On Wednesday, many college football fans breathed a collective sigh of relief while others groaned.
I came out of the recruiting period a very happy Mississippi State football fan as the Bulldogs signed a very talented group of youngsters, which was good enough for a ranking of No. 22 and No. 20 on national recruiting sites 247sportsand Scout.
The Bulldogs inked multiple big-time targets on offense, filling the need for receiving threats in this class. The gems of the offensive class being Fred Ross, a four-star prospect from Tyler, Texas, who decided to go with the Bulldogs at the last minute after being committed to Oklahoma State, and Donald Gray, another four-star out of Memphis.
Ross, ironically, reminds me of Justin Blackmon, formerly of OSU, with his skill set and size. The youngster put up huge numbers in the Texas high school ranks accounting for 1,594 yards receiving and hauling in 21 touchdowns. Gray also had a very solid season at White Station High School racking up 1,023 yards receiving and reeling in 15 touchdowns in his senior season, but he could end up playing safety for MSU.
Not to be overshadowed, the Bulldogs also signed receiving threats in B.J. Hammond, De’Runnya Wilson and Shelby Christy. This receiving class will most certainly be making a big impact on the Bulldogs’ offense after seeing the departure of five senior wide receivers due to graduation.
The most exciting moment of the signing period was when the Bulldogs signed arguably the nation’s top prospect in defensive end Chris Jones of Houston, Miss. A five-star prospect, Jones climbed the recruiting rankings after a monster senior year, recording 45 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
I’ve seen this kid play multiple times, and trust me, this kid is the truth. Jones is most likely going to continue his dominance this following season as a starter for the defense.
Also helping fill in the gaps left in the secondary are newcomers Justin Cox from East Mississippi Community College and Ashton Shumpert from Tupelo. Cox, a four-star cornerback, accounted for six interceptions in JUCO play last season; Shumpert grabbed two interceptions as a senior and had 64 tackles.
Unlike some classes that are filled with big names and star power, this one comes in quiet. But trust me, by the time these guys get experience, they won’t be quiet for long.
If you as a fan are upset over us signing lowly publicized players, I’ll remind you the Jim Thorpe Award winner this year was a little known player out of Maben, Miss. That player also came in quietly like much of this class. Sound familiar? It should because that player is Johnthan Banks, who is now looking at a first-round selection in this year’s NFL draft.
Our coaching staff and I assure you that star power isn’t everything. That’s why I think this is a good class. Because who  knows, the next Johnthan Banks could be stepping on the field next fall.