January 1999 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

01/31/99 - Who is getting whom among the Top 40 high school and Top 25 community college players in Mississippi (Hint: MSU is getting much more than it's fair share)? Here are links to The Clarion-Ledger's lists for both:

Top 40 High School College Football Prospects
Top 25 Community College College Football Prospects

01/31/99 - Here is a list of most of the football recruits officially visiting this weekend, according to several of my sources:

P.S. I also saw Parade All-American running back Dontae Walker at the game.

01/31/99 - The strong rumor is, 6-3, 280, TE, Adam Joiner, from Jones County JC has committed to MSU. Adam is listed as the 11th best Juco player in Mississippi, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

As you probably noticed in the above post, it appears MSU will sign Jason Myers, the outstanding lineman from Vicksburg. I was told by a Vicksburg source that Jason is leaning to MSU and would most likely commit.

01/30/99 - Thought you guys would enjoy reading this January 29th article by The Clarion-Ledger's Sekou Smith.

Mississippi State competing for a national championship in football?

Hinds Community College cornerback Fred Smoot thinks so.

"They almost won the SEC Championship game last year," said Smoot, who committed to the Bulldogs Thursday.

"They're putting together a good recruiting class already. And I like all the juco guys like Robert Bean, Ashley Cooper and Eugene Liger that they've brought in there. Plus, there's no place I'd rather help bring a championship, than to my home."

Smoot, No. 8 on The Clarion-Ledger Top 25 Junior College Football Recruits List, picked the Bulldogs over Indiana and West Virginia. Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and Alabama also recruited him.

A 6 foot 1, 180-pound cover specialist, Smoot was ranked by one recruiting service as the nation's No. 1 juco defensive back. The first-team NJCAA All-American finished the season with 89 tackles and 7 interceptions.

Smoot played in high school at Provine and had a breakout performance in the 1997 Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Classic, where he played opposite (No. 7 on the Top 25), who enrolled at State last month after two years at Mississippi Delta Community College.

"Yeah, Eugene, Dorsett (Davis) and Jamaal Dinkins (Provine teammate and current Bulldog linebacker) were all down there," Smoot said. "They're part of the reason I felt so at home at Mississippi State."

Obviously, Smoot also possesses the confidence necessary to play corner in the SEC.

"I told people back then (high school) I had a lot to prove," Smoot said. "And now there's really a lot to prove. but I don't just think we can win a national championship at Mississippi State. I know so."

01/30/99 - Anybody know anything about this Pontotoc HS football player:Dedrick Clark, 6-4, linebacker? I was told he is a great athlete but I know nothing else such as his stats and what his classification (junior, senior?) is. I need your help Pontotoc sources.

01/29/99 - Check my page later this weekend for additional info on MSU's graduation rates per the American Football Coaches Association. I will have online a copy of the criteria the AFCA uses to determine their graduation rates. Plus, I will have something I believe all Bulldog fans will enjoy seeing. Sorry, you'll have to wait until this weekend to find out what I am talking about.

01/29/99 - Advertisement: - Check out the Cotton District Towers link. This is going to be a great place to stay when you come to MSU sporting events.

01/28/99 - Pearl HS athlete supreme Justin Jenkins has chosen our Bulldogs over Ole Miss and La. Tech. Justin, along with Tupelo's Kelly Shumpert, give MSU two of the top overall athletes in the state of Mississippi.

01/28/99 - The word is one of the top Juco offensive linemen in the Juco ranks, 2nd Team J.C. Grid-Wire All-American Kevin Barry (6-6, 325, Hutchinson), was seen at Harvey's last night. It is also rumored that wide receiver Deandre Green (6-3, 205, 4.5, Prichard Blount, AL.), a SuperPrep Dixie 117 (8th) was seen at the Cotton District Grill last night.

01/28/99 - Did you know that MSU commitment Lennie Day was listed in SuperPrep as one of the top 100 players in Dixie?

01/28/99 - I bet you didn't know that MSU commitment Dontae Walker is up for the Bobby Dodd Award, the equivalent of the Heisman award in high school. Other honors Dontae has been awarded: Parade All-American, Gatorade's MS. Player of the Year, SuperPrep Dixie Offensive Player of the Year, SuperPrep National 50 (9th), Pigskin Preps' number 1 RB in the South, Jeff Whitaker's Deep South Football's MS. Player of the Year.

01/28/99 - Sorry, I can't help myself but do you realize MSU has not lost a single commitment? I know a lot was being said earlier about our commitments decommiting, especially Justin Jenkins, Terrell Grindle and Keshan Fudge. Guess what? They all are going to follow their hearts and become Bulldogs next Wednesday. Maybe my math is wrong but I would have to say, according to the Book of Gene, that makes us 100%. Looks like that Maroon Tidal Wave isn't through just yet, folks.

01/28/99 - Pascagoula HS Casey Gilbert announced for Alabama last night. Casey seriously considered MSU.

01/28/99 - Advertisement: Looking for a company to invest your money with. Contact fellow Bulldog Bob Graves. Bob, who works for Merrill Lynch in Jackson, MS., can be reached at 601-968-9542 or 800-611-4589.

01/27/99 - I have temporarily made my message boards so that no one can post on them. As soon as they have been changed to registered boards, I will made the necessary adjustment so that they can once again be used. Until then, please use the IBBC public message board. There is a link at the top of the board where you can register. To register please fill out all the necessary information. If you do not want to become a dues paying member, disregard the $30 annual fee request that comes up after you have registered. You can post on the public message board without paying the $30. Sorry I had to do this but my message boards had gotten completely out of hand.

01/27/99 - Mobile, Alabama TE Lennie Day chooses MSU. Link here.

01/26/99 - Obviously, the folks who count know what MSU football is really like. According to a rumor I recently heard, MSU, during the first two weeks of the recruiting season (prior to this past weekend), had 11 recruits in who brought their parents with them. Of those 11, every one of them committed to MSU. That says a lot about MSU. Looks like the "real" MSU reputation has gotten out across the state of Mississippi and the South: Good kids, good grades, family environment. That's the true MSU reputation.

01/26/99 - Don't forget about the February 3rd signing day parties at these locations (click on the city for more details):
Jackson
Memphis
Tupelo

01/25/99 - The word is MSU is looking very good with Hinds CC cornerback Fred Smoot (6-1, 170, 4.5). I have also heard MSU's new offensive coordinator Sparky Woods may have helped sway Pearl's Justin Jenkins (6-1, 200, 4.43) a step closer to MSU (50/50 chance now). According to what I read on the internet, Justin now has MSU back in the picture, whereas just a couple of days ago he was an Ole Miss lean. Look for him to make a decision by the end of the week. Pascagoula's Casey Gilbert (6-5, 260, 4.9) had a great visit this past weekend and will make an announcement either Wednesday or Thursday. Two offensive linemen from Memphis, Dennis Alexander (6-5, 310, 5.2), and Alabama, Dante Ellington (6-6, 300, 5.1), visited this past weekend. Supposedly, MSU will receive a visit from defensive lineman Charles Roberson (6-6, 235, 4.5). Oxford HS defensive lineman Trey Woodruff (6-7, 245, 4.7), a player that unofficially visited MSU several times, committed to Ole Miss yesterday. MSU continues to be in the picture for offensive lineman Kevin Barry, a 6-6, 325, Hutchinson (KS) CC. 2nd Team J.C. Grid-Wire 1998 All-American.

01/24/99 - With the help of Objectecture, Inc., I am in the process of changing my two message boards to registered boards (it will take two to four weeks, I hope). There will be other minor changes but registering will be the main one. If all goes as planned, everyone will continue to be able to read everything written on the boards but only those who register will be allowed to post. This will rid the message boards of the vast majority of flamers and return the boards back to what they were intended for in the first place: MSU sports information.

I realize some of you will be upset about this but I hope you will come to realize nothing will really change since anyone who wants to will be allowed to register. Your identity will be known only by me and you have my word I will not reveal it.

For those of you who are curious, at the moment, I plan on requiring your name, address, phone number, email address, username and password. Unlike other registered message boards, I will allow you to determine your own username and password, that is as long as someone else hasn't taken it. Once I receive your information, I will contact you by email, and if the email address is valid, you will be allowed to post. If it is not valid, you will not be approved for posting.

I truly apologize for having to do this but the flaming has gotten so out of hand, it has allowed me too few hours to do what I enjoy the most on my page: Keeping each one of you informed by updating my skuttle-butt sections.

P.S. Once my registered boards are online, I plan on dropping the link to the IBBC public message board. I see no point in linking it since it will just be a duplication of mine.

If you have comments or suggestions, please contact me at swindoll@genespage.com

01/24/99 - Great Senior Bowl game Randy Thomas and Reggie Kelly. Look for both of these players to go high in the upcoming NFL draft. But then, we always knew they were great players didn't we? Now the pro scouts also know it.

01/24/99 - I have seen MSU commitment Dontae Walker play once and that was against Starkville a couple of years ago. Because Starkville's defensive line completely dominated Clinton's offensive line, I didn't get to see the "real" Dontae display his immense talent. Yesterday I did. Countdown to Signing Day highlighted Dontae and I want to tell you guys something: The young man has the chance to be a very, very special running back if he continues to work hard. I had heard he has a great combo of power, speed and quickness. The film I saw proved that without a doubt. I will not compare him to the same guys Forrest Davis and Jamie Newberg compared him to on the show, since he is still only a high school player and it wouldn't be fair to him or the players who have proved themselves in college and the NFL. I will say he has tremendous leg strength which makes it very difficult to arm tackle him or for one person to bring him down. Plus, he showed he has the quickness to get outside and the speed to leave most players behind after he gets outside. He also displayed very good balance and a great knack for breaking tackles.

01/24/99 - I forget to mention this yesterday. MSU defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn has signed on to stay at MSU at least through the 2002 season. I believe I speak for all Bulldog fans when I say thank you Coach Dunn.

01/24/99 - TopDog wants to know if any of you from the Starkville or Columbus areas are in the process of organizing a recruiting party February 3rd. He is willing to help if you are. Please contact Andy K. (TopDog) at andyk@ebicom.net if you are interested.

01/24/99 - Here's a copy of an email I received a few days ago.

01/23/99 - The new MSU offensive coordinator is Sparky Woods. I was going to write something about him based on info I found on the internet and other places but decided to post this article that I found on the internet. Obviously, based on this article, Coach Sherrill did what he said he was going to do: Hire a young, dynamic coach who is a great teacher of young quarterbacks.

Offense not the problem at Virginia

By JACK BOGACZYK
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Maybe I missed something.

I saw Virginia play 12 football games in the last two seasons, a couple more if you count television appearances.

Offense hasn't been the problem.

So, the news that UVa head coach George Welsh pushed offensive coordinator Sparky Woods out the door isn't just odd. It's flabbergasting.

It's a step backward for the Cavaliers' program, not to mention a disturbing commentary on Welsh's treatment of a stand-up guy who was nothing but successful in what appears will be his too-short tenure in Charlottesville.

Word is that Woods will be named Mississippi State's offensive coordinator today. While the Bulldogs won't quite yet look like Southeastern Conference brethren Florida and Kentucky, they'll be much more attractive with the ball -- thanks to Woods.

Welsh's success at UVa is to be admired and praised, although his teams' perennial penchant for blowing big leads remains confounding.

Still, it isn't the offense that blew a pair of 21-point leads in Atlanta this season. It was Woods' offense that scored 38 and 33 points in those games. It wasn't the offense that allowed 28 or more points nine times over the last two seasons.

Woods was also UVa's quarterbacks coach. He developed Aaron Brooks into a confident leader after Welsh's insistence on playing journeyman Tim Sherman in 1996 slowed Brooks' development.

Welsh's decision to stick with Sherman also smacked of cronyism and nepotism, with the quarterback's dad, Tom, a longtime Welsh staff member. Is Woods gone because he wasn't one of Welsh's sideline buddies?

Will Welsh bring in one of them, recycling ex-Navy and UVa assistant Gary Tranquill? Who knows?

What is known is that in two seasons under Woods, Brooks threw for 35 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, including the Peach Bowl last month. He had six 300-yard passing games -- double the total of any other quarterback in Virginia history.

Welsh loves to run the ball. Woods had the Cavaliers doing that, too. They led the ACC in rushing, behind a very good line in front of tailback Thomas Jones. UVa had almost twice as much yardage on the ground this season as last year, and three of the top five rushing games in the ACC in 1998.

Welsh loves balance. Woods' unit produced that, too. Virginia averaged 213.1 yards per game on the ground, 213.5 through the air. That's not only balance, but it's productive balance.

Only three Division I-A teams averaged more than 210 yards per game rushing and passing -- Kansas State, Arizona and Virginia.

Woods' unit had only 21 turnovers in 12 games. In the ACC, only Georgia Tech had a better average. UVa has improved markedly in the red zone under Woods, too.

Besides all of this, Woods seemed a natural for consideration as Welsh's successor when the 65-year-old coach decides to retire. Could Welsh have been threatened by that? Is he trying to grease the path for someone else?

A former head coach at Appalachian State and South Carolina, Woods, 45, is personable. He was always up-front with the media and didn't duck the tough questions. He would have been a great candidate. Still is, if Virginia athletic director Terry Holland is as smart then as he was in hiring hoops coach Pete Gillen.

It's Welsh's program. It's his call to hire and fire whomever he wants. The Cavaliers will be breaking in a new quarterback next season.

If it doesn't go as well as it could, by George, someone will have some explaining to do. Maybe it will be because the Cavaliers will be missing a certain spark.

01/23/99 - Advertisement: Visit Tuxes, Too for the finest formal wear in Jackson, Mississippi. Click here to visit their website. Tell Doug Douglass you saw his ad on Gene's Page.

01/22/99 - MSU commitment Dontae Walker has received additional honors. Not only is he a Parade All-American, but Allen Wallace of SuperPrep has selected him as SuperPrep's Dixie Offensive Player of the Year. Allen has also selected Dontae as the 2nd best running back and 9th best overall prospect in the nation.

P.S. SuperPrep selected MSU commitment Dorsett Davis as the second best overall Juco prospect in the nation. In fact, MSU has four commitments or signees who are listed in the Juco Top 43 prospects (Davis, Golliday, Grant, Blade), according to SuperPrep.

If you are interested in checking out SuperPrep online, click here. Great recruiting publication and recruiting service.

01/22/99 - Are Bulldog fans excited about recruiting? They are in Jackson, Memphis and Tupelo. All three will have recruiting parties this year and all Bulldog alumni and fans are invited. For more details about the party nearest you, click the city below:
Jackson
Memphis
Tupelo

P.S. I'm waiting to hear from you MSU fans in the Vicksburg and Miss. Gulf Coast areas. I want the Maroon Tidal Wave to cover the entire state of Mississippi so organize that party. Better hurry, signing day is less than two weeks away.

01/22/99 - According to WTVA in Tupelo (MS), the new offensive coordinator at MSU will be Sparky Woods, the current offensive coordinator of the University of Virginia and former head coach at South Carolina. I haven't been able to confirm this; however, the word is he is one of three finalists, all of whom are considered excellent quarterback coaches. Coach Sherrill will officially announce our new Offensive Coordinator this afternoon.

P.S. A very good source of mine emailed me this bit of background about Coach Woods:
"Sparky believes in a one-back, 2-tight end or 4-wide receiver set 50% of the time."

01/22/99 - This coming Saturday morning at 10 a.m, Countdown to Signing Day will have at least 15 minutes on MSU recruiting. I believe they are on SportsSouth but I'm not 100% sure. Check your local television listing to find out for sure.

01/19/99 - Mendenhall's Corey Miley (6-3.5, 250) has committed to MSU. Corey is one of the Clarion-Ledger's Top 10 Mississippi high school players. He is MSU's 6th commitment from that group of ten. I'm curious: Has any team ever signed 6 of the Clarion-Ledger's Top 10 players? Anybody know?

Other commitments from this weekend were the Hattiesburg wide receivers Keshan Fudge and Terrell Grindle, who actually reconfirmed their earlier commitment; Dwayne Robertson, the outstanding linebacker from Georgia Military College, and last but not least Georgia Middle College's outstanding offensive lineman Tommy Watson. As mentioned yesterday, OL Zak West also committed.

01/19/99 - I will be listing recruiting parties that will be taking place on February 3rd the next couple of days. If you are having one, email or fax the info to me. My email address is swindoll@genespage.com and my fax number is 601-356-4923. So far, there are recruiting parties planned in Jackson, Tupelo and I believe Memphis.

01/18/99 - Here's a quote from this morning's Fort Worth Star Telegram.

"Carroll HS offensive lineman Zak West committed to Mississippi State during his visit there this weekend. West (6-8, 280) is a member of the Star-Telegram's Area Top 75 recruits."

01/18/99 - One more name to add to the list of visitors is Kevin McKenzie, a Juco tight end (not offensive lineman as I thought). Not sure of his size, although my source said he appeared to be in the 6-4, 290 range.

I have only posted players I absolutely know were visiting this weekend. I know there have been other names mentioned by other folks but unless I saw the player at the game or one of my sources actually saw a player and his name tag, I will not post a player's name. I did not see, nor did any of my sources say they saw (with name tag), Kamau Jackson, Lennie Day or Charles Roberson, therefore I don't know if they visited.

01/18/99 - The Hattiesburg duo of Terrell Grindle and Keshan Fudge continue to be solid commitments to MSU based on info I received this past weekend. I also feel, based on things I heard this past weekend, they never really totally decommitted as has been reported. Their heads were just cluttered with disinformation last weekend and it appeared to have confused them a little.

01/18/99 - Advertisement: If you live in the Jackson, Mississippi area and are looking for formal wear, then look no further than Tuxes, Too. Bulldog fan Doug Douglass is waiting to hear from you. Click here to go to Tuxes, Too's website.

01/17/99 - A message to all Birmingham, Alabama area MSU alumni under the age of 35:

"The Mississippi State alumni chapter in Birmingham is kicking off a new division for young alumni, ages 35 and younger. The group will gather on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30-7 p.m. at PT's Sports Grill, located off Highway 280. The chapter is looking for any recent MSU graduates in the Birmingham area. If you know of someone who meets this criteria or have any questions, contact John Wise, 205/408-9895, jmwise1@mindspring.com; or Jason Cook, 205/980-5934, cookjd@mindspring.com."

01/17/99 - It took a lot of effort, a lot of talking to various sources and actually seeing the players at the game but here are the names of most of the players I know are officially visiting this weekend. They are not listed in any type order other than I listed the Mississippi players first:

One player that made an unofficial visit was:

Among this group, you have 10 of The Clarion-Ledger's Top 25 HS players in Mississippi (6 in the Top 10), 1 of The Clarion-Ledger's Top 10 JUCO players in Mississippi and two other Juco players that were either Pre-Season or Post-Season Juco All-Americans. As you can see, this is an exceptional group of players.

BTW, the word is Keshan Fudge and Terrell Grindle, Hattiesburg's outstanding wide receivers, had their families with them this visit unlike the Ole Miss visit where they visited alone. I was told we are very solid with these outstanding young men.

Someone who had the chance to say hello to Tupelo's outstanding duo of Kelly Shumpert and Donald Tucker came away very impressed and feels MSU is extremely lucky to have received commitments from two such great players as well as outstanding young people. These are the kind of youngsters we all should be very proud MSU is recruiting.

01/17/99 - MSU basketball signees Jason Johnson, Lincoln Smith and Jonathan Bender were at the basketball game yesterday. BTW, a source of mine emailed me that Jason had a great game against Pucket HS scoring 33 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots.

01/16/99 - Be at the basketball game today to cheer on our basketball team and to show the recruits at the game what MSU enthusiasm is really like.

01/16/99 - The Clarion-Ledger has come out with it's Mississippi Junior College Top 25 Football Recruits. Here are the ones (their rank is listed in front of their names) who have either signed with, committed to or have MSU under consideration (the complete list will be added to my page tomorrow):

1) Toby Golliday, Miss. Delta, DL, 6-2, 295 - MSU commitment
2) Dorsett Davis, Miss. Delta, DL, 6-6, 310 - MSU signee
7) Eugene Liger, Miss. Delta, DB, 6-0, 190 - MSU signee
8) Fred Smoot, Hinds, DB, 6-1, 170 - Considering MSU, USM, Ala., Indiana, West Va.
10) Larry Huntington, East Miss., WR/DB, 5-10, 185 - MSU commitment
11) Adam Joiner, TE, Jones County, 6-3, 280 - Considering MSU, Arkansas

01/16/99 - Huntsville, Alabama running back Dwone Hicks has committed to UAB. Dwone was at one time looked at by MSU.

01/16/99 - From a very reliable source: Pascagoula HS TE Casey Gilbert, after his visit to Alabama, has decided he definitely will take all of his visits, including MSU, prior to making a decision. The word is he was not impressed with his Bama visit even though they were his number 1 choice prior to his visit.

01/16/99 - Clarification: At the present time, the tentative plans are for Scott Field to be expanded to 52,000 (not 55,000 as I said yesterday) or possibly a little over that. Supposedly, the additional seats will come from the addition of 50 skyboxes, 1,500 luxury chairback seats (with free dining), and additional student and upper-deck seating. Please understand, these are tentative plans and are dependent on how much money is donated by MSU fans. If we are as supportive, moneywise, as we were enthusiastic this past year, then, who knows, the 55,000 could happen. As you can see, it is time for we MSU fans to step forward and do our part by making sure this stadium expansion happens.

The tailgating area I mentioned yesterday will be located on the west side of the campus and will be similar to what Oklahoma State has.

BTW, Miss State will spend $450,000 of the New Years' Day bowl money dressing up Scott Field this year. Not sure of the details.

01/16/99 - Rome, Georgia standout DE Chris Hewitt chose the Georgia Bulldogs over Ohio State and Virginia Tech. MSU also recruited Hewitt.

01/15/99 - The recruiting weekend starts tonight for the recruits that are visiting MSU. Please be very friendly when you see them in town or on campus. Your friendliness will be a great benefit to our coaches. Don't forget to make plans to be at the basketball game Saturday. Be enthusiastic and loud! You can and will make a difference.

01/15/99 - MSU has officially signed 2nd Team Juco All-American linebacker Barris Grant to a scholarship. Former signee Nathan Jackson has also resigned.

01/15/99 MSU has received a commitment from J.C. Grid-Wire 2nd Team Pre-Season Juco All-American linebacker Dwayne Robertson (6-0, 215, 4.6) Dwayne visited MSU, unofficially, earlier in the season (as reported on my page in October) and I was told he had a great time.

There is a possibility that MSU could sign up to a combined 6 Juco 1st and 2nd Team All-Americans (Pre-Season and Post-Season) this recruiting season (OL-Barry; LBs-Robertson, Grant, Bell; DL-Blade, Davis). Four are committed (C) or signed (S) as of today (Robertson-C, Grant-C, Blade-S, Davis-S)

01/15/99 - MSU has begun plans to expand Scott Field. It will bring the seating capacity to over 55,000, making it the largest on-campus stadium in the state of Mississippi. Included in the plans are tailgate locations (with picnic tables) which will be built just outside the stadium. Quite a few skyboxes will also be built, along with many new chairback seats. As I hear more details, I will post them on my page.

01/14/99 - Remember, this weekend is a big recruiting weekend. Over 20 recruits will be in. Make sure you come to the MSU / LSU basketball game and show a lot of enthusiasm.

01/14/99 - So far, two coaches have been interviewed for the MSU offensive coordinator's job. One, and maybe both, are former offensive coordinators. Both are known as exceptional quarterback teachers. One of them coached one of the most skilled quarterbacks I have ever seen. Three more coaches will be interviewed today and tomorrow. One of these is presently a quarterback coach in the NFL. At least three of the five have SEC ties, one way or the other. I'm not sure if any more than these five will be interviewed. If not, then I would assume an announcement would be forthcoming next week.

01/13/99 - According to Border Wars' Jamie Newberg, who was on Bill Walberg's show last night, Pearl's Justin Jenkins is leaning to Ole Miss and La. Tech over MSU and the Hattiesburg wide receivers Terrell Grindle and Keshan Fudge are 50/50 MSU/Ole Miss. If this is correct and if what the pay sites were saying earlier in the week (Grindle and Fudge were quoted as saying they were leaning to Ole Miss over MSU and USM), then it appears the Ole Miss visit is starting to wear off just as I suspected it would. Like I said earlier, a lot of recruits say they are leaning to the school they most recently visited. Don't be surprised if MSU is back in the lead with these two outstanding wide receivers prior to their MSU visit this weekend and takes the lead for good during the weekend visit. Jenkins will be more difficult to get back based on what I am hearing.

01/13/99 - According to my sources, Mendenhall's outstanding defensive linemen Corey Miley will probably choose between MSU and USM. The one advantage USM has is it is closer to home (more convenient for his family to see him play).

01/12/99 - A couple of sources of mine had the chance to talk with several of our football players and came away very impressed:

One source has talked with senior wide receiver Lahitia Grant several times and said Lahitia has always acted a gentlemen. Lahitia is awaiting the NFL Combine and is hopeful he will do well. This same source has also had the chance to talk with freshman quarterback Wayne Madkin and he too appears to be a really nice young man.

Another source had the opportunity to talk with senior Ed Smith and came away with the opinion that he is a super nice guy who represents MSU well.

01/12/99 - MSU had three football players make The Sporting News 2nd Team All-American: Center Eric Allen, OG Randy Thomas and RB James Johnson. Congrats guys, you did us proud and help lay the foundation for MSU's future successes.

01/12/99 - Thanks to Leland Martin of Mississippi Gridiron Authority (MGA) for providing this info to us free of charge. If you are looking for a pay recruiting service, I highly recommend MGA. You can go to their site by clicking here.

Demotto Youngblood, College Park, GA., North Clayton HS:

Defensive end prospect Demotto Youngblood (6'5" 235 4.7) told MGA tonight that he "will commit quickly" to Mississippi State if they offer this weekend during his trip to Starkville. He has unofficially visited Kentucky, who is the leader until and if Mississippi State extends an offer.

Youngblood, an excellent athlete, had 126 tackles and 10 sacks for North Clayton this season and is considered a dominant pass rusher. He is being recruited by both Mississippi State and Kentucky as a rush end. When asked what he liked about Mississippi State, Demotto replied, " I like their defensive scheme. They are known for putting defensive players in the NFL". Youngblood also indicated a passing interest in Maryland and Clemson. He will commit to the Maroon and White this weekend if he is offered.

P.S. He will need to do a little work in the classroom to be eligible but it can be done - Gene.

01/12/99 - Offensive Linemen (OL) info:

A couple of OL that Miss State is in on are: J.C. Grid-Wire 2nd Team All-American Kevin Barry (6-5, 325, Hutchinson CC.) and Brad Ware (6-3, 265, Westfield HS, Houston, TX.), one of the top 100 players in Texas according to the Houston Chronicle. MSU appears to be doing well with Barry. Other schools interested in Ware are Oklahoma (visit 1/15), Colorado and Arizona. According to the Houston Chronicle, Ware will visit MSU 1/29.

OL Dennis Alexander (6-6, 300, 5.3, Westwood HS, Memphis, TN.) is probably leaning to Alabama at the moment with MSU second. Other schools, supposedly, after him are Auburn, Ole Miss, Clemson, Memphis, Arkansas.

A big OL MSU appears to be in very good shape with is Eric Dumas (6-6, 280, 4.9, Mays HS, Atlanta, GA.).

01/12/99 - According to Borderwars, Kamau Jackson (6-2, 220, 4.6), who may be the top linebacker in the state of Georgia, will be visiting Miss State this weekend.

01/12/99 - I was told by a very reliable source that Miss State is doing well with the following two Georgia players: Stone Mountain (GA) HS defensive end Leslie Williams (6-5, 225, 4.6, 9.75 JW rating) and Creekside HS (GA) defensive end Charles Roberson (6-5, 240, 4.6, 9.75 JW rating, 1/15 visit).

01/12/99 - I also was told Barris Grant (6-1, 240, 4.6), another 2nd Team J.C. Grid-Wire All-American, should send in his National Letter in a few days. The word is he is a Ed Smith type player but two inches taller.

01/11/99 - No news on Ole Miss' recruiting weekend and our commitments that were up there this past weekend. When I find out, I will post it on this skuttle-butt. As of Friday, all of the players that had committed were still committed with the exception of Pearl's Justin Jenkins who was waivering a little. I really don't expect much to change but you never know.

P.S. Remember this: A lot of recruits come away from a visit leaning to the school they just visited. It's the way recruiting is. Each school puts on a great show just to turn these kids' heads and most succeed to a point. Unless they verbally commit, don't expect anything to change from prior to when they visited that school. Ok, now that I have said that, remember this coming weekend. There is going to be between 20 and 25 recruits on campus, so make sure each one of you makes it to the game and show that MSU enthusiasm you showed at the MSU/Arkansas football game. We turned a lot of football recruits heads with the tremendous enthusiasm shown at that game. We can do the same at the basketball game. Let's show them why we are fast becoming THE sports program in Mississippi.

01/09/99 - No one has been hired as MSU's new offensive coordinator. Disregard the message board offensive coordinator posts. Outsiders are just attempting to have a little fun at your expense. Coach Sherrill will hire a dynamic coach who will be a great teacher of young quarterbacks and who any offensive player would love to play for. Take the message board posts with a grain of salt.

01/09/99 - The strong rumor is Kentucky's Hal Mumme made a personal visit to MSU commitment Donald Lee (TE, Maben HS) and offered. Donald turned him down.

01/09/99 - Starkville HS players Dejuan Skinner (Sr, OL, 6-7, 295, 4.9) and Thurmond Ward, Jr. (Jr, SS/QB, 6-2, 175, 4.38) both would like to sign with Miss State, according to a reliable source of mine. Dejuan will attend EMCC the next two years and then would like to attend MSU. Don't be surprised if Thurmond is one of the top 5 to 10 players in the state next year.

01/09/99 - Check out The Clarion-Ledger Top 40 Recruits (1999) by clicking here.

Keshan Fudge and Terrell Grindle continue to be solid MSU commitments, according to my sources. Considering the new offensive coordinator Coach Sherrill is in the process of hiring, if you were a top notch offensive player wouldn't you want to play at Miss State next year? MSU just won the SEC Western Division Championship, played the number 1 team (Tennessee) in the nation down to the wire in the SEC Championship game and participated in a New Year's Day bowl, all with, basically, a one dimension offense. Just think about the possibilities with a more balanced offense. Now, tell me, who do you think these recruits will want to sign with come Feb. 3rd?

The Clarion-Ledger also had a nice article (written by Todd Kelly) about MSU commitment Dontae Walker:

Anybody looking for Dontae Walker should ring his home telephone in Clinton first.

Walker is a top-flight running back -- and he's not bad at running up his mother's long distance bill, either.

"She's all right with it," Walker said with a laugh.

"I might be sitting at home, so I'll call up some of the guys who'll be going to Mississippi State with me," Walker said. "We might talk about our recruiting visit or maybe the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star game."

Walker, the No. 1 prospect on The Clarion-Ledger Top 40 list, already is looking ahead to that annual June showdown in Mobile as well as his freshman season at Mississippi State.

Walker committed to the Bulldogs last month. He can make it official on National Signing Day, Feb. 3.

Walker made his official visit to Starkville the weekend of Jan. 15-17.

"Not many of schools have been calling since I committed," Walker said. "I'm kind of glad it's slowed down."

Walker, though, keeps his fingers dialing, whether it's Moss Point, Tupelo or places in-between that are home to MSU recruits.

"I want to talk to all of those guys because they're going to be my future teammates," Walker said. "We want to try and win a championship together." (End of article)

I tell you, the more I read about this young man, the more I like him. He already considers himself a MSU family member and he hasn't even attended his first class.

01/09/99 - Here are the names of several offensive linemen MSU is, supposedly, doing good with. Jeff Whitaker Recruiting Guide ratings are listed if known:

Eric Dumas - 6-6, 285, 4.8, 9.50 rating, Mays HS (Atlanta, Ga).
Larry Gillard - 6-3, 300, 5.3, 9.50 rating, EMCC (MS).
Robert Jefferson - 6-6, 300, Kansas Juco (not sure which one).
Danny Murphy - 6-5, 285, Flower Mound Marcus (TX) HS.
Zak West - 6-8, 280, Carroll (TX) HS.

01/09/99 - The latest rumor is MSU is back in the picture with Stone Mountain (GA) HS defensive end Leslie Williams (6-5, 225, 4.6). Leslie is rated a 9.75 (10.0 is the max) by the Jeff Whitaker Recruiting Guide.

01/09/99 - Look for Creekside HS (GA) defensive end Charles Roberson (6-5, 240, 4.6, 9.75 rating) to visit next weekend.

01/09/99 - The rumor is North Clayton HS (GA) defensive end Demotto Youngblood (6-5, 225, 4.8) will chose between Kentucky and MSU.

01/08/99 - Thank you Lynn Amedee for helping MSU football have one of the greatest years in it's existence. You will be missed. We, Bulldog fans, wish you only the best. For those of you who have not seen it, here is a link to the official Amedee resigns press release.

01/08/99 - According to a very informed source of mine, the new offensive coordinator (OC) will be a coach who is an exceptional teacher of young quarterbacks. Look for him to also be able to develop a very productive offense (more balanced). Coach Sherrill will look far and wide to find a coach with these qualities. The word is he has already talked to several very knowledgeable coaches about possible suggestions. My source told me Coach Sherrill will hire a coach who is going to generate a lot of excitement and whom any offensive player will love to play for. Expect him to be hired prior to signing day.

01/08/99 - The latest word on Pascagoula HS Dandy Dozen TE Casey Gilbert is he will take all of his official visits before deciding who he will sign with. At this point, Alabama is number 1 with MSU number 2 but gaining fast.

01/08/99 - The rumor is Booneville QB Chuck Spearman, who won the long toss contest at the 1998 Ole Miss summer camp that included Manning, Fant, and Tillman, is seriously considering walking-on at MSU. Supposedly, he will visit Marshall in late January and may have already been offered by them. Seems like the positive things that have happened this season continue to benefit MSU football.

01/08/99 - The word is freshman running back Pig Prather would love to move to the defensive side of the ball and may get his wish this spring.

01/07/99 - For all of you Bulldog fans who are concerned about all the rumors about MSU's commitments decommiting, don't worry about it, no player has decommitted. These are just recruiting rumors. Expect them to become even worse over the next four weeks. I promise you, you are going to see and hear some fantastic rumors the next four weeks. Just remember to take them with a grain of salt.

01/07/99 - For the Rebel fans that check out my page: Look for Allen Tillman (QB, Newton County HS), a player MSU was recruiting at one time, to sign with Auburn. Tillman also considered Ole Miss until they backed off due to the Eli Manning commitment. According to a reliable source of mine, another player Auburn is doing well with is South Panola HS's Demetric Wright,, one of the best DB's in the state of Mississippi. Ole Miss continues to very actively recruit Wright. However, it wouldn't surprise me if Wright winds up at Auburn, along with Tillman. BTW, Coach Cutcliffe was in Batesville for an entire day very recently. The word is he and the Dunlaps (very influential Ole Miss supporters) had a very friendly and long visit.

01/06/99 - No recruits will be on campus this weekend. Our coaches will be at the January 10-13, 1999 AFCA Convention which will be held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

However, get ready for next weekend (Jan. 15-17) which will be a very, very big recruiting weekend. Lots of great recruits will be on campus. Remember, the LSU / MSU basketball game (it is a JP-TV game) will be played that same weekend, so we need a HUGE crowd of LOUD Bulldog fans at the game. Make plans on being on campus that weekend. You do make a difference. Think about the Arkansas / MSU football game if you doubt it. Quite a few of our football commitments have mentioned that game as the turning point in their choosing MSU.

01/05/99 - For those of you who doubt the 70% graduation rate, please check out this section of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) website which can be found by clicking here. After checking that link, visit this link. Hope this answers a lot of questions.

You may also enjoy reading this graduation rate article (click here to go to it ) I found on the NCAA website location.

01/05/99 - I believe all of you Bulldog fans will enjoy reading these comments by several of you who were lucky enough to go to the Cotton Bowl:

"My friend and I saw J.J. Johnson at the airport and talked to him about the game and his years at MSU. Prior to leaving, we asked if he would autograph our Cotton Bowl shirts. He was more than happy to. He is a really great guy."

"My family had a GREAT time,[despite the score], stayed at the Hyatt, took in all the activities we could... just a great vacation to Big D. My son really enjoyed "hanging around" with the players. They equated themselves quite well, were very approachable to the kids & public, as they always are. {Kevin Sluder and my youngest son played video games together; the six year old thought he was in heaven!!!} They conducted themselves in a manner of CLASS each MSU supporter should be proud of. GO DAWGS!!!"

01/05/99 - I'm proud to say the IBBC has generated 18 new Bulldog Club members and $9,785. This doesn't include the $2,000 the IBBC has contributed to the Bulldog Club. Not bad, folks, not bad. If you haven't joined the Bulldog Club, now is the time. The Miss State football tradition is just beginning. Hop aboard and help out by joining the Bulldog Club. Here is a link to a Bulldog Club application form.

01/04/99 - Thought some of you would like to read part of an email I received a couple of nights ago from a Miss State fan who went to the Cotton Bowl:

"Just thought I'd let you know. You are right on the money about recruits, etc. reading the internet. I talked to Rod Gibson last night and he told me they all read the different boards to see what's being said and what's going on, but they don't want to post anything. He also told me they try to blow off most of the trash talking they see.

"I could barely get Wayne Madkin to look me in the eye he was so disheartened. I told him I wanted to shake his hand and he basically said he didn't deserve the honor. Want to talk about tearing your heart out? I didn't shake his hand...I hugged his neck and told him we were proud of the entire season and what they had done for us as fans. They were all disappointed in their showing at the Cotton Bowl, but do you know that every one of the players we talked to finished the conversations by saying "You guys won't believe how good we'll be next year." I cannot wait!

"And, if we had to get up and leave again tomorrow facing that ten hour drive, we'd do it again. It's a shame that some folks who lived within two hours thought it was a long drive. I decided on the way home today that I'd trade a win for another chance to talk to all those guys. They are that nice and really care what we think of them."

01/03/99 - Here is an excellent article I found in yesterday's Clarion-Ledger. It was written by MSU beat writer Sekou Smith. Great job, Sekou!

DALLAS --- In a jubilant locker room after Friday's Southwestern Cotton Bowl, the Texas Longhorns all talked about what a great win their 38-11 win over Mississippi Stat was and how good it felt to win their final game of the season.

And one by one, they talked about J.J. Johnson. And what they were saying was praise.

State's senior running back spent much of the week in Texas Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams' shadow, thanks to the large Texas media contingent and their infatuation with the game's running back matchup.

By halftime Johnson (14 carries and 105 yards) had outrushed Williams (15 carries for 75 yards).

He shredded the Longhorns defense time and again and almost broke loose for a touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

With State backed up on the 8-yard line he took a handoff, cut back left and looked to be off to the races before being tripped up by Texas weakside linebacker Aaron Babino, the game's defensive MVP.

"That was the play of the game and Aaron's best play all season," Texas defensive coordinator Carl Reese said. "That run would've been a Cotton Bowl touchdown record and we knew he had the speed to break it."

In the end Williams finished with 203 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, the third-best rushing performance in Cotton Bowl history. He also caught five balls for 45 yards.

Johnson, meanwhile, finished with 112 yards on 22 carries and also caught a pass for 22 yards.

"Aside from the running back I go against in practice, he's the best in the nation," Babino said. "He's my pick for the second-best back in the country. He has to be.

"Plus, he wasn't jawing out there and talking stuff. He was working and trying to help his team win. I gotta respect him for that."

Reese said Johnson is in the elite class of running backs the college game has seen the last few years.

"We hadn't seen an opposing back with that kind of strength, speed and power all season," Reese said. "You don't see many guys with his size who are great cut-back runners, but after watching all the film and watching him today, that may be his greatest attribute.

"He's what the NFL is looking for. He's definitely in the upper echelon of back. I'm proud of him and the way he played, and I'm glad he's graduating because I don't want to see him again."

01/03/99 - Check out a new MSU sports page by Scott Purdy. Here is the link.

01/03/99 - Here are several of Retired General Colin Powell's rules he lives by. I only printed ones I feel some of you might like to read.

01) It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
10) Remain calm. Be kind.
12) Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13) Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

01/03/99 - To the Rebel fan who asked about Meret McKinnie: I tried to email a response to you but, for some reason, the email would not go through. I don't know how hard Ole Miss is recruiting Meret. I do know that Meret wants to sign with State but, if State does not offer, he would like to sign with Ole Miss because he wants to stay close to home and wants to stay in-state, according to my Delta source who has talked to Meret. I also was told Tennessee, at one time, was recruiting Meret pretty heavily. My source wasn't sure if they still were. I don't know anything about Meret's academic status. Hope this answers your question.

01/02/99 - Congrats go out to Texas for playing a great game. Texas' offensive line played great and helped redshirt freshman Major Applewhite make several great plays early in the game. The biggest difference in the game was their freshman quarterback made the plays and ours (Madkin) didn't. Ricky Williams also proved he is a great back. Maybe not the best I have ever seen, but one of the Top 10 for sure.

Now, on to our Bulldogs. I was very disappointed in the loss yesterday. I, like all of you, expected a win against Texas. Coach Sherrill has raised my expectations so that I now firmly believe MSU will win every game. And I will expect the same thing next year and all the future years we are lucky enough to have Coach Sherrill as our head football coach. My expectations have grown tremendously under Coach Jackie Sherrill and with these high expectations comes the occasional disappointment. The man is a winner. Everywhere he goes, he wins. The facts: Four bowls appearances (should be five), one SEC Western Division Championship, one New Year's Day Bowl, five winning seasons and eight years with a 70% player graduation rate in eight years at MSU. Coach Sherrill has, unquestionably, brought Miss State to national prominence. The legacy our seniors are leaving will be carried forward by the underclassmen. Things have never looked brighter at MSU. Mississippi high school and community college players also see this since MSU is dominating the state of Mississippi in recruiting for the second year running (see the next post for additional confirmation of this). The MSU Tradition has just begun Bulldog fans. Don't wallow in one loss. In the overall scheme of things, one game can mean very, very little. In fact, very often, one game is won by a combination of high emotions by one team and the lack of it by the other. Check out some of the other bowl games and you'll see what I mean. Rejoice in the many positive things going on with State football because there are many (see above).

01/02/99 - Who is Meret McKinnie? Everybody has heard of super running back Dontae Walker, possibly the number one running back in the country, but few college football fans, outside of Mississippi, have heard of Meret. Meret is a 6-1, 200-lb running back from West Bolivar (MS) HS who has great power and 4.4 speed. If you don't believe the speed then consider this. Clarksdale (MS) HS has a player by the name of Mandrell McGregory who is a pretty fast player himself (reportedly 4.5 speed in the forty). Well, during the West Bolivar / Clarksdale game, Meret and Mandrell (defensive back) were neck and neck running down the field but by the time Meret reached the end zone, he was about 10 yards ahead of Mandrell. Here's the best part: According to my Delta source, Meret would really like to go to MSU and would take a scholarship offer from MSU in a heartbeat. The problem is, according to my source, since MSU has received the commitment from Dontae, they have backed off of Meret. Meret, who has also received heavy interest from Tennessee as well as Ole Miss, wants to stay in-state and close to home so that his family can watch him play. If MSU does not offer, Meret told my source he will sign with Ole Miss. My source feels MSU is making a big mistake letting this running back get away (BTW, Meret is also a very good linebacker).

01/01/99 - According to The Clarion-Ledger columnist Rick Cleveland, Southern Miss was to easily defeat Idaho (lost to them 42-35) and Ole Miss was to lose to Texas Tech (OM defeated them 35-18). Uh oh, Rick said we are to win a squeaker over Texas. Sure hope you are wrong Rick.

01/01/99 - MSU quarterback Wayne Madkin made The Sporting News Freshman All-American 3rd-Team. Source: The Clarion-Ledger.

01/01/99 - This is for those of you who like to get on the message board and criticize a possible recruit MSU may be looking at. I believe you will fine this very, very interesting. This is a Wayne Madkin quote found in December 31st edition of The Clarion-Ledger.

"Yeah, I knew about him (Major Applewhite, the freshman Texas QB who MSU recruited the same year as they recruited Madkin) when I was in high school. I'd get on the internet all the time just to see who else was out there. I knew about all the guys coming out when I did, like Applewhite, Romaro Miller and lots of other guys. There were a few good ones that year, huh?"

Next time you want to criticize a player MSU is recruiting, remember this quote, please!