January 1997 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

01/31/97 - Like our basketball recruit Tyrus Boswell, another one of our Alabama recruit's status has gone up lately. According to the Mobile Press Register, Miss State QB commitment Wayne Madkin is listed as the 6th best player in Alabama and the number 1 QB.

01/31/97 - As the Kendall Simmons world turns. The rumors saying that Kendall Simmons is waivering on his Auburn commitment continue to mount. I know nothing other than what I have heard. Supposedly, Ole Miss and Miss State may be back in the picture. Hopefully, one of my sources will have reliable info about these rumors after this weekend. Stay tuned..........

01/31/97 - Dewayne Woods, an outstanding RB from Slidell, LA., committed to Southern Miss. We were recruiting him, according to various sources.

01/31/97 - I continue to hear that Ellis Wyms will decide between Miss State and Ole Miss; although, I have also heard Arkansas may now be in the picture.

01/31/97 - Orlando Dantzler will be visiting this weekend, along with Muskingum Barnes. Do your part, make them feel at home. If you see them, tell them they would sure look great in maroon and white.

01/30/97 - Miss State went 1 for 2 today. We received a commitment from Floyd Womack, a 6-4 332 OL from Cleveland East Side. He originally committed to Auburn, but decided the Bulldogs is where he would be more happy. Good for you Floyd.

Dulymus McAllister chose the Ole Miss Rebels over Miss State. I had been expecting this. He would have been a good acquisition, but with the signing of James Johnson, it was not a necessity. Plus, he has a great chance of starting at fullback for the Rebels next year.

01/30/97 - Taylor Bunch, the FB/K I had as a commitment to Miss State, will be joining the Bulldogs next year; as a walkon. That gets us back to 13 scholarships used so far. Who will be the final three commitments? Stay tuned.........

01/30/97 - I have heard that McAllister unofficially committed to Miss State last Wednesday, but others have said he will chose between Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Miami. Just have to wait and see who is right.

01/29/97 - It appears Muskingum Barnes, Orlando Dantzler, Ellis Wyms and Dulymus McAllister, may all be headed elsewhere. Barnes is said to be leaning to LSU or FSU, Dantzler to Southern Miss, McAllister to Notre Dame or Ole Miss. Wyms appears to be the one we have the best chance of signing.

01/29/97 - Kendall Simmons may be waivering on his commitment to Auburn. Hopefully, that means he has decided Miss State is back in the picture. This has not been confirmed, so let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

01/29/97 - The Taylor Bunch commitment from Louisiana may be inaccurate. I was informed today from a well informed source that he has never heard of him. The Bunch commitment was listed in a newspaper in Louisiana. Just have to wait and see.

01/29/97 - The latest news from Texas: Adrian Cole, the OL/DL from Aldine, TX, has committed to Missouri and LB Thomas Dunson has committed to LSU.

01/29/97 - Dorsett Davis may sign with Ohio State afterall. However, he will not qualify, so look for him to officially sign with a JUCO. We'll have to hope he goes to a JUCO in Mississippi where we will have a shot at him two years down the road. Also, Mississippi JUCO DB Ashanti Webb may have committed to Ohio State. None of this has been confirmed, so consider it a rumor at this time.

01/29/97 - DuShon Martin, the DB from Dallas, Ga., may not qualify. If he doesn't, he will be placed at a JUCO and resign with State his sophomore year.

01/28/97 - Mike Minott, the player from Crosby, TX. Miss State was recruiting., is headed to JUCO.

01/27/97 - In a major surprise, Kenny Smith, the DL from Meridian, MS. has committed to Alabama. His teammate Kenyatta Walker, probably the better of the two, has committed to Florida. According to The Tuscaloosa News, they are both shaky at best; Kenny is still considering Florida and Kenyatta is still considering Alabama. (What was the point in committing?)

01/27/97 - Here's a player that appears to be a big-time sleeper who has been overlooked by the major universities in Mississippi; John Keith, OL from Mooreville, MS. He is 6-4 1/2, 285, 5.0, qualified, and can dunk a basketball. My source also says he is a great kid.

01/27/97 - Kevin Thomas the DL from Georgia may have committed to Miss State after all. The Georgia site no longer lists him as a commitment. If any of you Miss State Bulldogs in Georgia know the situation with him and Jabari Ellison, email me.

01/26/97 - Next weekend, Orlando Dantzler and Muskingum Barnes are going to visit Mississippi State. These are two big-time recruits, folks. Keep your fingers crossed.

01/26/97 - According to Forest Davis, on Countdown to Signing Day, Miss State got a steal when they signed Wayne Madkin. Also, Jeff Whitaker Recruiting has him rated a 3+, just a notch below Romaro Miller and Jason Standridge, both of whom are rated 4's out of a possible 5.

01/26/97 - People who know Wayne Madkin, say he is a very nice young man as well as a great quarterback.

01/25/97 - FB/K Taylor Bunch (5-10, 210, 4.58) of Silliman, LA., committed to Miss State. Taylor said he will run, kick and punt for the Bulldogs. Source: The Advocate

01/25/97 - How good is Kenvin Prentiss? According to former teammates of his, he doesn't drop a ball thrown to him and he can flat out fly after catching it.

01/25/97 - With all of the media attention over the recent commitment of Romaro Miller to Ole Miss, little notice has been given to the recent commitment of Wayne Madkin to Miss State. Not to worry, because before this guy gets through with his career at Miss State he will have received all the attention he deserves. Here's what his head coach says about him: "Wayne is one of the top three quarterbacks coming out of Alabama this year, in my opinion. Mississippi State is getting a secret weapon. He really wanted to play in the SEC. That was always his dream. We're all very glad he chose MSU because he is relatively close and we can go see him compete. He's got tremendous accuracy with the long pass. And I don't think there's much anyone can throw at him that he hasn't already seen."

Other Info: As a senior, he compiled 2,005 yards and 18 touchdowns with a 58 percent completion rating in leading his team to a 10-2 record last year.

01/25/97 - When Joe Lee Dunn talks, players listen. According to Jamaal Dinkins coach, Willie Collins, Joe Lee Dunn told him the first person he asked about when he got the job at State was Jamaal Dinkins. Here's other things Collins said about Dinkins: "The biggest thing about Jamaal is his athletic ability. Folks don't realize all the things he can do: He kicks, punts and long snaps. He high-jumped 6-3 as a sophomore and threw the shot 50 feet. He's loaded with athletic ability." Source: The Clarion-Ledger

01/24/97 - According to The Clarion-Ledger, Jamaal Dinkins, the top LB in Mississippi, has committed to Miss State. My sources (you guys) are the best when it comes to providing the most accurate info. All of you sure make me look good. Keep the info coming.

01/24/97 - Here are our known signees and commitments so far (Remember, we have 16 total scholarships to offer when you include the 4 for the early period signees):

Others players we are seriously considering:

01/24/97 - James Jones, the outstanding WR from Hinds CC who signed with Miss State last Feb. but was not eligible, enrolled at State Tuesday and will be able to go through spring practise with the Dawgs. Great news!

01/24/97 - Ed Butler, a LB from Huntsville, chose Tennessee over Miss State and others.

01/24/97 - Mmmmm...... In an interesting development, Craig Nall, the outstanding QB from Alexandria, La., may be having second thoughts about his commitment to LSU since Josh Booty has enrolled at LSU. If Booty and the Marlins reach an agreement freeing Booty to play at LSU, Nall may look at other schools. One of the schools he may look at is Miss State, acccording to his coach, Butch Stoker. He also would be interested in Tennessee. This is probably just a hope and a prayer, but it sounds interesting to say the least. How good is Craig Nall? His coach says he is another Peyton Manning. Don't get your hopes too high, because I don't think anything will come of it. IMO, there is no way Josh Booty will come up with enough money to get out of his contract. Stay tuned..............

01/24/97 - It appears that Ohio State is very serious about signing Dorsett Davis. They have visited his house a couple times this past week. Still not sure if they will offer. Look for Davis to be at a Juco next year. According to my source, he is almost a lock for not making his grades. Hopefully, he will sign with Miss State and be placed at a Juco.

01/23/97 - Dulymus McAllister visited State Wednesday. His visit went good. He will visit Notre Dame this weekend. Alabama has been dropped from his list.

01/23/97 - According to Forest Davis, who was on the Miss Sports Talk Show Wednesday night, Wayne Madkin is an outstanding QB who only needs to learn to read defenses to be ready for the SEC. He said he has a great arm and can really run.

01/23/97 - The Georgia recruiting page has Kevin Thomas, the Georgia player I mentioned as committing to Miss State, as a Georgia commitment. Stay tuned.......................

01/23/97 - Here's some Miss State leanings according to Super Prep magazine: Orlando Dantzler slightly over Ole Miss and Southern Miss; Jamaal Dinkins over Tenn, Ole Miss and Southern Miss. Super Prep has Dantzler ranked as the 15th best DL in the country.

01/22/97 - Look for Miss State to sign two of the three East Side HS players. The three are WR Ken Lucas, OL Floyd Womack and DL Dorsett Davis. My money is on Womack and Davis, but I can't confirm it. Stay tuned.........

01/22/97 - From the folks who know category -- How good are the JUCO OL Miss State signed and have committed? They all have outstanding chances to start for us next year and expect Craig Moore to be a hoss on the offensive line. He has the potential to be the best linemen on the team next year.

01/22/97 - According to The Commercial Dispatch, here's the latest on some players located in my area of the state: QB Tyler Peterson (Louisville HS) - Miss State and Ole Miss have withdrawn their offers to him. He may now have to chose among Delta State, North Alabama and Louisville. RB Tanny Flowers (Starkville, MS) - Visiting Delta State this weekend and possibly North Alabama and West Alabama. OT Jay Jackson (West Point, MS) - Hasn't visited any schools and has no visits scheduled. Three Amory players (LB Lennie Adams, OT Sam Gregg, DE Gerald Tubbs) , according to their coach Bobby Hall, have drawn very little interest so far. OT Charles Hudgins (Columbus HS) has visited Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State. None of the big three have shown any interest.

01/22/97 - I have heard that Miss State has received two commitments from Georgia. One name mentioned is Kevin Thomas, a 6-6 255 OT with 5.2 speed. The other one could possibly be Jabari Ellison, a 6-6 320 OT. According to Pigskin Preps, Jabari claims his speed in the 40 is 4.8. When, or if, these two commitments are confirmed, I will post it to my page.

01/21/97 - In a major surprise, look for Jackson Provine LB Jamaal Dinkins to chose State over Tenn and Ole Miss. This comes from a very reliable source.

01/20/97 - Wayne Madkin, the outstanding QB from Huntsville, AL, has committed to Miss State. Here's some of his '96 preseason honors: The Huntsville Times Elite 11, the Mobile Press-Register preseason Super Team, the Birmingham News Super Senior list.

01/20/97 - Greenville, MS. OT Kenric Fairchild, 6-5 300, 5.1, has committed to Miss State. Here's what his coach says about him - "Miss State is getting a diamond in the rough. You don't find too many people his size who can run like he can. Brute strength is basically what he's lacking." Pigskin Preps says "he is super quick off the snap and a force to block one-on-one." Super Prep says he "just throws people out of the way! That's the way he likes to play: just grabs his man and throws him aside."

01/20/97 - LB Edward Smith (I mistakenly called him Ed Hill in an earlier post.) has committed to Miss State. He is a 6-0 220, 4.5 LB from Southwestern CC, Chula Vista, CA. This guy, according to sources in the know, will be a big-time impact player his first year at State. Look for huge things from this guy next season.

01/20/97 - According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, T. D. Calhoun from Arlington, TX. has committed to Purdue.

01/20/97 - Look for Texas LB Thomas Dunson to decide among Ok St, Baylor, LSU and Miss State this week. I believe it will be either Baylor, where he tripped to this past weekend and had a great time, or LSU. Source: Heartland Recruiting.

01/20/97 - According to The Bolivar Commercial newspaper, Cleveland East Side HS OL Floyd Womack, who is close to qualifying, will visit Memphis, Auburn, Miss State, Southen Miss and Kentucky. OL Toby Golliday, Cleveland HS, will visit Tenn, Miss State, Ole Miss, Jackson State and Alcorn State. Cleveland HS LB John Jones, who is qualified, will visit Miss State, Tenn, Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Arkansas. Cleveland East Side HS DB/ WR Ken Lucas, who is qualified, will visit Miss State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Tenn and Kentucky. Since this info is from the newspapers 12/27 edition, the visits may have changed, but it at least it shows each one of the players is interested in Miss State. The one I would love to sign is John Jones, because I feel he is one of the most underrated players in the state and he is going to make some team an oustanding LB the next four years.

01/20/97 - Our very own Andy Russ, who hadn't kicked a field goal since high school, booted four on Sunday to lead the South to a 26-13 victory over the North in the Hula Bowl. Russ converted field goals of 42, 47, 28 and 31 yards against a no-rush defense as required by the rules of the all-star game. He was named most valuable player of the south team. Great game Andy!

01/20/97 - Miss State has recently started putting more effort into the recruiting of Jason Franklin, QB from Meridian. This guy, with a little coaching, could be a solid QB but he could also be a very good DB.

01/20/97 - Here's a list of some outstanding Mississippi players that, more than likely, will not be eligible to play for a D-I school next year and will have to go the JUCO route:

01/20/97 - LB Thomas Dunson has narrowed his list to Miss State, LSU and Baylor. Word is, LSU is the leader.

01/20/97 - Kenyatta Walker, a DT from Meridian, visited Miss State this weekend; however, don't look for him to be in maroon and white next year. Up until a week ago, he was heavily leaning to LSU, but now it appears he will be wearing Florida orange next year. Tuesday night Florida Head Coach Steve Spurrier will be visiting Walker's home trying to convince him to be a Gator next year and look for Kenyatta to commit to the Gators as early as this week. A lot of recruiting sites had him already committed to the Gators but that just was not true. If it had been true, Spurrier wouldn' t be visiting him.

01/20/97 - According to The Clarion-Ledger, WR James Jones from Hinds CC, has yet to enroll at State, pending eligibility certification. The last day to register for classes for the spring semester is Wednesday, Jan 22nd.

01/20/97 - Sherrill said TB Keffer McGee won't be ready for contact in the spring, but he expects Lamon Dumas and James Grier to be ready. Source: The Clarion-Ledger

01/20/97 - New tight-ends/tackle coach Bob Boyd will earn $62,000 a year, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

01/18/97 - Here's a little info from the Big Twelve Recruiting News Site on OL Adrian Cole, 6-5 280, 5.1, of Alpine Cole, Texas. He is considered the 60th best player in Texas. He "could play on either side of the ball in college, graded out at 90 percent through eight games with 12 pancakes blocks as an OL. He visited Syracuse on 12/6 and plans trips to Miss State, Colorado, and Texas A&M."

Another Texas player who is considering Miss State is DE/TE Foster Bradberry, 6-5 220, 4.6, of Adline. Foster is considered the 96th best player in Texas. He is "a talented athlete on a very talented team. Bradberry recorded 27 solos, 16 assists, 4 sacks, 4 caused fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 7 seven pass deflections. Grades could be close. He is considering Ok. State, LSU, Oklahoma and Miss State."

01/18/97 - T. D. Calhoun, a 5-8 170 DB from Arlington Sam Houston HS, is also considering Miss State as well as Kentucky and UNLV.

01/18/97 - I know there are rumors on the internet that say Dorsett Davis may be headed to Ohio State, but according to my sources, he is still headed to Miss State. How those rumors got started I don't know.

01/18/97 - RB Dulymus McAllister from Morton is still leaning to Miss State as well.

01/18/97 - Scout Mel Kiper has MSU OL Brent Smith listed as the 9th best OL in the upcoming draft. Good luck Brent.

01/18/97 - According to a source of mine that I consider to be one of the most knowledgeable people around when it comes to Amory football, Darius Brown transferred from Ole Miss to ICC because he was out of shape when he reported to two-a-days and he was going to be red-shirted, which he wouldn't agree to.

01/17/97 - Keep the info coming folks. I would like to know all that you know.

01/17/97 - By the way, if anybody didn't notice, Glenn Davis was named our new RB coach. Now who told all of you that several weeks ago? However, I really can't claim any of the credit since I was only reporting what was told to me.

01/17/97 - According to The Times-Picayune, Dawayne Woods, 5-9 185 RB from Slidell, LA., has narrowed his schools to Miss State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

01/17/97 - Miss State has made Ernie Moore's final list. He is a 6-5 240 DL from Salmen, LA. Others on his list are Southern Miss, Memphis and La. Tech. I believe MSU has a great shot at him, if we offer.

01/17/97 - Adrian Cole, OL/DL 6-4 285, from Aldine Nimitz, Texas has Miss State, among others, on his list of schools he is interested in.

01/17/97 - Here are a few upcoming visits: 01) Dawayne Woods - Slidell, LA; 5-8 185, 4.4. Jan 17th. Big-time talent.
02) Jamaal Dinkins - Jackson, MS; LB, 6-2 220, 4.6. Has committed to Ole Miss, but will visit Miss State Jan 19th.
03) Kendall Simmons - Ripley, MS; DT, 6-4 315, 5.0. May visit Jan 19th. Committed to Auburn, but State still trying.
04) Orlando Dantzler - Purvis, MS; DE, 6-5 255, 4.8. Jan 31st. Supposedly, Miss State is doing a very good job recruiting him.
05) Floyd Womack - Cleveland, MS; OL, 6-5 332, 5.8. Jan 17th.
06) Kenric Fairchild - Greenville, MS; DT, 6-5 297, 5.1. Jan 17th. Has cancelled his Georgia Tech visit and will sign with State.
07) Terrance Sykes - Grenada, MS; OL, 6-6 280, 5.4. Jan 17th.
08) Kevin Thomas - Atlanta, GA; OL, 6-6 255, 5.2. Jan 25th.

01/16/97 - According to someone who evaluates football talent for a living, the five best OL in the state of Mississippi are: Terrence Metcalf (Clarksdale); Floyd Womack (Cleveland East Side); Kendall Simmons (Ripley); Kenyatta Walker (Meridian); and Jeremy Toungett (Olive Branch).

01/16/97 - Looks like the two Olive Branch OL are going different routes. Jeremy Toungett is ready to commit to Auburn when he visits there on Jan 24th. He has been told they will offer then. Brandon Taylor is going to commit to Southern Miss. We have recruited these players, but not heavily. More than likely, if we had had the full allotment of scholarships we would have recruited them harder.

01/16/97 - The Decatur Daily had their Alabama Top 30 Players in their Jan 12th edition. The players were rated by Pigskin Preps; a very good recruiting publication based out of Moulton, Al. Miss State was on the list of two of the players. #23 Kenyon Hambrick, WR 6-2 170, Johnson HS-Huntsville; #24 Ed Butler, LB/DE 6-4 230, Butler.

01/16/97 - The Jan 12th edition of The Times-Picayune had some recruiting info in it. One item of note for Miss State fans was that Carencro RB John Bernard no longer has Miss State on his list. I'm not sure if we quit recruiting him or he dropped us.

01/15/97 - Looks like Miss State is looking at and being looked back at by two big-time defensive players from the Juco ranks: Linebacker Ed Hill, 6-2 220, 4.5, from a California Juco. He is a big-time impact player, ala Eric Brown. Also Defensive End Bert Keys, 6-1 265, 4.9, from Coffeyville KS, Juco. We have a great shot at these two outstanding players.

01/15/97 - Supposedly, Jamaal Dinkins, a LB Miss State is recruiting has committed to Ole Miss.

01/15/97 - It has been reported by the Gainesville associated press that Kenyatta Walker of Meridian has committed to Florida. Wrong! As I stated earlier, Kenyatta is leaning to LSU. In fact, Kenyatta has cancelled this weekend's visit to Miss State because he likes LSU so much. There is still a chance he may officially visit Florida, but at this time he is leaning to LSU. Stay tuned.........

01/14/97 - Looks like Ole Miss is close to getting a commitment from Rufus Brown. He had a great visit this weekend and it appears he may cancel his planned visits to North Carolina and Notre Dame. Miss State appears to be out of the picture for his services. Looks like our coaches better work a little harder if they want to have a chance to sign Rufus.

01/14/97 - According to one of my sources, Keffer McGee is rehabilitating very slowly and may have to have additional surgery to remove some scar tissue. Doesn't look good right now. I sure am glad we signed James Johnson.

01/13/97 - Thomas Dunson did not commit to Baylor, but visited there this past weekend. I misread my info. I received an email today bringing that to my attention. It was also mentioned in the email that Dunson is supposedly an LSU lock.

01/13/97 - Mississippi players who made the Atlanta Journal Super Southern 100: Romaro Miller, Rufus Brown, Terrence Metcalf, Muskingum Barnes, Orlando Dantzler, Dorsett Davis, Kenny Smith.

01/13/97 - According to the 12/20/96 issue of The Oxford Eagle, Demetrius Crayton, RB 5-10 202 4.6, from Fort Walton Beach will visit Miss State, Southern Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M.

01/13/97 - Thomas Dunson, LB from Texas, recently committed to Baylor over Miss State.

01/12/97 - According to The Clarion-Ledger, Craig Moore is not eligible to enroll at State this semester. If he signs again in Feb, he will count against the 12 scholarships Miss State has available at that time, leaving Miss State with 11 to offer. BTW, James Johnson, did enroll for the spring semester, proving the rumors some Alabama fans had been saying about him not been eligible to enroll during the January period were false. Some of them had claimed he wouldn't be eligible, so Alabama quit recruiting him. Sometimes it's hard to admit that everybody doesn't want to go to your school.

01/12/97 - Here's the latest on the Meridian recruits: OL Kenyatta Walker is leaning heavily to LSU. May cancel his Miss State visit. Kenny Smith is leaning to Ga. Tech at the moment. Carlos Stennis may go to Bama if offered. Jason Franklin is headed to Clemson. Brian Cole is probably Scooba bound (East Miss CC).

01/12/97 - The Starkville Daily News has reported that DB DuShon Martin of Dallas, GA. has committed to Miss State.

01/12/97 - According to yesterday's Vicksburg Post, Brian Darden will be returning to Tennessee.

01/12/97 - According to Todd Kelly of The Clarion-Ledger, Russ Sanders, OL from Jones CC, has re-enrolled at Jones CC. He talked to Sanders' dad and no explanation was given.

01/11/97 - It saddens me to have to post this item. One of Mississippi State's all time greatest players, "Shorty" McWilliams died Thursday. He was 70. Bob Hartley, MSU's former SID, said Shorty may have been the best football player ever at Mississippi State. I know I speak for all of you when I say the Miss State Bulldog family sends their deepest sympathies to Shorty's family. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

01/11/97 - Go to The Clarion-Ledger's Top 40 to see who is considering Miss State.

01/11/97 - The Huntsville Times reported that Wayne Madkin will visit Miss State this weekend. He indicates he is ready to make a decision. He is to visit Kentucky on Jan 25th, and is talking with Alabama about setting one up there. He said, "If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Mississippi State....." (Smart Kid - Gene). Lynn Amedee, who appears to be an outstanding recruiter from all that I have been hearing, has been recruiting Madkin for the Bulldogs.

01/11/97 - Miss State, according to Mississippi Sports Talk Radio Show, has received a commitment from a standout Georgia player. Did anyone hear the show that mentioned the player? I would like to have a name.

01/11/97 - Look for Barrin Simpson and Kevin Sluder to push for starting positions this spring. Supposedly, they have made strong impressions with the people that count.

01/11/97 - Has anyone heard of a Kevin Bell, a RB from Texas? It has come to my attention that he may be interested in State. He may be a Texas Juco player. Email me if you know something.

01/11/97 - Here's more players supposedly leaning to Miss State:

Kenric Fairchild - DT, 6-5 300, from Greenville (2.8 GPA, Don't know his ACT score)

Floyd Womack - OT, 6-4 325, from Cleveland (Qualified)

Dulymus McAllister - RB, 6-2 200, from Morton (Qualified)

Armark Tolbert - DB, 6-1 185, 4.6 (Grade problems-Likely Juco placement), from Augusta, GA.

01/10/97 - To all of you Bulldog fans, I need info to post to this page. If you see or hear anything, please email it to me. I am only one person with limited access to Bulldog recruiting info. Help me out. Don't assume that I know what you know. I would really like to know what players are visiting State this weekend and all of the weekends up to signing day. Any piece of info will be greatly appreciated.

01/09/97 - According to an article in the Sun-Herald's online site, Miss State is recruiting several Gulf Coast players: Biloxi DL Kenneth Lunzy (6-4 235 5.0) 1st Team All-Region 4-5A; Ocean Springs LB Heath Allen, 1st Team All-Region 4-5A; Hancock DL Jud Necaise and Alan Thompson; Pascagoula DL Jermaine McGilberry,1st Team All-Region 4-5A member. According to the article, Ole Miss and Southern Miss are also recruiting these Players. (Sorry, the Sun-Herald does not archive it's articles. It's only there for one day.)

01/09/97 - There is a rumor going around that Shalando Jones may sign with Ohio State and be placed in a prep school. I would like to have him, but with the WRs we've got coming in, he is not that high of a priority, IMO.

01/09/97 - Just got word from what I consider a VERY reliable source that said Warren Central WR Thad Bridges is going to transfer to Alcorn State, not Miss State, as I earlier posted.

01/09/97 - According to the Orange and Blue Auburn recruiting site, Kendall Simmons committed to Auburn Tuesday night.

01/08/97 - Look for former Warren Central star WR Thad Bridges, 6-0 185, 4.5, to transfer from Rice to Miss State. He was considered one of Mississippi's top 15 players coming out of high school two years ago. Southestern Recruiting rated him a 4 out of a possible 5. That publication said he is a super player. The Clarion-Ledger had him listed in their top 25.

01/08/97 - Orlando Dantzler has deleted Ga. Tech from his list. He previously had dropped Alabama and Notre Dame. It is now a Southern Miss, Miss State, Ole Miss battle. There is no clear cut leader at this time. This is from a source who saw and heard Dantzler say this.

01/08/97 - (DORSETT DAVIS UPDATE) - According to a very solid source of mine, Dorsett Davis will sign with Miss State.

01/07/97 - Here's what Borders Wars says about some players Miss State is recruiting:

01/07/97 - Dorsett Davis, according to a source of mine, may be leaning to Miss State as I mentioned earlier. Stay tuned............

01/06/97 - According to The Clarion-Ledger and Super Prep, the only team now on Dantzler's list that was on it at the end of summer is Miss State. Both of them show that his list, at that time, consisted of Miss State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Florida State. Does this mean we have a better chance than the other three, Ole Miss, Ga. Tech and Southern Miss, of signing him, I don't know. But at least it shows he has always had Miss State under consideration.

01/06/97 - Supposedly Miss State has taken the lead on Ellis Wyms, the TE from Gentry HS, Indianola, Ms. Ole Miss is #2.

01/06/97 - Terrance Sykes, 6-6 280 OL, from Grenada, Ms. will be visiting Miss State. He is also going to visit Alcorn State and Ole Miss.

01/05/97 - Sometimes our coach, Jackie Sherrill, gets criticized by the media and some fans of other schools and even fans of Miss State. In my opinion, the man can flat out coach football and this year he is proving, along with his staff, he can also recruit extremely well. But, these things aren't what this post is about. There is another side to Jackie that very seldom gets published in the media. A letter in The Clarion-Ledger's Sunday edition expresses that better than I ever could. It is written by John Clark Packer. Here are his words: "There is another side of Sherrill I would like the public to know. I am a 15-year-old who has a lung disease called cystic fibrosis. When I was in the hospital recently I received a special phone call. Yes, coach Sherrill called me and gave me a field pass like he has done for the past three years. He asked me to ride the bus with the team to Memphis for the first game. He personally donates money to the children's hospital. The caring coach always asks about my health. I just wish you knew the side of coach Sherrill I know. I am just hapy to know that I have a friend who cares about me and treats me like his own son."

01/05/97 - Look for my Top 30 Mississippi football players' list Wednesday, January 8th. My list will be based on what I have read and heard about the players in Mississippi. I have not seen any of these players play; although, I do have sources who have.

01/05/97 - Thanks to Doug, the maintainer of the Ole Miss' online recruiting site Rebel Yell, for this info. Mike Jefferson, 6-6 320 OL from Gossmont CC in California, has Ole Miss, Miss State, Kentucky and Louisville listed as the schools he is considering. According to Doug, Ole Miss may be the leader at this point.

01/04/97 - According to Kevin Henderson of MISSISSIPPI HOOPS, Miss State is in the lead for Dearell Handford, DT from Moss Point. We are also co-leaders with Auburn for the services of Kendall Simmons, the outstanding DT from Ripley. Ole Miss is also in the picture as is Alabama (Bama supposedly has offered).

01/04/97 - The latest rumors on Brian Darden, if he isn't allowed to rejoin the Tenn team, are he is transferring to University of Memphis and Ole Miss. Now, that is a RB who will be spreading himself thin!

01/03/97 - Has Jackie started making inroads at Amory? According to a very reliable source of mine, Darius Brown, DT from Amory, has decided he will not be going back to Ole Miss when he graduates from Itawamba CC. Instead he will be going to Miss State. Stay tuned for further developments.........

01/03/97 - Only his hairdresser knows for sure. In a does he or doesn't he development; Mike Minott of Crosby, Tx. has Miss State on his list according to The Fort Worth Star Telegram, but according to the Houston Chronicle, Miss State is nowhere to be seen on his list. Heck if I know!

01/03/97 - One player from Texas that does have us on his list is Thomas Dunson, a 6-2 220 LB from Klein Oak HS, Houston, Tx. He is also considering LSU, OK St, Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor. Both Thomas Dunson and Mike Minott are listed in the top 100 players in Texas, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Mike is also on the Houston Chronicle's top 100 list.

01/03/97 - A source of mine has told me he has heard that Dorsett Davis has committed to Miss State. Has anyone else heard this rumor?

01/03/97 - According to Student Sports, Brad Elmore, a 6-5 320 OL, from Ricks JC (Idaho), has committed to Miss State. Sorry, no other info on him. Never heard of him before.

01/02/97 - Here's four more players that will be visiting Miss State, according to Southeastern Recruiting Alliance's 900 hotline (900/288-4546):

DL/OL Ernest Moore, 6-6 250 5.2, of Slidell, LA.
DL Kevin Thomas, 6-7 270 5.0, of Atlanta, GA.
RB Dewayne Woods, 5-8 185 4.4, of Slidell, LA.
OL Floyd Womack, 6-4 332, of East Side-Cleveland, MS.

01/01/97 - Kenyatta Walker, the outstanding OL from Meridian, will visit Miss State on Jan 17th. Also, in a surprise development, Orlando Dantzler, the Dandy Dozen DL from Purvis, MS., has dropped Alabama and Notre Dame from his list because of the recent coaching changes and is now considering Southern Miss, Georgia Tech, Miss State and Ole Miss. Another player I didn't even know Miss State was recruiting, LB Carlton Person, 6-1 220 4.6, recently committed to Alabama. He chose Alabama over Ole Miss, Miss State and North Alabama.

01/01/97 - According to Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Recruiting most recent newsletter, three players have Miss State at the top of their list:

QB Tyler Peterson of Louisiville, MS.
RB Kevin Jones of South Panola-Batesville, MS.
DL Kenric Fairchild of Greenville, MS.

01/01/97 - According to Southeastern Recruiting Alliance's 900 hotline (900/288-4546), three players Miss State will get January visits from are:

DL Muskingum Barnes of Moss Point, MS.
WR Ken Lucas of East Side-Cleveland, MS.
DL/OL Kendall Simmons of Ripley, MS.

On my page tomorrow, I will include 4 more players that are going to visit Miss State. I can't list all of the players, so if you want the complete list call the number above. It costs $1.69 a minute, but Bill King takes just a short time to list all of the players. Shouldn't cost more than $6.80.

If you have any information, please contact me at swindoll@ebicom.net.