STARKVILLE – The first early period of the Mike Leach era has been signed, sealed and delivered with 19 recruits that span eight states joining the Mississippi State football program on National Signing Day. The class includes 12 prospects on offense and seven recruits on the defensive side.
The complete class includes 15 high school signees, three junior college prospects and one four-year transfer.
The 19-person class represents seven states: Mississippi (7), Florida (4), Texas (3), Alabama (1), Georgia (1), Louisiana (1), and Tennessee (1), along with one prospect from Canada. The position breakdown on offense includes five offensive linemen, four wide receivers, two quarterbacks and one running back. On defense, State adds four linebackers, two defensive linemen and one defensive back.
Each of the five Mississippi high school products inked by MSU during the early signing period were ranked among the top 20 recruits in the state. Of the 19 signees, four were rated among the top 25 nationally at their respective positions, while all three of the junior college signees ranked among the top 100 national recruits and among the top 10 at their position.
The four-star trio of wide receivers Anthony Harmon and Teddy Knox, and quarterback Sawyer Robertson headline the class. And a trio of highly-ranked junior college products also join the fold in offensive linemen Nick Jones and Carson Williams, and linebacker DeShawn Page.
The fifth-highest ranked offensive recruit in MSU history, Robertson is the second-highest offensive skill player to ink with the Bulldogs according to 247Sports, trailing only running back Jerious Norwood in 2002. Offensive linemen Charles Cross, Donovan Davis and Damien Robinson are also among the top five offensive recruits.
Robertson ranks among the Texas High School all-time leaders in career completions (No. 8; 813), career touchdown passes (No. 10; 135) and career passing yards (13th; 11,302). Daniel Greek, another Texas signal caller, will enroll early after playing at Liberty Christian School.
Running back Simeon Price joins a talented group of wide receivers in Leach’s Air Raid system. The wide receiving corps is headlined by the four-star duo of Harmon and Knox, who each rank among the top 20 nationally at the position. Jacobi Moore joins the group as a top 10 in-state recruit from Harrison Central High School, while Rara Thomas posted back-to-back 900-yard receiving seasons for Eufaula High School in Alabama.
Along with Jones and Williams from the junior college ranks, the prep trio of Canon Boone, Gabe Cavazos Jr. and Albert Reese IV have the size and ability to protect along the offensive line. Georgia product Tre’von Marshall and transfer Randy Charlton will line up across from them on the defensive line next season.
The lone defensive back in the group is Mississippi product Corey Ellington from Holmes Central High School. He will play behind JUCO linebacker Page and the prep linebacking trio of John Lewis, Nic Mitchell and Timar Rogers. Mitchell and Rogers join the fold from Florida, while Lewis is a hard-hitting, in-state linebacker from Germantown High School.
