January 1998 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

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

01/31/98 - Click here to vote for the school you feel is having the best recruiting year in the SEC.

01/31/98 - The facts, not rumors, according to someone who knows the truth about Clarksdale HS Blue Chip football player Mario Haggan:

01/31/98 - The latest news on Conner Stephens: Will chose between Miss State and Alabama. I'm not going to give my feelings on this one. I thought Dicenzo Miller was going to Ole Miss and look what happened. Might jinx MSU if I say something.

01/31/98 - According to my Louisiana sources:

Here is a little story that was published in the New Orleans Times Picayune: Brandon Butler, after his visit to LSU, told his coach LSU had turned his head and he was going to sign with them. His high school coach, Coach Mathews, told him to sleep on it. The next morning Brandon came to school and said he wanted to stay with his original commitment ---- to Mississippi State. BTW, according to my source, MSU is getting a future All-SEC quarterback.

01/31/98 - According to various newspapers and recruiting gurus, Natchez WR Marco Minor has committed to Miss State.

01/30/98 - The Greater Jackson Bulldog Boosters are sponsoring a great signing day (Wednesday, Feb. 4th) party you have to check out. The party will be at the Primos Northgate Convention Center (Jackson, MS.) from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Coach Jackie Sherrill, Assistant Coach Glenn Davis and Football Administrative Assistant David Wilson will be guests. Contact Bobbie Raines for information.

If you live in the Jackson area, this will be a great event to go to. You get to hear how recruiting went from the experts and help the Greater Jackson Bulldog Boosters spread the word about the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

01/30/98 - Here is the latest word on players MSU is recruiting:

01/29/98 - The Clarion-Ledger's Player-of-the-Year, Dicenzo Miller, followed his heart, and committed to the Bulldogs Wednesday night. The Clarion-Ledger should have more info in their Thursday edition.

01/29/98 - It looks like Miss State is one of the final two choices for the following players:

01/28/98 - Check out The Clarion-Ledger Thursday morning. I heard they may have info about who Dicenzo Miller has committed to. Noticed I posted this on my Miss State Skuttle-Butt section.

01/28/98 - Kenny Sears was on a Montgomery radio station last night and confirmed that he would be a Bulldog. He also said he has cancelled his visit to Auburn.

01/28/98 - This was in The Houston Chronicle last week regarding MSU's new committment, Kevin Sijansky. "I really liked the campus, players and coaches," said Sijansky, who plans on majoring in biology and hopes to eventually go to medical school. "I felt it was a winning program and I liked the attitude there. They cared about academics, too. Their main goal was to graduate their players."

01/28/98 - According to a Montgomery Talk Show and Bill King of WLAC, MSU commitment Michael Burks has committed to Auburn. My only comment is the latest word I have is he is still a MSU commitment. It seems everybody wants our recruits. Just goes to show you what kind of talent we are going to sign this year.

01/28/98 - Here's the latest from Tuesday's Huntsville Times:

Alabama, Auburn get Commitments: Alabama got a linebacker and Auburn got a defensive linemen Monday. Neither was a surprise. Darius Gilbert (6-2, 210) of Oxford said he would sign with Alabama, canceling a visit to Tennessee. Derrick Magwood (6-4, 230) of Savannah, Ga., said he would sign with Auburn.

Alabama has 23 public commitments, Auburn has 18.

Gilbert, No. 4 on The Times' Elite 11 list of the state's top college prospects, had 125 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions as an Oxford senior. He blocked two punts and two extra points.

Magwood was in on 108 tackles, had nine sacks, broke up three passes, caused six fumbles and recovered four fumbles. He is one of 30 players chosen to represent Georgia in the Georgia-Florida All-Star games, and he was named district Player of the Year. Groves High School head coach Chris Mahon says Magwood might have been overlooked some because he missed spring practice. "Because he failed a class, he had to sit out spring practice and the college coaches didn't see him," Mahon said. "That's why he didn't attract as much attention as some prospects." Magwood got his grades in order and is qualified. "He is very strong, very quick and explosive off the football," Mahon told Inside The Auburn Tigers magazine. "He has tremendous potential."

Waiting on Northern: Alabama has few scholarships left to give. One has been offered to Quincy, Fla., wide receiver Willie Northern, rated one of the top receivers in the Southeast. Northern says he will announce his decision Thursday. He has said for weeks he is leaning toward Auburn. He still said that Monday after a visit from Auburn head coach Terry Bowden. Alabama head coach Mike DuBose was expected to visit today. "At first I was big on Florida State, but then I decided I'd like to get away for college," Northern said. "Ever since then it's been AU, and it's still that way." Northern visited Auburn the weekend of Jan. 9, Tennessee on Jan. 16 and Alabama last weekend. "I had a real good visit to Bama, but it just wasn't Auburn," Northern said. "In Auburn, everything was perfect -- the people, the academics, the town, everything."

Shanks High School head coach Andy Gay says Northern will be a big-play man in college. "He's got good size and good speed," Gay told Alliance Sports. "He makes some outstanding catches. He has been outstanding for us and he is going to make a great college player." Gay said Northern is also impressive off the field. "Whoever he plays for, he will not embarrass them," Gay said. "He is a quality person who will get it done on and off the field."

Maybe it's Ole Miss: Running back Francisco Kelly of Moss Point, Miss., was expected to announce his decision today. Though he has said for months that Auburn was his leader, the Tigers because of lingering academic questions apparently have not yet offered him a scholarship. If he announces today as scheduled, it appears likely that he will commit to Ole Miss.

Bama, AU lose recruits: Alabama missed out on a highly rated linebacker over the weekend when Chris Woods of Orlando chose Florida State. He'd narrowed his choices to the Seminoles and the Tide. Linebacker Shevin Marshall of Homestead, Fla., chose Miami over Auburn. Auburn also lost out on wide receiver Broderick Nelson of Hollywood, Fla., who chose Michigan State. Nelson visited Auburn on the weekend of Jan. 16, along with teammate Jimel Cofer. Auburn did not offer Cofer a scholarship.

01/27/98 - If any of you are having recruiting parties, let me know about them and I'll post them on my page. Several folks have asked me if I know of any. We have a lot to celebrate, so let's do it together. You can celebrate while checking my page. I will be udating continuously with the latest signees.

01/27/98 - Miss State is looking at Cody Conner (6-4, 335), from Mansfield, Texas. Not sure if State is going to offer, but Cody was quoted in the Fort Worth Star as saying "if they offer a scholarship, then I'll probably commit." Cody is considered one of the better offensive linemen in Texas. MSU commitment Shawn Byrdsong visited Texas but reaffirmed his commitment to Miss State.

01/27/98 - Here's the latest from Monday's Huntsville Times:

Vigor's versatile Jones commits to Tide: Vigor's Damien Jones committed to Alabama and two Floridians chose Auburn as college football recruiting season moved toward its final week. Jones, who played quarterback at Vigor, was recruited as an athlete. "I committed to Coach (Jeff) Rouzie on Friday," Jones told Alliance Sports. "I like Alabama. I like their school." Jones, who has yet to qualify academically, is projected as a possible first-round pick in the major league baseball draft. He has said he would be interested in playing both sports. He chose Alabama over Auburn and Tennessee.

Four Vigor players have made commitments -- Jones and offensive lineman Marico Portis to Alabama and linebacker Roderick Jones and defensive lineman T. J. Perine to Auburn.

Auburn got commitments Sunday from defensive end Brian Parchinski of Melbourne, Fla., and quarterback/athlete Shawn Bushong of New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Parchinski, 6-5 and 230 pounds, chose Auburn over Alabama, Clemson and Miami. "I really liked the atmosphere up there," Parchinski said. "The kids were real nice. It was real easy to meet people. Also, it's a great academic school and they play great football." Bushong, 6-4 and 238 pounds chose Auburn over Clemson, Kansas and Central Florida. He played quarterback in high school and will be given a chance to play quarterback at Auburn, but his future is almost certainly at another position. "I'm real impressed with the university," Bushong said. "It's not too big and it's not too small."

Alabama now has 22 commitments and Auburn 17. National signing day is Feb 4.

Hogs get running back: Running back Jonathan Adams of Osceola, Ark., once thought to be favoring Alabama, has committed to Arkansas.

Oxford linebacker deciding soon: Oxford High School linebacker Darius Gilbert, No. 4 on The Times Elite 11 list of the state's top college prospects, could announce his intentions as soon as today. He canceled a scheduled trip to Tennessee and is expected to commit to Alabama.

Wells still undecided: Running back Jonathon Wells of River Ridge La., went home from his Auburn visit still undecided. Wells said he would decide later this week among Auburn, North Carolina and Ohio State.

Louisiana center on AU's list: Center Torie Taulli of Marero, La., visited LSU over the weekend but did not commit. Taulli, one of Auburn's top two offensive line targets, is considering LSU, Auburn and Tulane.

Lineman backs out on AU: In a bizarre turn of events, offensive lineman Isaac Morford of Keystone Heights, Fla., has said he will sign with North Carolina. Morford called Auburn from North Carolina during his visit there and said he wanted to commit to the Tigers. Because of that, Auburn did not offer a scholarship to Ben Claxton of Dublin, Ga. Claxton then committed to Ole Miss. Morford, scheduled to make his official visit to Auburn last weekend, instead left a voice mail message that he had committed to North Carolina.

Tigers contending for Mississippi pair: Auburn has emerged as a contender for a pair of Mississippi players. Defensive end Conner Stephens, 6-5 and 245 pounds, and cornerback Antoine Shell, 5-11 and 180 pounds are expected to visit Auburn next weekend. Stephens was in on 85 tackles and had nine sacks last season. Shell intercepted two passes on defense and rushed for almost 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns as a tailback.

Juco linebacker likes Tide: Canari Knight of the City College of San Francisco, a junior college, apparently is leaning Alabama's way. Knight, a defensive end/linebacker, visited Alabama last weekend along with teammate Miguel Merritt, a defensive back. Merrit appears likely to choose California.

01/26/98 - Just got through listening to the Bill Wahlberg's Mississippi Sports Talk Show with recruiting analyst Max Emfinger as his special guest today. Here are a few comments by Max:

01/26/98 - Miss State picked up a huge commitment with the addition of Kenny Sears (6-4, 260, 4.9) from Lee HS, Montgomery, AL. Kenny is rated a 4+ by the Forrest Davis Football Recruiting Annual and a 9.50 by Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Football Recruiting Guide.

Other players of interest:

01/26/98 - No reliable word on recruits Reggie Myles, Conner Stephens, Dicenzo Miller (he, supposedly cheered for the Bulldogs at this weekend's game), Brandon Butler, Michael Burks or Jeremy Lawrence.

01/26/98 - Normally, the spring football game is part of Super Bulldog Weekend. However, there will be no spring football game this year. Spring practice is tentatively set to begin March 18 and run through April 9. Super Bulldog Weekend is Scheduled for April 24-26.

01/26/98 - Miss State football commitment Nick Floyd won a powerlifting contest (220-lb class) at Pontotoc this past weekend. He lifted a total of 1,420 pounds earning him the Best Heavyweight Lifter award. Teams that were in the contest were Pontotoc (the overall winner), Tupelo, Hatley, Aberdeen, Ripley, North Pontotoc and Nettleton.

01/25/98 - I just found out that Charlie Myles (Pascagoula, So, 6-0, 225) is not Reggie Myles' brother. Charlie is his cousin. He played linebacker and defensive lineman this past year.

01/25/98 - Obviously, reading the post below, Miss State commitment running back Michael Burks is not a solid commitment. He is visiting Auburn this weekend and Miami next. It seems he has become a hot commodity since he has made the required ACT test score.

01/25/98 - The latest from the Sunday edition of The Huntsville Times:

Moore Eliminates AU: Johnson High School defensive lineman Rashad Moore said Saturday night he has narrowed his choices to Alabama and Tennessee, eliminating Auburn. Moore cancelled his scheduled visit to Auburn this weekend. "I called the Auburn coaches and they were asking me why," Moore said. "There's not really any reason. I just decided it was going to be Alabama or Tennessee." Moore, No. 3 on The Huntsville Times Elite 11 list of the state's top prospects, visited Alabama last weekend and is scheduled to visit Tennessee next weekend. He said Saturday night he will decide where he will sign after his visit to Tennessee. "I'm not leaning either way right now," Moore said. Moore has not yet qualified academically.

High on Tide: Another of the state's top prospects, linebacker Darius Gilbert of Oxford, is apparently close to deciding to sign with Alabama. He's scheduled to go to Tennessee today, but said he was comtemplating canceling the trip.

Auburn's Florida pipeline: Auburn's pipeline to Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale apparently has not dried up. Wide receiver Mario Bynes and linebacker Xavier Lewis of Dillard are expected to commit to Auburn. Defensive lineman Josh Shaw, also recruited by the Tigers, is said to be leaning hard toward Michigan State. Bynes could be a particularly good catch for Auburn. He has been timed at 4.3 in the 40-yard dash and might be the fastest receiver in the state of Florida. Defensive lineman Charles Dorsey is the only current Auburn player from Dillard, but previous Dillard alumni who played at Auburn are Ottis Mounds, Frank Sanders, James Bostic, Calvin Jackson, Brian Robinson and James Roscoe.

One-week delay: John Capel of Brooksville, considered by some the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in Florida, postponed his Auburn visit until next weekend. He visited Florida this weekend and plans to announce a decision after visiting Auburn. Capel, obviously having trouble making up his mind, has already committed to Clemson, Florida and Miami.

Rich in running backs: Auburn looks to add to an already impressive running back class. Francisco Kelly of Moss Point, Miss., has favored Auburn since last fall, but there have been questions about his academic eligibility.

Jonathon Wells of River Ridge, La., committed to Ohio State, then rescinded that commitment. He is visiting Auburn this weekend and will apparently decide between Auburn and North Carolina.

A new name from the New Orleans area has entered the picture. Michael Burks, 6-0, 215 of Rummell High in Metarre, La., was not heavily recruited early because it seemed unlikely he would be eligible. Then he made the required test score and all that changed. Burks was scheduled to visit Texas A&M this weekend but changed his mind and visited Auburn after a visit from head coach Terry Bowden. He is scheduled to visit Miami next weekend and is also considering Mississippi State and Tulane. He rushed for 2,229 yards and 23 touchdowns on 118 carries last season.

Losing ground on linemen: Auburn could be losing out on its top two offensive line prospects. Isaac Morford of Keystone Heights, Fla., was scheduled to visit this weekend, then decide between Auburn and North Carolina. He left a voice mail message that he would not visit. No one at Auburn had talked to Morford late Saturday, but it seems likely he's headed for North Carolina.

Center Torie Taulli of Marrero, La., has long been considered a virtual lock for Auburn. But LSU, which withdrew a scholarship offer when Taulli wouldn't commit last fall, is back in the picture. Taulli visited LSU this weekend. The going opinion in Louisiana is that he will commit here early this week.

01/25/98 - Walkon redshirt freshman offensive lineman Sam Gregg has transferred to the University of North Alabama, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

01/24/98 - The latest rumors and facts that I have heard:

01/24/98 - Mary Ann and I went to the Tenth Annual Awards Banquet of the Mississippi State University Chapter National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and The CommuniGroup MSU Lineman of the Year Award Presentation (Whew, what a mouthful) last night. Scholar-Athlete awards were presented to a couple of high school athletes in Oktibbeha County; Lewis Neil Couvillion (Starkville HS) and McCager Dalton Garner (Starkville Academy). Former Bulldog football player Charles Weatherly was presented with a well-deserved Distinguished American Award. The late Bob Hartley was awarded the Contribution to Amateur Football Award (Mrs. Hartley accepted the award). The CommuniGroup Lineman of the Year Award was won by Miss State center Eric Allen. CommuniGroup presented Miss State with a check for $10,000.

I believe you guys will be impressed with something else I found out at the Banquet:

01/24/98 - I've received quite a few questions about various players Miss State is recruiting. Here is what I know about each:

01/23/98 - Although I couldn't make the press conference, here are a few comments (by way of one of my sources) from the Justin and Julius Griffith press conference:

01/23/98 - For those of you who want a review of who we have commitments from, click here for a complete list. This list only includes confirmed commitments. I have heard unconfirmed rumors about others, but I won't post them until they are confirmed. BTW, we have 25 scholarships available, including the 3 we used during the early signing period.

01/22/98 - Mary Ann and I went to Miss State last night to watch the MSU/GA basketball game. Our Bulldogs did us proud by beating those other Bulldogs 69 to 64. This was one we absolutely had to have and our guys came through. Horatio Webster led the Bulldogs with 19 pts. followed by Tyrone Washington who had 17 pts. Todd Myles, showing a couple great offensive moves, scored his first SEC points. Our Bulldogs are now 13-5 on the season and 2-3 in the SEC.

It was a very exciting game, but the recruiting info I have received the last 24 hours has been even more exciting. After the apparent loss of Gillespie and seemingly loss of Reggie Myles, I had started to wonder if Miss State was going to have a great start, then fizzle out. Well folks, you can flat-out forget about that. The last 24 hours have been absolutely outstanding for the future of Miss State football. Robert Bean, a consensus First-Team All-American Juco cornerback out of Georgia Military, has committed to the Bulldogs. This guy is 6-1, 185, with 4.4 speed. He is considered by most experts as the top cornerback in the juco ranks. According to the Jeff Whitaker Deep South Football Recruiting Guide (go out and buy this magazine for reference purposes), he is rated a 10.00 and "has outstanding speed and a knack for man-to-man coverage. He had three interceptions in one game this season. Robert has a great vertical leap." That was the first good news I received and I was pretty excited about that but, lo and behold, there was more, much more. Carl Hutchins, one of the top OL in Georgia, decided he also wanted to be a Miss State Bulldog. He is 6-6, 280 and rated a 3+ by The Forrest Davis Football Recruiting Annual (another great source for reference purposes). The Clarion-Ledger, as most of you know by now, mentioned in it's paper yesterday that Louisiana running back Michael Burks (5-11, 215, 4.55) committed to the Bulldogs. Michael is considered one of the Top 24 players in Louisiana, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. He chose the Bulldogs over Miami, Texas A&M, USM and Tulane. Well, he's not the only great running back Miss State appears to be in solid with. Justin Griffith, possibly the best big running back in the South, and Julius Griffith are having a noon press conference today to announce who they will be signing with. I'll leave it to the Griffiths to make it official, but things sure point to these two guys wearing maroon and white next year. Hold on, I'm not through. Miss State also picked up a commitment from one of the top defensive backs in Texas with the commitment of Shawn Byrdsong (5-10, 180, 4.4) from Longview, TX. This guy has speed to burn and is listed as the 7th best cornerback in the Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas area according to recruiting analyst Max Emfinger. He chose the Bulldogs over Texas. Just goes to show you this Miss State football staff is loaded with some big-time recruiters. Next time you see one of our football coaches, make sure you congratulate him on a great job on the field as well as for his recruiting efforts.

P.S. - Dicenzo Miller was at the game last night. Remember, Weir, MS. is just a hop, skip and jump from Starkville, MS.

01/21/98 - Starkville HS QB/DB Freddie Milons (5-11, 180, 4.4), a player Miss State was recruiting, committed to Alabama yesterday. I'm not sure what position he will play in college. I have heard WR or DB. Considering Alabama has a commitment from Tennessee Player-of-the-Year Eric Locke (Cornerback, 5-10, 184, 4.40) of Murfreesboro, Tenn. and two Parade All-American defensive backs from last year's recruiting class, you would have to think Freddie would play WR.

01/21/98 - I haven't been able to confirm this, but I have received word that Miss State has received a commitment from Katy, Tx. offensive center Kevin Sijansky (6-3, 275).

01/21/98 - I was emailed some info about how Reggie Myles' father handled the recruiting process when Jimmie Myles, Reggie's older brother, was being recruited. As I mentioned the last time I posted info about Mr. Myles, he handles the recruiting process the way it should be handled. Well folks, he did the same thing with his older son Jimmie. When Jimmie was being recruited, Mr. Myles made it known that he was not interested in "favors" from schools. What he was interested in was his son's education. Considering Jimmie graduated from Miss State and his younger brother Reggie has already made the necessary ACT score and is doing well in school, you have to believe Mr. Myles is a man who practices what he preaches. BTW, did you guys know that Jimmie and Reggie have a younger brother by the name of Charlie Myles (Sophomore, 6-1, 225) who was selected to the All-Region IV team as a defensive lineman this past season?

01/21/98 - DL Byron Dawson will either commit to LSU or La. Tech this week or take a visit to Miss State this weekend is what I hear from a solid source.

01/20/98 - Look for De LaSalle HS's outstanding duo of QB Brandon Butler and WR James White to announce their commitments to Miss State very, very soon.

01/20/98 - According to yesterday's edition of The Clarion-Ledger, RB Justin and DB Julius Griffith will be committing to MSU very soon. Here's what Justin was quoted as saying in The Clarion-Ledger: "The weekend went real good," Griffith said of his official visit to MSU this weekend. "We (he and Julius) plan to make an announcement by midweek."

With the possible commitments of the four players mentioned above looming and a couple of others who are rumored to be near committing to Miss State, MSU has a very good chance of having a Top 20 recruiting class. If we sign Reggie Myles and Conner Stephens, (I am very hopeful) we will have signed 4 of the top 8, maybe top 6, players in the state and I would look for a possible Top 15 recruiting Class (there is no way anyone can justify leaving Justin Griffith out of the top 6 or 8 players in the state. Gaining 2,500 yards on a bad ankle as Justin did this year is unbelievable and shows the toughness and ability of this young man.)

01/20/98 - According to various sources on the internet, Hattiesburg running back Robert Gillespie has committed to the Florida Gators.

01/20/98 - One of my sources had the chance to see Miss State commitment Edward "Pig" Prather play basketball this weekend and he came away very impressed. He said Prather averaged 28 ppg during the Tippah County Tournament. After seeing him play, he felt Prather could not only play D-I football but basketball as well. He is very smooth and appears to do everything effortlessly. According to my source, he has a chance to be one of the best all-around athletes Coach Sherrill has ever coached at Miss State.

01/20/98 - Here's the lastest from The Huntsville Times:

Tide Commitment Opts for AU:

Foley outside linebacker Don Page, declaring "Auburn is where I've always wanted to be," withdrew his commitment to Alabama and said Sunday that he planned to sign with Auburn.

Page, who visited Auburn over the weekend, had been considered a lock for Auburn before he suddenly announced a commitment to Alabama in December. He said Sunday he did not want to talk about that.

"I had a good visit this weekend," Page said. "I like the coaches and players a lot."

Page is 6-3 and weighs 240 pounds.

Running back Damien Postell of Baldwin, Fla,; junior college linebacker Kenny Kelly of Panama City, Fla., and linebacker Mark Brown of Germantown, Tenn., also committed to Auburn on Sunday.

Auburn now has eight public commitments.

Postell, 6-1, 200, rushed for 1,532 yards and scored 21 rushing touchdowns last season. He chose Auburn over Florida, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Duke.

"It's pretty obvious that Auburn wants me more than Florida does, and I'm happy to play here," Postell told The Florida Times-Union. "They brought the guys into (Coach Terry) Bowden's office one by one. When it was my turn, he said they really wanted me playing here. That was enough for me."

Kelly, 6-0, 217, played at East Central (Miss.) Community College. He chose Auburn over South Carolina, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. With both starters gone at inside linebacker, he could challenge early for a starting job.

'I've always liked Auburn," Kelly said. "I felt like I could get in there and have a chance to start next year. That's important to me."

Kelly has been clocked at 4.48 in the 40-yard dash.

Brown, 6-1, 225, played only three games last season because of injury. As a junior, he had 78 tackles and 14 sacks. He will play outside linebacker at Auburn.

Vigor QB likes Alabama: Vigor quarterback/athlete Damien Jones seems to be headed to Alabama. Jones visited Auburn over the weekend, but his family apparently wasn't impressed.

"The trip was OK," his mother told Alliance Sports, "but there was just something about it that just didn't feel comfortable. Everyone was friendly and everything, but let's just put it like this: "We had a better time at Alabama."

Jones plans to visit Tennessee next weekend, then announce his decision.

Northern likes Auburn: Wide receiver Willie Northern of Quincy, Fla., said last week that he was virtually ready to commit to Auburn. He visited Tennessee over the weekend at the urging of his coach.

Alabama vs. Tennessee: Oxford linebacker Darius Gilbert has narrowed his choices to Alabama and Tennessee. He visited Alabama over the weekend.

"I had a real nice time," Gilbert told Alliance Sports. "I plan on visiting Tennessee the next weekend and making an announcement the following Monday."

Auburn loses DB: Defensive back Robert Cromartie of Atlanta says he is no longer considering Auburn. He'll choose between Florida and Georgia Tech.

"I just don't think I want to go to Auburn," Cromartie said. "I think I'll have a better chance of playing early at one of these schools."

Three-way battle: Vigor linebacker Roderick Jones visited Auburn over the weekend, but he wasn't ready to make a commitment.

"I enjoyed my trip and I like the people there," Jones said. "Right now, I'd have to say Auburn, Florida and Tennessee are all even."

Vols get defensive back: Tennessee got a commitment Sunday from the No. 1-rated defensive back in Texas.

Willie Miles of Fort Worth, 6-0, 170 said he would sign with the Vols on Feb. 4.

01/19/98 - I just received my latest update from recruiting analyst Max Emfinger. Click here to see which players from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana are considering Miss State. There are quite a few of them.

01/19/98 - The latest word on Dicenzo Miller is he really enjoyed his visit to Miss State last weekend.

01/19/98 - Here are the players (The Clarion-Ledger said there were 17) I know or I have heard made their official visits this past weekend:

01/19/98 - The San Antonio Express News' list of Top 100 players in the state of Texas has several players that list Miss State as one of the schools they are considering:

01/18/98 - A player Miss State is looking at is Edrick Smith (6-2, 235, 4.7, 3.69 gpa, 23 ACT) of Tuscaloosa County. I believe he is visiting Miss State this weekend. According to an article in Hattiesburg American, he had 167 total tackles this past season. He is also looking at Southern Miss and several other colleges.

01/17/98 - Barbe HS (Lake Charles, LA.) offensive lineman Jason Davis (Lake Charles, LA., 6-1, 265) is, supposedly, visiting Miss State this weekend. According to my source, Jason has very good feet and is very quick. He is considered the second best center prospect (Torrie Tallie, 6-2, 240, is considered the best) in Louisiana. LSU, Tulane and McNeese State are looking at Jason. According to my source, LSU will recruit Jason hard if they lose out on a couple of other offensive linemen they are recruiting. FrontRow Sports (a great Louisiana source) has Jason rated the 12th best offensive lineman in Louisiana.

01/16/98 - The latest word I hear from Pascagoula is Mr. Myles (Reggie Myles' father) is handling the recruiting process the way it should be handled. He is doing a tremendous job of making sure no overzealous college recruiters put too much pressure on his son to commit early. He is trying to do his best to make sure his son, while going through the recruiting process, is allowed to enjoy it. He is helping his son make as intelligent a decision as possible as to where he will attend college. According to various sources, Mr. Myles wants his son to feel like he is a part of a family wherever he goes.

01/16/98 - Here is a little bit of Senior Bowl info I found in The Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, MS):

01/16/98 - I have no news on former Miss State signee Dorsett Davis, other than the fact that he is redshirting at MS Delta CC this year. When he signs with a D-I school in February of 1999, he will have three years of playing eligibility left.

01/16/98 - I heard from a very reliable source that recent Miss State commitment Nathan Jackson, of Florence HS, is as fine a person as he is a football player. He comes from a very close and outstanding family. He has been voted class favorite by his classmates several times. Plus, he is a good student. Just goes to show you, Miss State's coaches continue to do a great job recruiting not only great athletes but great people.

01/15/98 - Bobby Burton, of the National Recruiting Advisor, was on WWL Tuesday night and he said Aldine, Texas, linebacker Mike Clay was visited by Coach Sherrill Monday night. Mike is considered the best defensive end in the Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana area by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger.

01/15/98 - I think it is time I clarified something: Miss State did not offer South Panola running back Toward Sanford. While he is an outstanding back, Miss State seems to be higher on several other running backs, based on what I have heard.

01/15/98 - I want to make a correction. Hinds CC wide receiver James Williams is not an official commitment, he wants to go to Miss State, but hasn't officially been offered. The same can be said for Bessemer, Alabama, wide receiver Darius Tubbs. Darius has publicly said he wants to be a Bulldog, but he has not been officially offered.

01/15/98 - The lastest unconfirmed word, based on quite a few emails, is Hinds CC quarterback T.T. Tolivar is no longer being recruited by Miss State.

01/14/98 - According to someone who should know, Ackerman HS football players Antwan Shell and Conner Stephens are both very good students and respectful young men. My source also said they are best friends and will likely go to the same school.

01/14/98 - The latest word is Pascagoula HS's Reggie Myles is really struggling with his decision as to what school (Miss State or Alabama) he will most likely attend. I, like every other Bulldog fan, would love to see Reggie commit to our beloved Bulldogs. His brother, Jimmie, is one of us and I'm sure we all feel Reggie is also an honorary member of the Bulldog family because of Jimmie. This young man, from everything I hear, is an exceptional young man who just happens to be an outstanding athlete. He is the exact type person (not just player), Miss State is recruiting. There is no doubt, if he signs with Miss State, he will have a great shot at starting sometime during his freshman year. One other thing, if he signs with Miss State, he will be joining the next class of recruits that will continue to lead the SEC in academics. Remember, since Coach Jackie Sherrill has been at State every one of his classes has a graduation rate of at least 70%.

01/14/98 - Now this is the kind of player I want on my team. According to Tuesday's Clarion-Ledger, Florence HS (MS) All-Metro defensive end Nathan Jackson (6-4, 225, 150 tackles and 7 sacks this year) was quoted as saying "Even when I was a scrub, I wanted to play at Mississippi State. Me getting a chance to be a Bulldog is the icing on the cake for my high school career." He was also quoted as saying, "I felt like I had to make up for lost time. I wanted to prove to people that I was worthy of any attention schools paid me and I worked twice as hard as before." His coach, Steve Jones, was quoted as saying, "All the coaches that came through here talked about Nathans's excellent speed. He runs a consistent 4.6 - 4.7 40 and most of his tackles were chasing people down because they ran away from him."

01/14/98 - According to The Huntsville Times, defensive lineman David Jacobs, of Atlanta's Westlake HS, has committed to Georgia. MSU was recruiting Jacobs at one time.

01/13/98 - The word is QB Brandon Butler and WR James White may be close to committing to Miss State.

01/13/98 - The Huntsville Times reports that Reggie Myles was quoted by Alliance Sports as saying, "It (his visit to Alabama this past weekend) couldn't have gone any better."

01/13/98 - It has been reported to me that OL Carl Hutchins (6-6, 310), of Forest Park, Ga., will visit Miss State this weekend.

01/13/98 - Ferriday HS (La.) player Jeremy Lawrence has not officially committed to Miss State. He did have a very good visit this past weekend, according to one of my sources.

01/13/98 - Florence HS (Ms.) defensive player Nathan Jackson (6-4 1/2, 215) has committed to Miss State.

01/13/98 - The word is Miss State is very high on big-time sleeper Antwan Shell, a defensive back from Ackerman HS. While watching the Ackerman/West Lowndes game this past football season, I noticed how quick this guy is, but didn't think much about it. I guess Miss State coaches saw the same thing and decided this guy has pretty good potential.

01/12/98 - The Commercial Appeal (non-online version) is reporting that Ferriday HS (La.) player Jeremy Lawrence has recommitted to Miss State. I have not been able to confirm this.

01/12/98 - It appears that Pascagoula HS football player Reggie Myles, according to good sources, is a Miss State lean. He wants to go to the same college (Miss State) as his brother, Jimmie Myles, did. One of my sources believes Robert Gillespie will also sign with Miss State.

01/12/98 - The word is, according to someone who talked to Dicenzo Miller very recently, Dicenzo has Miss State and Ole Miss dead even.

01/12/98 - According to the Huntsville Times, Glenn "Rashad" Moore, a defensive lineman from Huntsville, Al., is visiting Alabama (Jan 17-18), Auburn (Jan 23-24) and Tennessee (Jan 30-31), the three schools he has narrowed his choices to. Looks like Miss State is out of the picture, according to this article.

01/11/98 - First things first, Ackerman HS player Conner Stephens has not committed as of yesterday.

01/11/98 - Here are the visitors I recognized at the game yesterday (there were many others I couldn't recognize):

Unofficial Visits:

Official Visits:

Official Visits (Players I heard were visiting but did not recognize)

There were quite a few others (10 to 12) I didn't recognize and did not hear who they were.

01/10/98 - The latest word from Orlando Sentinel recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter is Ackerman's Conner Stephens has committed to Miss State. I am not able to confirm this but I thought I would pass it on. Click here to read his comments.

01/10/98 - Anybody know anything about WR Leroy Handy (6-1, 180, 4.4) of Perry Central HS in New Augusta, MS? I have heard Miss State, Ole Miss (offered), Southern Miss (offered), North Carolina (officially visited) and Alabama are recruiting him.

01/10/98 - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had a great recruiting article yesterday. Here is the link to it.

01/10/98 - According to super recruiting analyst Max Emfinger and Southeastern Recruiting Alliance, Ackerman HS football player is no longer considering Alabama (Emfinger info) and will make his decision this weekend (SRA info). BTW, Stephens is visiting MSU this weekend.

01/10/98 - According to someone who very recently talked to sources close to Weir HS football player Dicenzo Miller, Dicenzo is not telling anybody who he is leaning to at this time. He wants to announce it himself. These sources also said he would make a better running back than defensive back in college.

01/10/98 - I saw an absolutely outstanding post by Bulldog Backer on my message board and I felt it had to be posted on my skuttle-butt section. Here is the entire quote:

Almost a month ago, I made a post on the Bully Board, before it went offline, that a well placed source had told me that Conner Stephen's mother was very concerned about his academics. I mentioned that this source, close to the Stephen's family, said she had recently been speaking to MSU recruiters, and she was impressed with MSU's 7 consecutive, soon to be 8, years of graduating over 70 percent of their football scholarshipped players within five years.

What I didn't mention from this source, is that Mrs. Stephens had decided that she didn't want recruiters calling and bothering Conner while he was taking finals at the end of last semester. She told my source that those who didn't honor her request wouldn't be held in very high regard. Some called Conner anyway, obviously not concerned about him doing well in school. Mrs. Stephens got angry at those schools, including Alabama.

According to my source, our recruiting people promised not to call, and told Mrs. Stephens that they were interested in Conner succeeding as a student. They also provided her with information about our engineering school. We honored that promise. Now Alabama people are saying there is something "foul" going on. What I say is that Alabama recruiters were interested in four years of Connor Stephens playing defensive end, and not what Conner Stephens would do the rest of his life.

Conner wants to be an engineer. He wants to play in the SEC. He wants to get a good education, and wants to graduate and be successful in life. Those last two are Conner Stephen's mom's most important issues. Those Alabama fans who are so sure something "foul" went on, just answer this question. If you were concerned about Conner Stephens being a successful student, why did you bother him when he was trying to take finals? If you, or anyone else, lost Conner Stephens it was because you were more interested in what he could do for four years on a football field, and not the rest of his life.

01/09/98 - Another player visiting Miss State this weekend is Ackerman HS's outstanding defensive lineman Conner Stephens. Conner, who wants to major in engineering, is one of the hottest recruits in Mississippi. He has received attention from schools around the country but has pretty much narrowed his choice to three: Miss State, Alabama and Florida.

01/09/98 - Here is the real reason Miss State has an excellent shot at signing Ackerman's Conner Stephens. His mother wants him to stay close to home (MSU is 20+ miles from Ackerman) and he wants to be an engineer (MSU has one of the top engineering schools in the south). Despite what you may read elsewhere on other sites, those are the simple facts. If we don't sign him, it will be because he and his mother (who, I have been told, is a very fine person as is her son Conner) feel he will get a better education elsewhere.

01/08/98 - I noticed on the message boards Coach Jackie Sherrill is rumored to be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Well, old Geno decided to find out the story behind this rumor. Here's what I found out. While at the annual football coaches convention in Dallas, Coach Sherrill and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones were seen together talking. There was nothing private about it. Jerry and Jackie are friends and Jerry came over and said hello and carried on a conversation with Coach Sherrill. It was nothing more than that. Isn't it amazing the rumors you hear when recruiting gets down to the nitty gritty?

01/08/98 - Here is the name of another player that will be visiting Miss State this weekend: Beau Trahan of Bay City (TX) HS. Beau, who was a 4-year starter at quarterback also played defensive back. Beau also plays basketball (15 ppg) and runs track. Here's a little info that tells you what kind of competitor Beau is. During the district championship game against El Campo, Beau, while being tackled, reached out trying to cross the ball over the goal line for what would have been the winning touchdown, came up just a little short. Beau was selected the District MVP by the Victoria Advocate. BTW, he comes from good bloodlines: his father, who also is his head coach, played one year for the Dallas Cowboys before a knee injury ended his career.

01/07/98 - MSU commitment Nick Floyd info: According to a source of mine, Nick, who as a member of the USA World Champion Team, set two world records in the 16-17 year old 220-lb class: Dead Lift - 600.75 pounds and Total Weight Lifted - 1,410.75 pounds. This is not all, he also, as a member of the Pontotoc HS team, set three national records (sorry, no weight amounts). Not only is he super strong, but my source said he is also a fine young man.

01/07/98 - Here is the latest word from several Louisiana recruits according to someone who has talked to them: Shaw HS RB Brandon Carey will visit Miss State as well as Miami, Southern Miss and Kansas State. Rayne HS RB Josh Reed, who is being recruited hard by LSU, is also being recruited by Miss State, Tulane and Texas A&M. QB Freddie Harrison likes Miss State but may go to D-IAA powerhouse McNeese State if he doesn't pull up his test score.

01/07/98 - LATEST RUMOR: Clarksdale HS linebacker/defensive lineman Mario Haggan will sign with either Miss State or Arkansas if he is eligible (which I have been told is doubtful).

01/06/98 - I have seen the posts about Miss State receiving verbal commitments from T.T. Tolivar, Reggie Myles and possibly even Robert Gillespie, but, as far as I know, none of them have committed. And as far as I know, Justin and Julius Griffith are still leaning to Miss State despite what you read on the message boards.

01/06/98 - Here is some info from an article in The Natchez Democrat.

Natchez wide receiver Marco Minor said he had heard the rumors that he is looking at LSU, Ole Miss and Florida but he said "I haven't made up my mind. I still have some visits to make." He mentioned that he would like to play close to home because he wants his "parents to be able to watch me play." If he doesn't make the required ACT score, he said he "would still like to go to a major college and take it from there." According to the article, Minor is 6-4 with 4.5 speed.

Clarence Parker, who has not made the required ACT score, said he will consider going to a junior college if he isn't eligible. Among the schools interessted in Parker are Arkansas State, LSU, Miss State, Jackson State and Delta State. Parker said "I'm not leaning toward anybody. I'm waiting on the results on my ACT test before I make my decision." Parker, who is 6-2 with 4.4 speed, said his "hands and speed are my strong points. This attention I've been receiving is strange with everybody coming at one time. I just want to be sure I make the right decision."

01/05/98 - According to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Miss State is recruiting a quarterback from the San Antonio area (New Braunfels HS) by the name of Kliff Kingsbury (6-3, 195, 4.7). Kliff threw for 3,009 yards and 34 TDs. According to the Journal, which has Kliff listed as one of it's top 100 players in Texas, "Mississippi State could get a steal if it woos away overlooked Kliff Kingsbury, who orchestrated New Braungels' turnaround from a 4-6 team into a 13-2 state semifinalist." They have Ole Miss as the only other school interested in Kliff. Not sure how accurate this info is, since Max Emfinger has him looking at Miss State, Texas Tech and SMU. Another player the Journal has Miss State listed with is Jordan Hill, a 6-7, 245 offensive guard, who is listed as the number 4 propsect in the South Plains Top 15. Kansas and UTEP are also recruiting him.

01/05/98 - The latest rumor around LSU is defensive back Donald Dykes has narrowed his choices to LSU and Notre Dame.

01/04/98 - No matter what you have heard or read, Magee HS running back Justin Griffith has not committed to Miss State....yet. I realize it was in the Laurel, Miss., newspaper that he has, but he hasn't. Also, he will have no problem, whatsoever, qualifying.

01/04/98 - Nick Floyd, who won some kind of powerlifting contest (anybody know the exact details?) which gave him the title of strongest 18 year old in the United States, has committed to Miss State. Although he played out of position this year (fullback), he has the potential, because of his extraordinary strength and speed (4.6), to be an outstanding linebacker.

01/04/98 - Miss State has a BIG official visit weekend coming up this weekend. There are going to be 26 recruits on campus (don't know all the names), including, according to various sources, DL-Kenny Sears, RB-Dicenzo Miller, CB-Curtis Fagan, WR-James White, QB-Brandon Butler, DB-Robert Bean, RB-Brandon Carey. BTW, Syniker Taylor, if he is able to (leg is broke and in a cast), will be unofficially visiting Miss State this weekend. Despite what you read on various message boards, he is still very much interested in Miss State. If you are interested in reading about these players, go here to view my MSU prospect list.

01/04/98 - The latest I have heard, from a very reliable source, is Hattiesburg running back Robert Gillespie will probably chose from among Miss State, Florida and Notre Dame. LSU, according to my source, is still in the picture, just not in the top three.

01/03/98 - The latest word is Miss State continues to do well with the recruitment of Pascagoula's Reggie Myles (a player recruiting analyst Neal McCeady believes may be the number 1 cornerback in the South). I am also hearing more and more that Miss State is getting real close with Hinds CC T.T. Tolivar, one of the most explosive and exciting players (high school or junior college) in the nation.

01/03/98 - Found this bit of info in the latest print edition of the excellent LSU publication Purple and Gold which you can also find online at Purple and Gold.

According to J.C. Grid-Wire magazine editor Hank Ives, MSU commitment Alvin McKinley is "outstanding. We put him down as a First-Team JC All-American. This year he had 62 tackles, 38 assists, knocked down 10 passes and had 10 sacks. He had a really good freshman year, too. He's strong, and he's quick. He was the defensive line MVP in Mississippi this year." BTW, if you want to subscibe to J.C. Grid-Wire, you can contact them by phone at (714) 997-0824 or write to them at J.C. Grid-Wire, P.O. Box 11703, Santa Ana, CA. 92711-1703. I have subscribed to it for two years and have been very pleased. They don't follow recruiting but they do have weekly issues thoughout the football season and they publish Pre-Season and Post-Season All-American Teams.

01/02/98 - A couple of players from Georgia that Miss State was recruiting but who no longer list Miss State are George Foster (6-6, 275, 5.0, Macon SW, GA) and David Jacobs (6-4, 230, 4.7, Atlanta, GA).

01/02/98 - Check out this site SunState Recruiting (Florida). This section is free at the moment, but will become a fee paid site very soon. Players that are considering Miss State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss are all mentioned.

01/01/98 - Former Bulldog running back Kevin Bouie has been added to the St. Louis Rams 1998 roster.

01/01/98 - According to a source of mine, Freddie Harrison, a 6-3, 190-lb quarterback from Westlake HS (LA) Miss State is recruiting, is a very strong-armed, very quick athlete, who is very under-recruited. My source said he can also play running back and defensive back. A couple of my source's friends have seen this kid play twice and they said he is a man among boys on the football field.