What to expect from MSU on national signing day
STARKVILLE – Mike Leach thought about recruiting on his drive to work Monday morning.
The early signing period starts Wednesday. Two dozen or so young, ambitious football players will sign with Leach at Mississippi State to further their careers and try to reach heights they only dreamed of when they first strapped on a helmet.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Leach said. “You sit there and your imagination goes wild on how great somebody is going to be.”
Leach thought about past players he signed and coached who are worth millions of dollars playing in the NFL. He thought about the ones who went on to be doctors and lawyers “and everything in between” as well.
“It’s kind of interesting because you think back to when you were at their house on signing day or at some high school and where they are now,” Leach said.
The ones who will put ink to paper and a send a faxed copy of their national letter of intent to Starkville this week are only just getting started.
They are Sawyer Robertson and Daniel Greek, two talented quarterbacks from Texas high schools who have visions of what they could do throwing the ball 50 times per game in Leach’s air raid offense.
They are Theodore Knox and Malik Nabers, two four-star wide receivers who have visions of catching plenty of passes from the aforementioned gunslingers.
They are John Lewis and Navonteque Strong, two Mangolia State linebacker prospects who have visions of being bruising Bulldog ball-stoppers in the middle of defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s stingy defense.
Those are just half a dozen of the recruits who are currently committed to Mississippi State’s 2021 recruiting class. Leach’s first full maroon and white class ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 10 in the SEC as of Monday afternoon, according to 247Sports.
Leach isn’t worried about those numbers. Last week he said the current class is ahead of schedule. This week he said the early signing period isn’t an end-all, be-all. Rather, it is a chance to get a jump start on the class and learn more about what needs to happen when the class is finalized in February.
“There are some on the bubble where I’m not sure what will happen there,” Leach said of possible recruits who could sign this week. “I think we have to sure up our secondary, and I think we’re on our way to doing that whether that’ll be complete on signing day, I don’t know. But there’s another signing day, too. The one thing this signing day will kind of clarify even more specifically is what we need to find out there.”
MSU class of 2021 commits
4-star quarterback Sawyer Robertson of Lubbock, Texas
4-star wide receiver Theodore Knox of The Woodlands, Texas
4-star wide receiver Malik Nabers of Youngsville, Louisiana
4-star linebacker John Lewis of Madison, Mississippi
3-star athlete MJ Daniels of Lucedale, Mississippi
3-star wide receiver Jacobi Moore of Gulfport, Mississippi
3-star linebacker Navonteque Strong of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
3-star linebacker Deshawn Page of East Mississippi Community College
3-star wide receiver Rodarius Thomas of Eufaula, Alabama
3-star quarterback Daniel Greek of Argyle, Texas
3-star linebacker Timar Rogers of Deland, Florida
3-star safety Corey Ellington of Lexington, Mississippi
3-star offensive tackle Albert Reese of Clearwater, Florida
3-star linebacker Nic Mitchell of Jacksonville, Florida
3-star offensive lineman Gabe Cavazos of Lake Cormorant, Mississippi
3-star defensive end Tre-von Marshall of Locust Grove, Georgia
3-star offensive tackle Carson Williams of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
3-star offensive tackle Nick Jones of East Mississippi Community College