Almost a year after declaring the 2007 freshman class the best he’s ever signed, Mississippi State head football coach Sylvester Croom thinks he may have an equal or better one in line this year. While last year’s class included starting quarterback Wesley Carroll and sought-after running back Robert Elliott, the 2008 class is not without its big names but will serve more to fill large holes on the Bulldogs’ lineup.
After losing senior defensive ends Titus Brown and Avery Hannibal, Croom said his top priority was to add to the depth of the defensive line.
“We went very heavy on the defensive linemen, and luckily a lot of the talent in the state was at that position,” he said. “David Turner did an outstanding job coaching the defensive line last season, and we wanted to get guys that had great speed at the defensive line spots.”
Croom mentions Joshua Jackson, of Canton, Devin Jones, of Olive Branch, and Miami, Fla., native Sean Ferguson as defensive linemen who have impressed him with their physicality.
“Joshua is very physical and is super-talented,” Croom said. “Devin is another guy that has an excellent first step and who is big and powerful enough to be a great player. Sean is a guy who has a long body who’s also got a great first step.”
Croom named 6-foot-5 defensive lineman Shane McCardell, of Beaumont, Texas, as the defensive “sleeper” of the 2008 class. McCardell, who was also a track standout at West Brook High School, made 33 tackles and three sacks during his senior season. Croom said he was impressed with his speed and vertical ability.
“Shane is a guy that committed to us late,” he said. “I was on a recruiting trip looking at some guys for next year when he caught my attention. We offered him a scholarship, and he came to Starkville and fell in love with the place. He got some late offers from some bigger schools such as Texas, but he stayed with us.”
Defensive linemen who could rush the quarterback were also high on Croom’s list, and he said linemen who display such ability will have stronger chances of seeing playing time in the fall.
“We’ve asked them all to come in ready to play from the start, but if a guy can come in, run fast and get past the line, he’ll play,” Croom said.
Defensive backs Charles Mitchell and Delmon Robinson stand out as top in-state recruits that Mississippi State has grabbed. Vicksburg’s Robinson, a four-sport athlete, played in the Mississippi/Alabama all-star game and is rated one of the top 25 recruits in the state, while Clarksdale’s Mitchell was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state in the fall.
Mitchell is also ranked as the nation’s No. 10 safety by Rivals.com and could look to fill junior free safety Derek Pegues’ role when he graduates.
Adding speed on offense was second on the list for Croom, who wants the offensive speed to reach the level of the defensive speed. An aid in reaching that goal will be the addition of several multiple-position athletes, who will also strengthen the secondary and special teams efforts.
Vicksburg’s Arceto Clark, a standout at both cornerback and wide receiver, will be one of those dual threats the Bulldogs have added to their roster.
“Arceto is a great wide receiver with some experience at corner,” Croom said. “He’s one of those guys who can take the ball and go in space. He could be a great return guy as well.”
Rashun Dixon, younger brother to current Bulldog tailback Anthony Dixon, looks to be another dual threat after being ranked in the top 100 nationally at both the wide receiver and safety positions. Dixon also played baseball at Terry High and has a possibility of being named in June’s Major League Baseball draft. Croom said he plans to support the younger Dixon in either choice.
“He could choose baseball if the money is significant,” Croom said. “I’m behind him either way, and I know with his mother, he’ll be back to get his education eventually.”
Croom named wide receiver Charles Bailey as his “sleeper” pick on the offensive front. A Jacksonville, Fla., native, Bailey is the son of an NFL scout for the Jaguars and has spent offseasons working with Jaguar receivers.
“He’s got excellent hands and is well-trained,” Croom said. “You can tell on his route runs that he’s done some work with NFL receivers.”
One to always have an eye on the future, Croom’s current recruiting trips will give him an early start on building the 2009 freshman class. Two positions that will be essential to add to will be quarterback and running back.
Quarterback stands at the top of the list with the loss of former Bulldog starter Michael Henig and Carroll being the only passer on the roster with significant SEC experience. Croom signed no quarterbacks in this year’s signing class.
“We have to sign another quarterback,” he said. “We have three scholarship quarterbacks now but only one with real SEC experience. We want to sign two quarterbacks next year, and we think we have one committed, but because of injury chances, we’ll find another one to sign as well.”
With both Dixon and fellow running back Christian Ducré entering their junior seasons in the fall, Croom also plans to sign two running backs as well.
Getting an early start on next year’s season will be essential to reaching Croom’s goal of an SEC championship, and having four players enrolling this spring gives some of the Bulldog newcomers a head start.
“It was really good to get Phillip Freeman, Mike Hunt, Nelson Hurst and O’Neal Wilder enrolled and on campus already,” Croom said. “It will help to have them in spring practice with the rest of the team.”
While there are a variety of names from different states, Croom’s signing of 16 Mississippi players reflects his desire to tap into local talent first.
“We focus on the state of Mississippi first, especially a four- to five-hour radius from Starkville,” he said. “We’re very pleased with the guys we’ve got and what we’ve done to strength our football team. These guys are good people on the field as well as academically.