Now that we are six days removed from the phenomenon that is national signing day and the recruitniks have already turned their attention to the class of 2012, let’s take a closer look at the individuals who make up the current class.
While many headlines have been made about the players who chose not to come to Starkville, the guys who did sign up are worth taking a look at.
As with every class  Dan Mullen has brought in, this group is heavy with Mississippi-raised talent. One of the headliners, defensive back Kendrick Market, is a product of the state’s (and one of the country’s) top high school program, defending 6A champion South Panola. Market was a two-time all-state selection and was rated the No. 15 prospect in the state.
“People at South Panola love that kid and said he may be the MVP of this past year’s team and maybe the best all around football player in the state of Mississippi,” Mullen said. “His measurements may not be what people would like to write about, but when you watch him on film, he just makes big plays.”
Another one of the bigger names in the 2011 class is Tupelo High defensive lineman P.J. Jones. Jones was a four-star recruit and rated the No. 21 defensive tackle by Rivals.com. Jones committed to the Bulldogs in January and said he hopes to build on the 9-4 season State just completed.
“Dan cares about his players,” Jones said. “I’m just ready to help out. They went 9-4 this past season. I think they’ll have an even better season this next season, and I’m hoping I can get in on some reps.”
Though Mullen said some of the signees may be converted to linebacker, there is only one player officially listed as a linebacker in this year’s group. Benardrick McKinney, a 6’4″, 205-pound linebacker from Tunica, was a jack of all trades at 4A Rosa Fort High School. He accounted for 2,036 yards of offense as the team’s quarterback and tallied 66 tackles on defense. He was even the team’s punter his junior year.
Market is listed as a wide receiver, but Mullen said he will play on the defensive side of the ball, which leaves two receivers in the 2011 class. However, Mullen believes he may have signed the two best receivers in the state in Joe Morrow (Ocean Springs) and Devin Fosselman (Wilkinson County).
“A lot of coaches down at the Mississippi/Alabama all-star game believe that Devin Fosselman and Joe Morrow were the top two receivers for the state of Mississippi at that game, and we are very excited to have them on board,” Mullen said.
Morrow and Fosselman will be competing with the receivers from Mullen’s first two classes, who started to emerge late in the season, for playing time next year.
Guys like Chad Bumphis and Brandon Heavens have established themselves in the receiving rotation, but Morrow said he was not afraid to compete for playing time.
“If you work and show that you can play then you’ll be able to,” Morrow said. “That’s how I was brought up. I don’t like things being given to me; I like to work for them, just earn my contribution.”
Mullen also lauded the speed of the skill players in this year’s class, citing defensive backs Justin Cox (West Point) and Darius Slay (Itawamba CC), and running backs Josh Robinson (Franklinton, La.) and Derek Milton (Hargrave [Va.] Military Academy) as examples.
Defensive lineman John Harris, a Boynton Beach, Fla., native, enrolled in January and has already put on 25 pounds according to Mullen.
Harris, along with  Preston Smith (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Jones will look to become part of the heavy rotation on the Bulldogs’ defensive line.
“If there is ever a position I want to be heavy on depth, it is the defensive line,” Mullen said. “We rotate and play so many guys at that position in the course of the game, but I am very happy with the four guys that we got.”
The Bulldogs also signed five offensive linemen, headlined by 6’4″, 270-pounder James Maiden, a Woodville native. Maiden was listed as the No. 11 prospect in the state of Mississippi by Scout.com.
The only quarterback signed was Dak Prescott, a three-star prospect from Haughton, La., who joined the team in January.
Mullen said joining the team early gives him an advantage that last year’s quarterback signee Dylan Favre did not have — a full spring and summer workout before entering what Mullen calls a fast-paced fall camp when it is tough to learn.
“I think he can do a great thing, and the good thing about him getting down here early is he’s going to have the opportunity to compete,” Mullen said.