptively dangerous closing hole—the par-4 18th. Notably there wasn’t one hole we didn’t like. The 13th rides along the top of a ridge that runs parallel to the Oxford Airport with numerous bunkers rolling up from the fairway to the left side of the green, which is perched precariously atop a windswept knoll. The smart play is undoubt-

tion that the four bunkers that guard the front of the green are stair-stepped into the hillside with some as much as twelve feet deep. Yeah, you’ll want to avoid those. But the view is great and I would imagine that more than a few matches have changed course on this closing hole. If you find yourself in the northern part of the state or just want a quick road trip worth the golf, you won’t find a better deal than $38/weekday and $43/weekend for 18 holes with a cart at Ole Miss Golf Club. And if you haven’t played the course since the 2008 renovations, then you owe it to yourself to call for a tee time—they tell us we would not have recognized the old course. Be sure to make time for lunch too, because the grill in the clubhouse is a welcome surprise before heading to the first tee or with the convenient drive-thru at the turn. We’ll give the honorable mention in the north region to Mississippi State University’s golf course and we didn’t do it to keep the State fans happy. While it is ironic that the two biggest collegiate rivals in the state are neck and neck in this list, Ole Miss gets the nod because of the renovation work. The Mississippi State course has always been among the top public courses in the state and is home to the University’s Turfgrass

Ole Miss Golf Course - Oxford, MS edly a long iron or hybrid into the fat of the fairway short of the bunkers, but standing on the tee with everything laid out in front of you, it’s hard to leave the driver in the bag with the opening to the green taunting you like that kid in grade school who always double-dog dared you. We tried both routes and the safer play beat the “go for it” approach by a stroke. The 18th is a unique closing hole that feels like it plays from one mountaintop to another. You can hit all the club you want off the tee, but you will be faced with an uphill approach to one of the biggest greens on the course. Oh, and we should men-

and Professional Golf Management programs and we did notice that there was some work going on at Mississippi State’s course while we were there (renovated bunkers, a new green complex for the 18th hole, and what appeared to be a new practice area under construction), so we’ll be sure to swing through Starkville for an update during our next survey. Central Region: For the purpose of our survey, the central region centers mainly around Jackson and stretches from the Mississippi River to the Alabama state line. There are a number of fine courses in this region too,

but remember that we are looking at public golf courses with affordable rates—courses that give you more than what you pay for when you play. Our top choice in this region is hands down The Refuge in Flowood (a suburb of the capital city of Jackson). The Refuge first opened for play in 1998 and according to its web site is known as the “Best Purely Public Golf Course in Mississippi.” We don’t know exactly what the “purely” part means, but the extremely nice gentleman behind the counter hinted that it meant they didn’t have members. These is an option for annual passes on their web site (a great deal at just $100/month for an individual) but this daily fee course is all golf—no tennis courts, no swimming pool—just the way we like it! Our GPS brought us south from Lakeland Drive in Flowood toward the Jackson Evers International Airport where we found the entrance to the course just a little more than a mile south of Lakeland Drive. At first, the beautifully landscaped four land boulevard leading from Highway 475 to the clubhouse had us thinking that maybe we were at a private club, but the boulevard appears to be part of some planned upscale office park with one office building already open for business. The clubhouse is an eclectic mix of modern and rustic and looks a bit like a hunting lodge with exposed beams inside and a mix of wood and stone on the outside. The clubhouse contains a nicely stocked pro shop, men’s restrooms/locker rooms (we assume ladies’ too), and a restaurant they call The Refuge Grill—a delightful surprise for a public golf course. There’s enough room for 50+ people to sit and the lady with the bubbly personality working that day said a good number of locals drop in for lunch even when not playing golf. By the way, try The Refuge Burger if you’re hungry—this may be the best burger I’ve ever had at a golf course or anywhere else for that matter. Once we headed out for out round, the first thing we noticed was the fleet of golf carts: brand spanking new EZ-GO carts in Mossy Oak Breakup! Not green or black or white, but actual Mossy Oak camo! I’ve never seen that at a golf course before, but the blaze orange Refuge logo on the front fit the setting perfectly. If nothing else, we knew the trip would be worth it just getting to ride one of these for a few hours. Once we got a few holes into the round, two things were plainly evident: it’s nice to play golf without home sites all around you and these are some of the best bermudagrass greens we’ve ever seen…. period. The pro told us they had a problem with the greens a couple of years ago, but whatever they’ve been doing since that time needs to continue. We even tried to find some bad greens, but failed to do so. The setting for The Refuge is very secluded and I would imagine easy to walk if you didn’t want to ride one of the camo carts. The course is not long by today’s standards, but we found that to be a refreshing change from many of today’s 7,100+ MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 37

yard monsters. Don’t mistake the course’s length as a weakness, however, as the tree line fairways and lakes that dot the course do come into play. And with that, we feel it’s important to mention one quick aside: I was told by a friend who lives in Jackson before we went to play the course that I would need a dozen balls because the course was so tight. I lost one ball and that was because I chunked my approach to the par 5 ninth hole into the water. I’m an average golfer and I think my buddy’s problem is that he believes every par 4 or par 5 should be bludgeoned to death with a driver off the tee. I used my 3-wood and hybrid during my round more than I have in a month and I loved it! The Refuge is what many would call more “target oriented” and requires you to actually think for a change. We actually played the last three holes with a regular who walks the course three times a week and he said that he has become a better player from playing the course because he thinks about what he’s doing and finds that it makes other “more open” courses play too easy as a result. I don’t know about golf being “too easy,” but I see his point. Our favorite holes at The Refuge are the par-3 fifth hole and the par-4 fourteenth hole. The fifth hole plays across a creek to a large green flanked by two large bunkers. The day we played it, the pin was in the back right pin in an area of the green fed by a big slope that transects the green. I nearly aced the hole after pulling my tee shot left into the middle of the green catching the slope back to the pin—accidentally. The green is surrounded by a backdrop of trees that were in full blown fall color the day we played and the hole was as pretty as a photograph. The fourteenth hole is a dogleg left par-4 that wraps around what a sign near the tee refers to as “The North Lake.” I liked this hole because there are multiple routes to the green based on how brave you feel when you get to the tee. You can hit anything from a long iron to a 3-wood right up the middle and then play in across a corner of the lake and around a large oak that stands guard near the green or you can grab driver and go for it right across the water to an elevated green fronted by a large bunker. We tried it both ways—and again the safe play won. The lake has a number of islands with large oaks on them and makes the three holes that wrap around it feel secluded, yet open. It’s one of the few spots on the course where you actually see other golfers and we like that feel. We should also mention that we found the “course is too tight” and “you’ll lose too many balls” statements by my friend to be way overblown and it made me wonder if the course had undergone any renovations since he last played it years ago. When I asked the pro after our round, he did say that a lot of work had been done since the course opened for play to “open up” some areas and expand the fairways as much as possible and that people who played it before then would be pleasantly surprised with the results of that work. Some of the hole designs are in38 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

deed “quirky” compared to what we saw at, say, line), we stumbled across a few nice smaller scale Ole Miss Golf Club; but the setting, condition of courses as well as yet another sign of the times: the course, and the fact that it’s a truly fun course a course we wanted to sample (Pine Belt Nato play scores high marks for The Refuge. If you tional) had been closed down. We heard that a play golf in or around the Jackson area or you live plan was in the works to re-open it (and by press within a couple hours drive, you owe it to your- time for our poll, it should be back up and runself to try out this course because, to put it sim- ning). That being the case, we played our other ply: if you had dropped me on the first tee and options from Natchez to McComb to Hattiesdidn’t tell me it was a public course, I would not burg and chose yet another course owned by a have known any better. government agency: Quail Hollow Golf Course To sum up The Refuge, it’s a wonderful exer- in McComb. cise in public golf in this day and age. The setThe state-owned course is typical of the ting is beautiful and peaceful (hard to believe it’s just across the street—literally— from the international airport) and the staff made us feel like we were members at a course that has none. For $38 during the week (and that includes Fridays unlike some other courses we played) and $48 on weekends and holidays, you can play 18 holes with a sharp Camo cart and a re-play will cost you just the $16 cart fee. One note for parents: there’s a nice three hole course for juniors near the clubhouse that would be Quail Hollow - McComb, MS great for spending time with your kids. The staff told us the kids’ course is for juniors only and adults can only play other courses we saw in this region with towerwith “child supervision” to keep adults from tear- ing pines, rolling hills, and sparkling lakes. The ing up the course. That’s probably a good policy. small clubhouse is welcoming and offers a nice Receiving our honorable mention for the cen- view of the golf course below. There’s also a tral region is a nice parks course owned by the 9-hole “academy course” in addition to the reguWarren County Parks and Recreation Depart- lation 18-hole course, but we didn’t have time ment near Vicksburg in Bovina, Mississippi. The to play it. The easiest way to get there is to take course seems to be the centerpiece of a large rec- Exit 13 on I-55 and follow the signs for a couple reational complex that features a soccer complex of miles to the park entrance. When you pull as well. Heading west from Jackson toward Vicks- onto the property of the state park just south burg on I-20, we noticed the course just north of of McComb, you’ll first notice a glimpse of golf the interstate before we got to the exit. The pro through the trees on your right as you drive back explained that the front nine had undergone a to the clubhouse. A large driving range gives you renovation a few years ago, but they didn’t know a chance to warm up after the drive and then it’s when the back nine would go under the knife. If off to the first tee. The course is laid out across the results of the front nine are any indication, a rolling tree-lined piece of property dotted with they need to go ahead and get started on the back. streams and lakes with the 9th and 18th holes reThe two nines are night and day as far as design turning on either side of a large lake to their reand topography, but we feel like the back nine spective greens below the clubhouse. The course could be something really special with the same is a nice mix of short, medium, and longer holes treatment the front nine received. There’s a creek with spacious greens, but we recommend riding that winds through the back nine and a tee shot because some of the hills can be a workout for on the 15th hole that plays off a cliff—across the walkers. creek 150 feet below—to the fairway in what may Our favorite hole at Quail Hollow is the short be the most dramatic tee shot we’ve seen on our par-4 6th. This slight dogleg right wraps around trip thus far. The front nine is more open with a series of bunkers fronting the green with adless severe topography; but just as fun with larger, ditional sand guarding the left side of the openmore receptive greens and just enough sand and ing to the green. The day we played, the hole trees to keep you honest. So if you find yourself was playing roughly 300 yards on the scorecard, in the River City at one of the casinos, take a few but shorter as the crow flies. We like risk/reward hours to squeeze in some golf at Clear Creek Golf short par-4’s and this one helps to reinforce the Course. mantra that safer is typically better for amateurs PINE BELT Region: Moving southward playing their own ball. A round of golf at Quail into the Pine Belt region (south of Jackson and Hollow will run you $39 with cart any day of the from the Mississippi River to the Alabama state week and is worth the price if you find yourself

in the McComb area. Honorable mention in the Pine Belt region goes to Pine Creek Golf Club in Purvis, just a few minutes south of Hattiesburg. This course is not going to host the men’s US Open anytime soon; but then again, chances are no other course in the Magnolia State will either. That being said, it was also a lot of fun to play. The atmosphere is laid back, the course was in good shape, and you simply won’t find a better deal for your money in this region of the state at just $23 Monday through Thursday and $28 Fri, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays. Another thing we like about this course is the fact that it is family owned and operated by local Mike Vivien. For those keeping score at home, this is the ONLY course in our poll not owned by a municipality, county, state agency, or the other public entity. South Region: Finally, we made our way to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where golf and gaming meets sun and sand. It’s like a miniature version of Myrtle Beach mixed with Atlantic City—golf during the day and gaming at night. What more could most golfers ask for? We made our visit before the start of “snowbird” season when thousands of golfers from the northern

Whispering Pines - Hurley, MS United States and Canada migrate southward to escape the cold and the snow for a week or two of golf, sun, and fun. There are numerous new courses that are as nice as any you will find anywhere in the country and most are either tied to casinos or are member supported. There’s a lot of history here too, but we are on the hunt for affordable public golf and that led us to what the locals told us is the “best kept secret on the Gulf Coast” in the small town of Hurley, Mississippi. About ten minutes north of I-10 in the corner of Jackson County you will find Whispering Pines Golf Course north of Pascagoula. Owned and operated by Jackson County Parks and Recreation, this 18-hole course recently underwent a two-stage renovation: the front nine went under the knife in 2001 and the back nine was completely renovated in 2007. The effort paid off because this may be the most “underpriced” golf experience we ran across and definitely the best bang for your buck on the Gulf Coast! A small and unassuming clubhouse takes the minimalist approach with a pro shop, grill, and

locker rooms in a relatively small but efficient footprint, but the real treat starts outside anyway. There’s a large driving range to warm you up then it’s off to the first tee. The front nine and the back nine are two distinctly different settings. The front nine bobs and weaves a little more with out of bounds on the first few holes and the first hole fronting the highway that leads you to the course—think of the first five holes as a warm up to the rest of the day. That’s because the sixth hole wakes you up with a pretty little approach to a bulkheaded green hard against the water on this shortish par-4. There’s not a lot of sand to be found at Whispering Pines, but that’s okay because the shaping of the greens and chipping areas around them will give you enough to think about without finding the beach. The back nine plays away from the clubhouse before turning out to a wooded sandy stretch of land giving a more isolated feel with trees and water coming into play on most holes in a setting that reminds us of something you might find in the Florida panhandle or South Carolina low country. Don’t let the lazy feel of your round lull you to sleep, however, because there are a couple of testy par threes on this nine that can wreck a scorecard in a heartbeat. One of which is our favorite hole on the course—the par-3 17th. In fact, we were told that this is the only true island green in Mississippi and who are we to question it? It’s not quite as punishing as its fabled sister at TPC Sawgrass, but this hole is actually older than that more famous heart stopper. They told us the hole has always been an island green, but during the 2007 renovation, the architect opted to install a wooden bulkhead wall across the front of the green—presumably to mess with your head as you judge the wind for your club selection because we kept changing not knowing exactly how much room we had for error between putting surface and a watery grave. In fact, the three bunkers that surround the green looked more like safety nets than hazards on this hole. With a pair of bogies securely in hand, we headed happily to the 18th tee, a long par 5 finishing brute that culminates at what appears to the be the largest green in the course with a couple of clubs difference between a front pin and a back pin. After playing our round, we took a break in the clubhouse and enjoyed a fine cheeseburger and fries before opting for an emergency nine— though we had to plead with the nice lady to let us play the back nine again instead of the front. We have to wait about 40 minutes for another twosome to make the turn and we happily paired up for a second shot at the island green 17th hole. The next time you are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, plug Hurley, Mississippi into your GPS

and throw your sticks in your trunk. Plan your beach time around a four hour window for a round at Whispering Pines and you won’t be disappointed—especially since it will only cost you $28 on weekdays and $30 on weekends (both with a cart)! Honorable mention on the Gulf Coast takes a little more planning to play, but is well worth the effort. Bay Breeze Golf Course at Keesler AFB in Biloxi may be the best surprise in the entire state for one simple reason—we hadn’t even heard of it until we were playing golf at Whispering Pines and an Air Force retiree mentioned it. We assume they don’t advertise much because you have to get a pass at the security gate to get onto the base first to play golf and the course is geared more to recreation for military personnel on base; but we recommend making a call to the clubhouse for a day pass to play because it’s a real treat. We were told that the course was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but was already scheduled for some repair work before that fateful day. During the 2007 renovation, the architect completely redesigned all of the greens complexes and had to re-work a number of fairways that were flooded by the storm surge. Now it could be one of the most memorable tracks on the Coast. In fact, the stretch of holes from 10 through 14 hugs the edge of the Back Bay of Biloxi in a setting unlike any other course in the area that we played. The view is breathtaking and was matched only by the A-10 Warthog that took off from the runway while we were putting out on the par-3 third hole—and that’s because we are really just little boys at heart and military jets still fascinate us. So there you have it: Mississippi’s Best Affordable Public Courses 2011, broken down by region from the hills of the Tennessee state line to the warm waters of the Gulf Coast. Like any good poll/survey, there was a lot of research done to compile this list—it was hard work but someone had to do it. To wrap it up, we thought that we needed to pick one course as the #1 facility even though we weren’t trying to assemble an actual “Top 10” list. After we looked back at all the golf we played and the courses that made the list, we settled on one grand champion for the best affordable public course in Mississippi this time around and the winner is: The Refuge Golf Course near Jackson. Their web site may call it the “Best Purely Public Course” in the state, but when we take all things into consideration from location to course condition to value, we have to agree that it is the best affordable public course— with Ole Miss Golf Club a strong overall runnerup (plus we really thought the camo carts at The Refuge were a nice touch). That being said, each of the courses on our list is worth the few hours of your time and very little of your money to play and we encourage you to visit each at least once this year. For those who didn’t make the list, we plan on doing this again next year—like we said, it’s tough work playing all those courses, but someone has to do it! - MSM MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 39

MSU RECAP CONT. FROM PAGE 21

MSU SIGNEES CONT. FROM PAGE 23

same thing for his team and those are the guys we look for. “Then you get a Kendrick Market off a national championship high school football team. Coach (Lance) Pogue did a great job developing him. Meeting with (Pogue) and if you talk with people in South Panola, he was easily the MVP of their team and maybe the best football player in the state of Mississippi. He may not put up the measurables that people on the Internet like to write upon. But when you turn on the film and watch him play, he makes a ton of plays.” “We have some other big athletes coming in with Benardrick McKinney, another guy that plays linebacker, plays quarterback and plays all over the field, which is what we look for.” Similiar to his first two classes at Mississippi State, Mullen found a late under-the-radar guy in Morton defensive back Taveze Calhoun. Although Calhoun was a first-team all-state selection by The Clarion Ledger, his stock didn’t rise until an impressive performance in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game in December. But it was more than Calhoun’s talent that sold Mullen on his future in the SEC. “He is a perfect example of why we don’t always pay attention to the Internet (rankings),” Mullen said. “You go and evaluate a young man that coming into his senior year wasn’t rated very high. So nobody was gonna pay attention to him. We recruited him throughout the year and did pay attention to him. He had the opportunity to go play in an all-star game against better talent and had a bette chance to showcase his skills than he was able to do on a weekly basis. He was doing all these different things on the football field and one of those athletes we look for. “He did look good on his senior film as we did research on him. But we go way beyond that. When you talk to people in high schools, almost everybody comes up to you and talks about how great the young man is and he is a great worker and a great role model off the field. A lot of that goes into our evaluation of recruiting. To me, that is our process as coaches that people on the outside never see. I once coached a guy that was the No. 1 player in the NFL draft and he was once a one-star guy. So whose mistake was that?” While Mullen was pleased with his recruiting haul in the trenches, the Bulldogs did miss out at the linebacker position and only signed one linebacker (McKinney). But that may not be the case down the road with Arrington and Jackson possibly playing that spot later in their college careers. “Well the question with linebackers is who else is gonna play that position,” said Mullen. “You look at guys that are 6-2 and well over 200 pounds, we don’t know how they will grow or develop over the years. I don’t know how that will sort out but again, we go look for football players and make it fit. “With defensive linemen, we signed four and you’re always looking for them. You can have guys grow into linebackers but if we are every gonna be heavy at a position, I want it to be on the offensive and defensive line, especially on the defensive line cause we rotate and play so many guys at that position over the course of the game. But I am happy with the four we got and you’re always gonna look for them. If we are ever over at one position then it’s on that defensive line and we added four, which is where you want to be at.” And regardless of their position in the future, Mullen ended this year’s class with another reminder of what the program seeks in the recruiting scene. “Part of recruiting and what our staff did a great job this year is the evaluating of players and making sure they’re gonna fit our program,” Mullen explained. “I have no idea how good of a recruiting class this is. I will tell you that in a couple of years. We make sure we find the players that fit our program, give us what we’re looking for and give us a chance to develop them for the future. That has been a pretty good statistic for us and how you evaluate a football class. They fit that mode we are looking for. We think these guys fit that profile and we’re very excited about our future.” - MSM

2011 Super Dozen … Ran for 1,105 yards during his senior season and scored 20 touchdowns ... Also caught 22 passes for 558 yards and seven scores ... As a junior the Demons went 14-1 and fell one game short of the state championship, losing to Neville HS championship game ... Rushed for 1,315 yards and scored 22 touchdowns as a junior ... Added 11 catches for 205 yards for five more touchdowns … Also participates in varsity track … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010, with offers from Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and others.

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DARIUS SLAY, DB, 6-1, 190, BRUNSWICK, GA. (ITAWAMBA [MISS.] CC) JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played two seasons for Coach Jon Williams and was twice named an All-Region selection ... Earned first-team All-State for both his defensive play and kick return talents by the Mississippi Association of Junior College Coaches … Also voted first-team All-Region 23 by the national coaches ... Collected 27 tackles and forced one fumble on defense ... Also caught three passes for 63 yards including a 43-yard touchdown ... JC Grid Wire named him to their pre-season All-America second team, and Mississippi Gridiron Magazine tabbed him All-MACJC prior to the campaign ... As a freshman recognized as first-team All-State and All-Region 23 at cornerback and a second-team All-State kick returner ... For the season he recorded 41 total tackles and two fumbles forced with three interceptions. HIGH SCHOOL: Mississippi State first signed him out of Brunswick, Ga., HS where he was an all-state running back and defensive back ... Named All-State by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at defensive back following his senior season … Also chosen for the Georgia North-South All Star Game ... Rushed for over 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 2008 season … Intercepted six passes with two touchdown returns ... Junior season was shortened by a torn MCL after he had rushed for 562 yards and six touchdowns in just five games ... As a sophomore he put up 1,127 yards on 142 rushes with 13 touchdowns ... Lettered in basketball and was a standout in the 100 and 200 meter sprints … Committed to Mississippi State in July 2010 over offers from Kentucky, Georgia and Oklahoma State. PRESTON SMITH, DL, 6-6, 225, STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. (STEPHENSON) HIGH SCHOOL: Projected to develop into a pass-rushing defensive end in college after an excellent career in higher-level Georgia prep football … Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com … Played for Coach Ron Gartrell and led the Jaguars to a 9-2 record in 2010 ... Credited with 68 total tackles, including nine quarterback sacks ... As a junior he played on a 11-1 Jaguars squad that won the Region 2 crown with a 7-0 record... That team had 29 of32 senior players sign a college scholarship... Committed to Mississippi State in September 2010 with offers from Ole Miss, Kentucky, Southern Mississippi, Minnesota, Central Florida, West Virginia, Syracuse and others. JOEY TRAPP, OL, 6-5, 285, ROLLING HILLS, CALIF. (L.A. HARBOR CC / PALOS VERDES PENINSULA) JUNIOR COLLEGE: First-team All-Central West Conference during his sophomore season at Los Angeles Harbor … Helped lead the Seahawks to an 8-3 record and the Central West Conference championship in 2010 … Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com … Helped the Seahawks to a 9-2 record during his freshman season as he started 10 of 11 contests along the offensive front … Chose Mississippi State in December of 2010 over offers from a host of other schools … Enrolled at State in January of 2011 and will participate in spring practices. PERSONAL: Born Joseph Kramer Trapp on 11/13/1989 … Son of Sonia and Steve Cvitanovich. RUFUS WARREN, TE, 6-5, 235, INDIANOLA, MISS. (GENTRY) HIGH SCHOOL: Leading tight end talent out of the fertile Mississippi Delta ranks … Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com … Scout.com rates him as the No. 18 overall prospect in the state of Mississippi at all positions … Was selected by the Mississippi Association of Coaches to the state’s high school all-star game ... Jackson Clarion-Ledger ranked him in their post-season list of the Top 40 Prospects in Mississippi, one of just two tight ends, taken from among all classes ... During his senior season caught 21 passes for 339 yards and five touchdowns ... As a junior caught eight passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns … Defensively he was credited with 42 total tackles, 35 solos, with four quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery ... Also a standout for the GHS basketball team … Committed to Mississippi State in June 2010 with offers from Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and others.

MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 41

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