STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University football program didn’t have to go very far to receive its eighth verbal commitment of the 2013 recruiting class.
Starkville High School athlete Gabe Myles committed Tuesday morning to MSU to give the Bulldogs their fourth verbal pledge in as many days.
Myles’ father, Eddie, was a defensive back at MSU from 1987-1990.
“I knew where I wanted to go, so there was no need to prolong anything and just make my decision to be a Bulldog,” Myles said. “It felt good. It has been my dream to play at Mississippi State, so it felt good to go ahead and commit and say I want to be a Bulldog.”
It was assumed Myles, who picked MSU over the University of Mississippi, would entertain offers from other schools to play quarterback, but he said he would move to a different position for a bigger program.
“He always wanted to go to Mississippi State, and everybody knew that,” Starkville High coach Jamie Mitchell said. “He’s going to be the best student-athlete they have. There’s just no negative with that young man.”
Myles can make his decision official Feb. 6 by signing a national letter of intent. He is the first Starkville High player to receive a scholarship offer from a Southeastern Conference school and to make a verbal commitment since Mitchell became the school’s coach.
“It’s like I told his dad (Monday) night, the key is we can just focus on the Jackets and winning a state championship,” Mitchell said. “Gabe didn’t want it to be a distraction, and we don’t have to hear about it anymore.”
Myles, a rising senior who played wide receiver two seasons ago, had 2.686 total yards and led the Yellow Jackets to the Class 5A state championship game last season.
“We thought we’d have to get him some snaps at quarterback when he was a sophomore and then he broke his collarbone at Meridian,” Mitchell said. “You’re talking about a kid that missed essentially his entire 10th grade year and didn’t miss a beat last year.”
The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, who likely will move to a position in the secondary at MSU, had 26 touchdowns last season and was a first-team selection to The Dispatch’s All-Area Large Schools team. He competed last weekend as a defensive back for the MSU coaches at MSU’s summer camp.
“He’s an off-the-charts kind of athlete in every way, shape, and form,” Mitchell said. “That will translate to the next level.”
Myles was 10 of 19 for 181 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 17-8 victory against Columbus High in April.
In his most impressive game of the 2011 season, Myles helped Starkville score the final 21 points in a 26-23 come-from-behind victory at Ridgeland High School in a Region 2 game.
Myles was 12 of 14 for 216 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 victory against Hernando in a first-round playoff game. He became the first player in Starkville High history to have more than 200 yards since Jaquez Johnson accomplished the feat against Tupelo.
Teammates and coaches describe Myles, who was a co-captain last season, as a leader. Myles also is a first sergeant in the school’s ROTC program. He has been involved in the ROTC since his freshman year at Starkville High.
“He is a guy our guys look to,” Mitchell said last season “He knows the game. He makes just about straight As in the classroom, and that transfers over here. He is a very deep thinker, and that’s a good thing. He is searching for a grasp of what everybody is doing. As he continues to get better and better, that knowledge base is going to continue to build. If we can keep him healthy, he is going to be all right.”
In the spring, Myles teamed with Terrance McCarter, Scottie Pittman, and QuVarious Robertson on Starkville High’s 4×200-meter relay team to take second at the North State meet with a time of 1 minute, 29.63 seconds.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.