Mississippi's Top Football Recruits Making College Commitments
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By almost all accounts early in the measure of the class of 2024, the amount of high-level prospects in the state of Mississippi is as strong as many can remember.
Not only does it mean the Egg Bowl battles will be tougher to predict for the rising-senior class, but out-of-state programs in the SEC and beyond will frequent the Magnolia State in search of a poach.
It's already begun happening with key recruits at key positions -- even at quarterback. Southern Miss was able to keep Madison-Ridgeland Academy's John White within state lines while Oak Grove's Anthony Maddox made an early commitment to Texas A&M amid his own rise as a prospect. Those moves make in-state eyes shift to Starkville's Trey Petty and his one dozen scholarship offers.
Pass-catchers have garnered even more tangible headlines of late, with three of the state's top four wide receivers (per 247Sports) opting to come off the board with a commitment. Of course Ole Miss landed Callaway's Jeremy Scott amid this run of pledges, but two more elected to play SEC ball away from the state of Mississippi.
St. Martin's Noreel White may have made the most surprising pick in the state thus far, opting for Arkansas over Ole Miss and LSU -- each among the programs garnering the most buzz for the shifty prospect before and after early 2023 commitment plans. White pushed things back and took more visits, opening the door for Sam Pittman's program to win out in mid March.
The wideout who kicked off the commitment party in the state, however, was JJ Harrell. The North Panola star announced for Tennessee at the tail-end of February, not long after landing offers from Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M and others while the Egg Bowl programs continued to push for his services simultaneously.
Much like Potts at QB, there is an elite still on the board yet to make the call at wide receiver in his teammate Braylon Burnside. The explosive offensive weapon and return man may very well end up as the most coveted offensive recruit in the state and naturally, there are no shortage of programs hunting for his commitment either. Most of the SEC will look to host him sometime soon, but the Rebels have hosted him more than a half-dozen times. Should he elect to decide sooner rather than later, one would have to favor Lane Kiffin's chances to win a Starkville battle.
A few other in-staters have elected to make spring commitments beyond the quarterback-wide receiver battery, including a pair from Winona Secondary School in linebacker Fred Clark and offensive lineman TJ Lockhart. Perhaps fittingly, one picked Ole Miss (Clark) and the other pledged to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Which Mississippian comes off the board next?
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