December 1997 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

Click here to read about most of the football players Mississippi State is recruiting.

12/31/97 - Here is a list of several players Miss State is recruiting that well known recruiting guru Max Emfinger rates a 10:

This list is not all-inclusive. There are others, but I don't have Max's complete list. If you are interested in contacting him for a complete list and subscription to his newsletter, call him at 1-504-429-8005 (may take up to 10 rings before his answering maching answers if Max isn't there). BTW, Max is the only recruiting guru that knew how good Brandon Butler is.

12/31/97 - There has been so much talk about whether Magee, MS. running back Justin Griffith did or didn't commit to Miss State, I decided to do what I should have done in the first place; call Hattiesburg's radio station WDAM (the station that supposedly said he committed to MSU). After talking to Steve (Sports reporter for WDAM), I now realize what was posted on the internet (including my site) was incorrect. Griffith has not committed to Miss State. Thinking back on it, this completely makes sense with all that I have been told by reliable sources. According to my most reliable sources, Justin and Julius will not commit to Miss State until sometime in January, possibly early January. Just goes to show you, you should never rely on one source when posting something on the internet.

12/30/97 - A player from Forest Park, Ga. that Miss State is recruiting is Carl Hutchins, a 6-6, 280-lb offensive lineman. He is also being looked at by Clemson, Oklahoma State, East Carolina and Georgia Tech.

12/30/97 - Got this info from a Louisiana source of mine. Very informative info on several Louisiana players MSU is recruiting:

Josh Reed, I think he is the best senior running back in the state (better then Jonathon Wells, John Curtis HS, who is probably going to Ohio St.) I hear that he is going to decide between A&M and LSU but if we get a visit from him you never know.

B. Dawson, people at LSU are very surprised that he did not commit when he visited. If we get him on campus and let him meet Joe Lee then we might have a chance. He would be a very good noseguard.

B. Butler, the best passing senior quarterback in the state this year. LSU got on him late when Notre Dame got Arnez Battle. He played in a very tough district in New Orleans. We have a very good chance to get him.

B. Carey, Shaw H.S., I saw him play twice this year and I am very impressed with his quickness. He is a solid running back. I think he will make an excellent wide receiver in college. I saw him make some great catches. He caught a touchdown in a crowd in the state championship game that was very impressive. He has a little brother that is a sophomore who might be a better player than he is.

12/29/97 - Did you know MSU commitment Justin Griffith (Magee HS, Magee, MS) led the state in rushing yards with 2,459 yards on 324 carries (7.6 yard-per-carry average)? He also scored 30 TDs. And this was done on an ankle he hurt in the 1st game of the year. A source of mine who saw him play last year and this year has told me this kid could be something special in college.

12/29/97 - The rumor is Miss State is recruiting a WR from Indianola Gentry who is supposed to be a very good player. His name is Mario Young and get this, he caught 31 passes for 11 TDs and 1,111 yards (35.8 yards per catch, the best in the state this year).

12/29/97 - Here are several players from Louisiana that are considering Miss State according to the New Orleans' Times-Picayune:

The Top 24:

RB Michael Burks, Rummel, Has power to run through tacklers and enough speed to run away from defender. Gained 2,057 yards on 300 carries and scored 25 TD's. Choices are Tulane, Miss State, Texas A&M, USM, & Miami. Academically qualified.

RB Josh Reed, Rayne, As a senior, he rushed for 2,143 yards on 285 carries and scored 28 TD's. He scored 246 points in nine regular season games and averaged 27 yards per reception. He quit the team for one game during the season before returning. Not a blazer but is very strong with exceptional open field moves. Academically qualified with a 3.0 GPA. His coach says he has great vision and balance. Has visits set for Miss State, LSU & Texas A&M.

DT Byron Dawson, Evangel, Had 81 tackles, 11 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. 38 tackles were behind the line. Big strong player with exceptional pass rushing ability. Has core grades but needs test score. His visits are LSU, Tulane, Arkansas and Miss State.

States Other Top Players:

QB Brandon Butler, De La Salle, 6-2, 210, Very strong arm. Good all around athlete who can scramble and read defenses. Completed 126 of 278 passes for 1,999 yards and 19 TD's with 12 interceptions. Rushed for 251 yards and has 4.47 speed. Has core grades and should be OK on ACT. Will visit Tulane, Central Florida, Miss State, Georgia Tech & LSU.

QB Freddie Harrison, Westlake, 6-3, 190, MVP in district, Completed 143 of 252 passes for 2,247 yards and 20 TD's with 5 Interceptions. Has 4.55 speed. Wants to play QB in college. Grades are fine but close on ACT. Has visits set for Miss State, McNeese and Northeast La.

RB Brandon Carey, Shaw, 5-10 180, Rushed for 1,700 yards for State runner-up. Very elusive with 4.5 speed. Needs core grades and test score. Visits Miami, Miss State, Kansas State, USM & Northeast La.

WR James White (my mistake, I thought his name was Washington), De La Salle, 6-3, 190, Caught 47 passes for 663 yards and five TD's an average of 14.1 yards per reception. Has 4.5 speed. Has core grades but needs a passing test score. List Miss State, Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham & Central Fla.

12/28/97 - Hattiesburg HS's running back Robert Gillespie was interviewed by telephone on "Countdown to Signing Day" Saturday and gave his final four choices as Miss State, Notre Dame, Florida and LSU. He did say Ole Miss was still recruiting him but, if he stayed in-state, he would definitely be going to Miss State. Bascially, he said this of his four choices: He likes State because of the family atmosphere and he could play a lot as a freshman; he likes Notre Dame because of the tradition; Florida because Coach Spurrier knows how to get the ball in the hands of the best players; and LSU because they use a power running game.

Read into this whatever you want, but all I read is any of these four teams have a chance of signing him.

12/28/97 - Got a confimation from a source who talked to various inside folks in Greenwood and he confirms what Kevin Henderson mentioned: Greenwood HS's outstanding linemen Kendrick Wise and Marcus Greer are both heavily leaning to the Bulldogs. For some reason neither of these players are getting a lot of press, but they are both outstanding players a lot of schools would love to sign.

12/27/97 - Watch for this name: Carlos McNeary (5-9, 160, 4.5, WR) of Treadwell HS (Memphis, Tn.). The latest I hear is Miss State is in the picture with him. BTW, he is listed as the 19th best overall prospect in Tennessee by The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

12/27/97 - Here is the latest from Kevin Henderson, the number 1 authority on recruiting in Mississippi. BTW, if you subscribe to Dawgs' Bite you will read all this and more when you get your next issue:

Other players considering Miss State but headed to Juco for the next two years:

12/26/97 - The latest rumor I hear from sources very close to the situation is Montgomery-Lee (Ala.) defensive tackle Kenny Sears (6-4, 250, 4.9) is very strongly considering Miss State.

According to Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Football Recruiting Guide, Sears' " lateral quickness along the line of scrimmage has college coaches drooling with anticipation. From hash-to-hash, he might be one of the top three or four prospects in the Southeast."

12/26/97 - I was told very recently that James White (6-3, 175, 4.5,) of De LaSalle HS, New Orleans, La. does not have a low ACT score as has been mentioned by at least one recruiting analyst.

12/25/97 - I saw on one of the message boards that Magee running back Justin Griffith has committed to the Bulldogs. He is the second Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen to commit to the Bulldogs. This guy is a big-time commitment for the Bulldogs. I also expect his brother Julius to commit to the Bulldogs. Julius is not nearly as well known as Justin, but he has tremendous speed (4.4-4.5) and could turn out to be a very good defensive back. I'll review our early commitments and signees tomorrow. We may be having the best recruiting year since Coach Sherrill came on board.

12/25/97 - The latest word from a very reliable source is the twins Jason and Jeremy Carroll have indeed committed to Clemson. I received several emails that said they had not committed to Clemson. I was told that they have notified State that they will not be visiting.

12/25/97 - Don't let all this talk about Natchez's wide receiver Marco Minor leaning to Ole Miss disturb you too much. My sources tell me we are doing just fine with Marco.

12/25/97 - I noticed on one of the message boards that recruiting analyst Neal McCready said Ripley HS's running back Rico McDonald is about to commit to Miss State. Nothing to it. My sources tell me Miss State is not even recruiting Rico. He is a great back, but there doesn't seem to be a spot for him.

12/24/97 - I've talked about Miss State signee Ashley Cooper appearing to be a really nice individual, but that was from someone who met him for just a few minutes. This next bit of info confirms what my source said about Ashley. A good friend of Ashley Cooper's said Ashley is very excited about playing for Miss State and also said Ashley is a great guy who just happens to be a great football player. It's always nice to know Miss State signs quality people as well as quality athletes.

12/23/97 - The latest Robert Gillespie info from a source of mine who talked to Robert's mother (a very, very nice lady according to my source): Robert visited LSU this past weekend and LSU "rolled out the red carpet." His visit went well, according to his mother. She said his head is still in the clouds after the visit and it would take some time for him to come back down to earth. She said Robert visited Illinois last week and the feeling my source had after talking to her, was it went OK, but nothing special. She also said if Robert stayed in-state he would definitely go to Miss State. According to my source, Robert had heard some negative things about Miss State but when he visited (his mother said he had a great time there) he found out all that he had heard was untrue. BTW, his mother, after talking to Jackie Sherrill, liked him very much. My source formed the opinion, after talking to Robert's mother, that it would come down to LSU and Miss State.

12/23/97 - The latest rumor is LSU has "discovered" De LaSalle quarterback Brandon Butler and is now actively recruiting him. The word I get is Butler told LSU he is not interested, because he wants to be a Bulldog. BTW, isn't it nice to know our coaches seem to "discover" talented players that some would call sleepers before other coaches from other schools do? Just goes to show you how talented our coaches are at evaluating talent.

12/23/97 - Curtis Fagan a DB from Mayde Creek High School in Katy, Texas, has been selected to the First-Team Defense for the Greater Houston Area, by the Houston Chronicle. Curtis lists MSU as one of the schools that he is interested in attending. He plans to visit MSU sometime around mid to late January.

His profile printed in the 12/21 issue of the Houston Chronicle, is as follows:

"The senior defender is not afraid to mix it up with the big boys. Was in on 88 tackles, picked off three passes, recovered four fumbles and forced four others. Averaged 28.4 yards per interception return. Blocked nine kicks in his career. Said coach Joe Sheffey: "He was our eraser back there. We knew as long as as he was in the game, a team had to drive a long way to score. He can dominate a game in all phases."

12/22/97 - A source close to the situation says that Miss State is very interested in Aberdeen's outstanding running back Billy Blanchard (6-1, 210, 4.5). So far, Arkansas State and Southern Miss have offered. Ole Miss has also showed interest. He is very close to making the required ACT score and is also close on his core classes.

12/22/97 - Max Emfinger, who has 18 years experience covering recruiting, selects an All-American Juco Team each year. According to his list, the following Juco All-Americans are considering MSU:

He also includes all three of Miss State's early signees (Cooper, Shivers and Gibson) on his Top 90 list.

If you are interested in subscribing to the Max Emfinger's National Bluechips Newsletter, you can contact Max by phone at 1-504-429-8005 or write to him at: P.O. Box 3041, Hammond, LA. 70404. I highly recommend it.

12/22/97 - According to The Clarion-Ledger, Weir (MS) HS's Dicenzo Miller plans on visiting Miss State (Jan 9th), Clemson (Jan 16th), Ole Miss (Jan 23), and Illinois (Jan 30th). BTW, the weekend beginning Jan 9th is the weekend Miss State plays Kentucky in basketball. Don't be surprised if we have a lot of recruits in that weekend. Be on your best and loudest behavior at the game.

Here is a quote from Miller: "I feel like I need to stay close to home where my parents and friends can see me play. I hope I can sign the first day. If I don't, I'll just take my time and think more about it." The part about wanting his parents and friends to see him play sounds very similar to what MSU commitment Alvin McKinley said.

12/22/97 - Miss State commitment Edward "Pig" Prather was selected the Tupelo Daily Journal 1997 Player Of The Year. What did he do to deserve this great honor? Check this out:

Offense:

Defense:

What did opposing coaches say about him, you ask?

Mike Ray, Calhoun City: "He's the best all-around player we faced all year. He's a threat anywhere on the field, it doesn't matter whether he's on offense or defense. You have to locate him. He's just so physical and he's around the football every play."

Jim Drewry, Booneville: "He was the best all-around football player we played. He's got that instinct you've got to have to go to the football. He's got that feel for where the football is and the speed to get there."

Jamie Mitchell, Ripley: "He's the best player we saw all year, bar none. He's got something you can't coach and don't teach. He's pretty much the total package."

Dwight Bowling, Smithville: "He's a danger to break a play at any time. Where he killed us was on defense. I don't remember a year since (1993) that he hasn't intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown against us."

According to Max Emfinger's National Blue Chips Newsletter, Prather is the 11th best running back in the country; 6th best in the Southeast/Southwest area.

12/22/97 - Here is a bit of info about a player Miss State is recruiting. According to The Clarion-Ledger, Amite County HS offensive lineman Brad Weathers (6-5+, 320), who is a Mormon, will play one year of college ball, then go on a two-year mission, then come back to college. So far, Louisiana Tech has told him they will agree to that. Brigham Young University has talked to him, but he prefers to play in the SEC, preferably at Miss State, who is recruiting him. To quote Brad: "I'll probably go there (MSU) if I can."

12/22/97 - The Fort Worth Star Telegram has three recruiting categories; 1. National Top 100, 2. State Top 100, and 3. Area Top 50. The area refers to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. Miss. State is mentioned as follows:

National Top 100:
Robert Gillespie - RB, Hattiesburg, 5-10 185, LSU, FL, ND, Ole Miss, Miss State
Robert Malone - DL, Pritchard Blount, AL., 6-4 255, Aub, Al, Tenn, Miss St

State Top 100:
Curtis Fagan - DB, Katy Mayde Creek, 5-11 170, Miss St, TxA&M, Iowa, Kan, UT. (Houston Tx Area)

Area Top 50:
Carnell Green - DB, Sam Houston, 5-10 195, UTEP, Vandy, Tulsa, Miss St. (Arlington, TX)

12/21/97 - The latest word on Ackerman's outstanding DE Conner Stephens: According to a source of mine, Stephens' mother is very impressed with the fact that Miss State has graduated at least 70% of it's football players 7 straight years. Somebody needs to also tell her Miss State led the league with 22 All-SEC Academic players this year. When it comes to academics, Miss State is second to none.

12/21/97 - I heard conflicting reports on Starkville's QB Freddie Milons yesterday. One said his final three choices are Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The other info I received was that it would ultimately come down to Ole Miss and Miss State. I wish I could tell you one source is more reliable than the other one, but they are both solid sources. I would venture to guess that Milons is really involved with the recruiting process and is really not sure himself. I guess it will all depend on who he visits. It is extremely rare for a player to commit to a school he doesn't officially visit.

12/21/97 - Just a reminder: Edward "Pig" Prather is listed as #12 on "The Zone's Top 100 Prospects" according to Bobby Burton. The address is http://espnet.sportszone.com/ncf/features/00356610.html

12/21/97 - The Huntsville Times (Dec 20th) reports that Auburn have lost their top two quarterback recruits and will now key on Terrence Edwards of Sandersville, Ga. and Gabe Gross of Northview, Al. What makes this significant is there is no mention of Hinds CC quarterback T.T. Tolivar. In my opinion, this bodes well for Miss State.

12/20/97 - Just thought you guys would enjoy this bit of recruiting news. This is not your normal recruiting post. One of my sources had the chance to talk to one of our early Juco signees, Ashley Cooper (Co-Lin, DB, 5-11, 195, 4.5). He said Ashley is very articulate, honest and straight forward and seemed to be extremely proud that he did well enough academically to be eligible for January enrollment at a four year school (MSU of course). My source came away not only impressed with Ashley but with our coaches for recruiting such a fine person. As David Wilson has been telling Bulldog fans at various functions across the South, Miss State is recruiting players who are good students, good citizens and good people. Ashley Cooper seems to be a perfect example of that fact.

12/20/97 - More Reggie Myles: Sources in the know in Pascagoula seem to think Reggie is definitely leaning to Miss State. And according to these souces, schools are still very, very interested in Reggie since Southern Miss, Florida, Miss State, Florida State and Alabama among others come by practically every day to talk to him.

12/19/97 - The Dallas Morning News Area Top 100 players list had the following players as interested in MSU:

12/19/97 - A couple of players that Miss State looked at, signed or committed to the following schools: East MS CC (via New Hope, MS.) standout Michael Bailey signed with Arkansas State Tuesday. Also, New Albany's Tanner Allen, MSU Bulldog center Eric Allen's brother, committed to UAB.

12/19/97 - One other thing that was mentioned on Talk SEC the other night; Hinds CC quarterback T.T. Tolivar was mentioned as a possible Miss State lean.

12/19/97 - According to a source of mine who is from the Gulf Coast, Pascagoula HS's Reggie Myles may be adding Alabama back into his mix. Supposedly, according to my source, he really liked the DB coach at Clemson and, just recently, Alabama hired this coach. So don't be surprised to see Clemson deleted and Alabama added to his list of five schools he will visit. Also, according to my source, Reggie is very, very close to having the necessary academic requirements to be eligible to play D-I football next year.

12/18/97 - Click here to read an outstanding Alvin McKinley article written by The Clarion-Ledger's Sekou Smith. If you want to see The Clarion-Ledger's Top 25 Juco Players list, click here (McKinley's #1).

12/18/97 - According to the Dallas Morning News, MSU commitment Edward "Pig" Prather is one of the top 100 players in the country.

12/18/97 - In the can't win them all category: According to yesterday's Chattanooga Times, Jason and Jeremy Carroll both offensive linemem from Dalton, Ga, have both committed to Clemson. This comes after a visit in their home by the Clemson head coach. They have not had their official visit to Clemson to date, which is scheduled for 1-9-98. They cancelled their visits to Miss. State, UGA, GaTech, and whoever else was on their visit list.

12/17/97 - I just wanted all of you to know David Wilson contacted me today and wanted me to tell all of you who called him he appreciates your kindness and show of support. One other thing he wanted me to mention; he cannot talk about specific players, so, if you call him, please refrain from asking him about specifics. We don't want to get in trouble with the NCAA do we?

12/17/97 - I've read about the rumored private commitment of Reggie Myles to Miss State. All I can say is I know nothing about it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. As far as I'm concerned, private commitments are very iffy at best. In this day and age of the early publicized commitments, if a player of Reggie Myles' caliber had committed, it would make a newspaper somewhere. As to whether he will qualify, who knows. According to Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Football Recruiting Guide (the Mississippi portion was written by recruiting analyst and Ole Miss fan Glen Waddle) he has a 19 ACT score and, supposedly, at least a 2.5 core. BTW, don't let anybody lead you into believing teams are backing off of Reggie. The only ones saying that are the ones that would love to sign him but know they have no chance.

12/17/97 - Did you guys know that Justin and Julius Griffith wrote, while in a who's who contest, they wanted to go to Miss State? Did you also know their father was seen ringing a cowbell at one of Magee's playoff games? There is also talk among opposing teams' fans that Justin can only run the 40 in 4.7. I don't have the slightest idea if this is true or not, but it makes me wonder how many defensive players have got up off the ground and said, after Justin has run over them, "that guy may only run a 4.7 forty but it sure is hard to tell when he is stomping you in the ground as he runs over you." Come on up to Miss State Justin and Julius, we would be honored to have both of you on our football team.

12/17/97 - Here is a list of Miss State recruits that are listed on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 (I will not vouch for the accuracy of this list, but it's fun to read this kind of stuff):

12/17/97 - According to yesterday's Time-Picayune (New Orleans), Leonard Scott of Zachary (La) HS has committed to Tennessee. Miss State, North Carolina, Fla State, and LSU were also recruiting Scott.

12/16/97 - I know some of you have read or heard that Miss State's outstanding Director of On-Campus Recruiting, David Wilson has been rumored as a possible candidate for a similar position at Florida State and Alabama. What the heck, I told myself, we need to know the facts, so I decided to call David and see what was up. These are his comments:

David said he loves being at Miss State and is not looking for a job elsewhere. He has not been contacted by any Florida State or Alabama officials and if he was, he would talk it over with Coach Sherrill before deciding what to do. David did say, as most coaches would, he would eventually like to get back on the field as an on-the-field coach as well as continue his duties as a recruiting coordinator and ultimately be a head coach.

After talking to David, I feel he really wants to stay at Miss State because he really does appear to love what he is doing. With that said, I also know, because he (along with all the other coaches) is so good at what he does (he predicts MSU may be headed for a Top 15 recruiting year) there is a good chance he will be contacted by Alabama and/or Florida State. The thing I liked while talking to him is he seems to be developing a loyality to Miss State and it will have to be a great offer for him to leave. Guys, it wouldn't hurt if you would call the Miss State Football Office at (601) 325-2534 and let them know how much you support David Wilson and the other coaches. We don't want to lose any of them.

12/16/97 - Calling all Tuscaloosa county (Ala.) sources: Anybody know anything about a player by the name of Buck Pettus? I was told that Miss State is looking at him as a football/baseball prospect.

12/16/97 - This news comes from a very reliable University of Illinois source: Connie Moore, a player Miss State is recruiting, verbally committed to Illinois last week. Two other Miss State recruits, Robert Gillespie and Kwenda Hodges both visited Illinois this past weekend. My source talked to Gillespie extensively and was told by Gillespie that he had visited Miss State and would visit LSU this week, then Florida and Notre Dame. If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt my source (he is an Illini fan who has no connections to Miss State), it looks like Gillespie's five official visits are Miss State, Illinois, LSU, Florida and Notre Dame.

12/16/97 - According to a source of mine who has very good Auburn connections, Auburn is looking at Hinds CC quarterback T.T. Tolivar as a wide receiver or defensive back. His Auburn sources (who he says are VERY knowledgeable about Auburn recruiting) say Tolivar is too small to play quarterback. If this is true, expect Tolivar to sign with State because he wants to play QB and Miss State is recruiting him as a QB.

12/15/97 - Here is a little info on MSU commitment Kyle Wallace. Kyle, recently named 1st Team Private School All-State, has great feet and a great work ethic to go along with his trememdous size (6-6+, 295-lbs). According to my source, Kyle has a strong lower body but needs to work on his upper body strength. With a good strength program, he could easily play at 340 pounds in college.

I know some folks have said that Preston McDonnell (6-5, 270), from Copiah Academy, may be the best offensive lineman in the Mississippi academy ranks this year, but if head to head competition is any indicator, then Kyle is a much better player at this point in their careers. Kyle and Preston went head to head this year (they both play on the offensive and defensive lines) and, according to my source, Kyle was easily the better of the two during that game. In fact, my source said Kyle dominated Preston. Now, I'm not trying to downgrade Preston, but the best way to evaluate a player is to see how he does against one of the best and during this one game, Kyle was the better of the two.

12/15/97 - The latest word is Miss State is doing very well with the recruitment of Hinds CC Quarterback T.T. Tolivar. This guy is a super prospect and will have a tremendous impact with whoever he signs with (hopefully the Bulldogs). I have also heard Miss State is doing very well with his teammate defensive lineman Roosevelt Brown. Roosevelt, while not getting the same attention as Holmes CC defensive lineman Alvin McKinley, is a truly outstanding defensive lineman who will have an immediate impact wherever he goes.

12/15/97 - I was told that Miss State has not given up on Ferriday, La. defensive linebacker Jeremy Lawrence. Look for this battle to go down to the wire. When you have a recruiter like Glenn Davis after a player you never say die. Glenn is one of the best recruiters around, folks.

12/14/97 - Here is an absolutely wonderful article by Tom Day of College Sports News. It is the feature story on their front page. It really makes you appreciate what our players and coaches accomplised under very difficult circumstances this past football season.

12/14/97 - According to the Forrest Davis Recruiting Guide, the 48th best prospect in Texas, DE Beau Hodges (6-4, 238, 4.7) from Elysian Fields will visit MSU January 9th. He is also considering Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

12/14/97 - The latest word from Magee, Miss: Justin and Julius Griffith are Miss State leans. MSU coaches visited the Griffiths this past week and, from what I was told, it went very well. I was also told that Southern Cal is expected to have an in-home visit this weekend. Southern Miss is also in the running for Justin and I also was told Ole Miss' Tuberville made a personal visit to one of Magee's games this past football season. Sounds like Justin and Julius are well thought of throughout the college community. BTW, according to my sources, the Griffiths definitely want to stay in-state.

12/13/97 - Edward "Pig" Prather is officially visiting Miss State this weekend. And yes, according to well-informed sources, he is rock solid with his commitment to Miss State. Next rumor?

12/13/97 - The lastest info I have on MSU commitment Ashley Cooper (5-11, 195): he is very fast (4.5), very strong and will hit you into next week. He is the top defensive back in the state (All-State) and one of the tops (#2 behind Robert Bean of Georgia Millitary College) in the South (south encompasses Miss, Georgia and Texas) according to Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Football Recruiting Guide. Great publication. Buy it if you see it.

This guide also rates MSU commitment Wes Shivers as the 2nd best offensive lineman in the South trailing only Kendric Lott of Jones County J.C.

They also rate MSU commitment Alvin McKinley as only one of only three defensive linemen in the South that are rated a perfect 10. The other two are Ronald Moore of Hinds CC and Casey Godwin of Jones County J.C.

MSU commitment Rod Gibson is rated the top fullback in the south and one of the four best running backs overall in the south.

Looks like Jackie Sherrill and crew are going to have another outstanding Juco recruiting class. The difference from last year is MSU is also going to have a great high school class to go along with the Jucos.

12/13/97 - Here is another player Miss State is involved with: Mark Myers, RB, Powder Springs, GA. 5-11, 175, Schools - MSU, NC ST, SC.

12/12/97 - Miss State's three December Juco signees will be:

12/12/97 - I'm just wondering: what in the world is going on with the people on the message boards? I have never seen such craziness in my life. Guys, settle down. I realize some Rebel fans are brimming over with happiness because Coach Tuberville is not leaving to go to Arkansas and they want to, what I guess they consider, rub it in. That's find. It's only natural because they appear to believe the man can walk on water. So let them enjoy themselves a little bit. If you don't like what they post on our message board ignore it. Do what I'm doing, be proud of what we have at Miss State and enjoy the beginnings of a great recruiting year. Who knows, maybe football will have a top 15 recruiting year just as basketball and baseball have had. When you have Jackie Sherrill and his assistant coaches recruiting like they are this year, you can expect some great recruits to come on board.

12/12/97 - Former Dandy Dozen football player Darius Brown (6-1, 275) of Itawamba CC has committed to the Bulldogs. He signed with Ole Miss out of high school but was unhappy there and transferred to ICC. He will be a February signee.

12/12/97 - Miss State defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn has been in his office all week working his butt off getting prepared for next season. As far as I know, he is not headed to LSU. I'm sure he will be someone they will strongly consider, since he is the best defensive coordinator in the SEC, hands down, but that doesn't mean he will be signing with them.

12/12/97 - Jeremy Lawrence, from all indications, has decommitted from Miss State and is now committed to LSU. Oh well, you can't win them all. Besides, I only want players who really want to be Bulldogs.

12/12/97 - Where in the world did the Edward "Pig" Prather decommitment rumor start? Prather's heart and soul is with the Bulldogs. I'm sure he will have a lot of pressure put on him to decommit, especially since he has a 20 ACT test score and is such a tremendously talented player. Be prepared for a lot of rumors to fly around about Prather because it is a hard pill to swallow for the schools that were after this guy to lose him.

12/11/97 - Miss State's David Wilson will be at the Tishomingo County Football Banquet tonight. Go out and see him and let him know you are a Bulldog. I'm sure he will be glad to see you.

12/11/97 - Darius Brown of Itawamba CC, a player I haven't posted much info on, but who was mentioned by Kevin Henderson in the latest recruiting section of Dawgs' Bite is considering Miss State, Arkansas, Memphis and Kentucky. According to Kevin, Darius, who is 6-1, 263-lb, defensive lineman, is as strong as they come and plays hard. This wasn't in Dawgs' Bite, but the word I hear is Miss State has or will receive a commitment from Darius very soon. Congrats goes out to our football staff for quietly putting together another outstanding recruiting class.

12/11/97 - Jamie Newberg recruiting analyst for Border Wars was on the Bill Wahlberg show last night. Here are a few tidbits I remember from the show:

Jamie was extremely high on Ackerman's Conner Stephens. Said he, along with Will Overstreet, are the two best defensive linemen in the state of Mississippi this year. He said Miss State is really making a big-time push for Conner. Conner is drawing national attention from Notre Dame, Tennessee and many, many others.

Justin Griffith may be committing to MSU in the next few days (I question this myself, but that's what he said. I expect he and his brother, Julius, to commit to State, just not sure how soon). He also mentioned (this part is unreal) that Justin benches over 400 pounds and can bench-press 250 pounds 25 times. Truly amazing. Now I know why he runs over people so easily.

Miss State is not in the picture, according to Jamie, with Natchez WR Marco Minor. Minor, who is a great athlete but lacks great speed, is looking primarily at Ole Miss and maybe Florida. Jamie said he has good "football speed."

T.T. Tolivar, Hinds CC quarterback, has narrowed it down to Miss State and Auburn (slight lead). Jamie said T.T. is a very special athlete who will be a big-time player wherever he goes. Other schools that are trying hard to get involved with Tolivar are Arkansas, UCLA and Tennessee. This is a big, big-time player who makes truly special plays with the ball in his hands, according to Jamie.

Syniker Taylor (Gulfport HS) is a great athlete who has visited Miss State and Miami and will visit Florida, Ole Miss and Southern Miss. Syniker told Jamie he has no favorite at this time.

Brandon Butler (QB, 6-2, 205, 4.47, DeLaSalle HS in New Orleans) is leaning to Miss State, as is his teammate WR James Washington (6-3, 175, 4.5). Both, according to Jamie, are exceptional athletes. Both are being looked at by Tulane and Nebraskas as well as Miss State.

Dicenzo Miller, according to Jamie, will probably chose between Miss State and Ole Miss. He is a big-time running back who plays big in the big games.

Jamie said Starkville HS quarterback Freddie Milons is interested in LSU (slight lead), Alabama, Florida and FSU. He was going to continue with another name or two but Whalberg cut him off with a comment. Jamie said Milons is a spectacular runner.

12/10/97 - Thank you, Jackie Sherrill for....

.....being loyal to Miss State and it's fans.
.....being loyal to your players even when some fans may not agree with you.
.....hurting when we hurt (Keffer McGee's death).
.....not using Miss State as a stepping-stone for a better job.
.....taking undue criticism from opposing fans and media with no complaints.
.....dressing up like a clown for the amusement of sick children.
.....trying to get our beloved cowbells back every chance you get.
.....graduating over 70% of your players every year you have been at State.
.....being a class act.

But most of all, thank you Jackie Sherrill for being our coach and being proud of it.

12/10/97 - RUMOR: I have heard Copiah-Lincoln defensive back Ashley Cooper (8th best in the Juco ranks) has committed to the Bulldogs as has linebacker Bobby Pressley of Butler (KS) County CC. Like I said, this is a rumor, although a strong one.

12/10/97 - Here is the latest I know on various players Miss State is recruiting:

12/09/97 - J.C. Grid-Wire just published their Juco All-American team. Several players that Miss State is recruiting are on it:

To see a complete list of Mississippi Jucos that made the 1st and 2nd team go to my Mississippi Community College Skuttle-Butt section.

12/09/97 - The word from a very reliable source in Jackson is Hinds CC offensive lineman Wes Shivers has committed to the Bulldogs.

12/08/97 - According to Purple & Gold, Hattiesburg running back Robert Gillespie, who was at the Ole Miss - Miss State game, still has LSU as the leader for his services. I have been told by several of my sources, Robert is good friends with Pascagoula's Reggie Myles, a MSU lean, and may want to go to the same school as him. This is only a rumor at this point, so we'll just have to see how it goes.

12/08/97 - RUMOR: The latest Alvin McKinley info: According to one of my sources, Alvin McKinley (the top defensive line prospect in the state and one of the very best in the country) told him three days ago that he will be signing with Miss State so that he can play on the same team as his brother, Dennis (MSU fullback). I know some folks will say Alvin initially said he wanted to play against his brother in college. Obviously, that is no longer the case, according to Alvin himself. This same source also said Dicenzo Miller is still very strongly considering Miss State.

12/07/97 - RUMOR: The latest word is Alvin McKinley, one of the top juco defensive linemen in the country, is very seriously looking at the Bulldogs.

12/06/97 - This info comes from someone who very recently talked to Starkville HS quarterback Freddie Milons. Freddie said he has scheduled visits with Alabama and Tennessee and is working out visits with Florida and Florida State. The next part is an opinion by my source after talking to Milons: He believes Miss State is still high on Freddie's list, but that Freddie will ultimately choose between Alabama and Florida. This is recruiting and things have a way of changing, but this is the latest and most accurate Milons info I have.

12/06/97 - Attention Bulldog fans: There is nothing to the info about a QB from Auclair, Idaho by the name of Pierce Armstead committing to the Bulldogs. It's just someone having a little fun on the message board.

12/05/97 - The rumor is one of our coaches will be in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas this coming weekend. Also heard at least one of our coaches will be visting players in Texas. Last but not least, I have also heard our coaches were seen in Hattiesburg, Natchez and other parts of theMississippi Coast (Gulfport and Pascagoula maybe) the past few days. While we are all worrying about whether we will get in a bowl game, our coaches are working their tails off visiting players. And based on early rumors and returns (Edward Prather commitment), this hard work is going to pay off royally.

12/05/97 - The strong rumor out in recruiting land is Weir's Dicenzo Miller is a heavy lean to Miss State. I recently read that Reggie Myles is now an LSU commitment. Based on what I know, this is wishful thinking on LSU's part. I am also hearing Ackerman's Conner Stephens is looking, with great interest, at the in-state schools. Hopefully, this means he wants to stay close to home. If that is the reason, it sure is nice to know Miss State is only 20+ miles from Ackerman. I continue to believe, based on very reliable sources, that the Griffith brothers (Justin and Julius) are very interested in Miss State. I saw Justin this past weekend (I'm a booster so I didn't talk to him) at both the football and basketball games and I can say without hesitation, he is at least 6-0, maybe 6-1 (he was in the recruit walk and walked right pass me) and bears a striking resemblance to the late Keffer McGee. BTW, he was limping due to an ankle injury he received during the first part of the season. Bet none of you knew he has gained over 1,500 yards on a bad ankle. Now that is someone I would love to have on my team.

12/05/97 - Former Miss State football player Bobby Wallace was chosen as Temple's new head football coach. As most of you know, Bobby has coached at North Alabama the past several years and was a strong candidate to replace Jackie Sherrill as head football coach at Miss State if Jackie decided to leave. This is a major statement by Wallace and leads me to believe Coach Sherrill has decided Miss State is where he wants to finish his coaching career. I, for one, am as pleased as a Bulldog could be. Thanks, coach, for a great season. You, your assistants and especially the Miss State players did us proud.

12/04/97 - There is an every evening radio show statewide in South Carolina which includes a nightly segment on recruiting, particularly on guys who South Carolina or Clemson are involved with, or have been involved with at one time or another. Phil Kornblut is the host.

Tuesday night's show included two names of MSU significance:

As always, thanks to the person who provided this info to me. My email to you continues to not go through for some reason. Email me your phone number. I would like to talk to you.

One recruit I listed as a probable commitment to Miss State was Magee, MS. running back Justin Griffith. Justin, a Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection, is very interested in MSU, but has not committed as of this time. I feel I jumped the gun listing him as a commitment. Miss State is on very solid ground with him, but there is no verbal commitment from him at this time according to a couple of my most reliable sources.

12/01/97 - For those of you who are interested in how Hinds CC offensive lineman Wes Shivers is doing after his fight with three Ole Miss football players prior to the Ole Miss - Miss State game; he is doing fine. From what I was told, there are no lasting effects from his minor injuries.

12/01/97 - Here is the (Tupelo, MS.) Daily Journal Edward "Pig" Prather commitment article by Bobby Pepper, Sports Writer:

Falkner's Edward "Pig" Prather said he's had enough of the constant phone calls and badgering by people asking where he plans to play college football.

So Prather, one of the state's top high school senior players, decided Saturday morning to end all the talk by announcing his plans to sign with Mississippi State.

"People have been calling me and bugging me every week asking where I'm going to go," said the 6-foot-2, 190-pound tailback/free safety. "I went ahead and made my decision to get them off my back."

National signing day for high school senior football players is Feb. 4.

Prather said picking Mississippi State was no spur-of-the-moment decision. He said MSU was on the top of his list of prospective schools, which included Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas.

"I think it's the best place for me," he said. "I like the coaches, the program, the facilities. They seem like they know what they're doing down there."

The senior running back was selected as the No. 1 high school recruit in Northeast Mississippi by the Daily Journal and the No. 11 recruit in the entire state before the 1997 football season.

Prather carried the ball 179 times for 1,506 yards and 22 touchdowns in 1997 for the Eagles, who finished the season 7-3. He also scored six touchdowns via kickoff and interception returns.

Falkner was ineligible for the Class 1A playoffs because of probation, but was able to finish the year with an appearance in the Dixie Bowl in Sturgis.

As a junior, he caught the attention of college scouts by rushing for 1,610 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Prather, already a qualifier for NCAA freshman eligibility, said he also wanted to make his decision early so he could concentrate on basketball and school work. As a junior, he helped lead Falkner to the 1A boys state tournament and earned a spot on the Daily Journal's 1997 All-Area basketball team.