2017 Mississippi State Football Signees
Duke Collins, DL, 6-4, 288, Jackson, Ga. (Jackson HS)
Promising defensive lineman out of Georgia … Voted to the 2016 Region 4-AAA First Team after a spectacular senior season at Jackson High School … As a senior, accumulated 36 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks … Also plays basketball … Full name is Jaquavious “Duke” Collins … Coached by Dary Myricks … Twitter handle is @duke_45.
Josh Cooper, OL, 6-7, 355, Haughton, La. (Haughton HS)
Imposing offensive lineman out of north Louisiana … Comes from the same high school (Haughton) as Dak Prescott … Three-star prospect by 247Sports.com … Considered one of the nation’s top 50 offensive guards according to 247Sports.com … Lined up at tackle during his high school career … Selected to the 2016 1-5A All-District Second Team, the All-Bossier Parish team and All-Louisiana Second Team … Started playing football at the age of seven … Coached by Jason Brotherton … Committed to MSU on Jan. 27, 2017.
Tucker Day, K/P, 6-2, 195, Brentwood, Tenn. (Brentwood HS)
The nation’s No. 1 ranked punter by Chris Sailer Kicking and No. 9 by 247Sports.com … Also ranked among the best placekickers in the nation … At a specialists camp in July 2016, nailed a 60-yard punt with 4.84-second hang time … Was tasked with kickoffs, punts, field goals and extra point attempts at Brentwood High School … Averaged 39.3 yards per punt during his senior season with 13 inside the 20 … Connected on 15 field goals with a long of 50 yards and hit 48-of-51 PATs in 2016 … Invited and played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, recording three punts for 111 yards and a 37.0 average for the East squad … Became the first player in Brentwood High School history to make the U.S. Army All-American squad … Made a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the quarterfinal round of the Class 5A state playoffs to advance … Helped Brentwood to the semifinal round … 2016 Tennessee 5A Punter of the Year … National punt champion at Chris Sailer Kicking camp in the summer of 2016 where he defeated 80 participants … Committed to MSU on Jan. 15, 2017 … Coached by Ron Crawford … Twitter handle is @tuckerday11.
Tyler Dunning, LB, 6-0, 229, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
A versatile linebacker among the best in the Sunshine State … A proven winner who claimed three straight Florida 7A state titles at St. Thomas Aquinas and led his team to a No. 7 national ranked to end his senior season … Amassed 82 tackles and 14.5 for a loss over the last two seasons … Had a knack for finding the football … Also forced a fumble and recovered five … Played in the Geico State Champions Bowl series against No. 12 Bingham where he returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown … Listed as a four star prospect on Rivals.com and the 24th-best linebacker in the nation … A three-star prospect by Scout.com, 247Sports.com and ESPN.com … The No. 23 ranked outside linebacker in the nation by 247Sports.com … Considered one of the top 50 overall prospects in the state of Florida … Made 46 tackles with 11.5 tackles for a loss at defensive end as a junior … Tallied 16 sacks as a sophomore … Originally committed to MSU on April 20, 2016 … Coached by Roger Harriott … Twitter handle is @theTylerDunning.
Noah Elliss, DL, 6-4, 330, Denver, Colo. (Valor Christian HS)
Standout defensive lineman with an intimidating presence who comes from a winning tradition … Four-star recruit by Scout.com, ESPN.com and Rivals.com and a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com … The top-rated defensive tackle in the state of Colorado who prepped at Valor Christian High School … Guided the Eagles to back-to-back Class 5A state championships as a junior and senior … Appeared in the state title game every year of his career … Ranked the No. 23 defensive tackle nationally by 247Sports.com and No. 25 by Scout.com … As a senior, made 46 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and two sacks … One of the top 10 defensive tackles in the West … Collected 58 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a junior in 2015 … Committed to MSU on Jan. 29, 2017 … Coached by Rod Sherman … Father is Luther Elliss, two-time NFL Pro Bowler with the Detroit Lions … Luther was coached by current MSU defensive line coach Brian Baker at Detroit … Twitter handle is @NoahElliss.
Willie Gay, LB, 6-2, 223, Starkville, Miss. (Starkville HS)
One of the elite linebacker recruits in America and the top overall defensive player in the state of Mississippi … Local product out of Starkville High School who helped lead the Yellowjackets to the 2015 Class 6A state title … Consensus four-star prospect … In the state of Mississippi, ranked the No. 2 overall player by 247Sports.com and Scout.com and No. 5 by ESPN.com … Considered the No. 3 ranked outside linebacker in the nation by 247Sports.com and Scout.com … Tabbed the No. 33 overall player in the country by 247Sports.com and No. 51 by Scout.com … Member of the ESPN 300 … 2016 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen and one of 15 semifinalists for the high school Butkus Award … Invited and played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, recording one tackle for the East squad … Collected 83 tackles, including nine tackles for loss as a senior … As a junior in 2015, earned second-team all-state honors after tallying 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, six sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles … Also played quarterback at times, including rushing for 325 yards and five scores in a win over Warren Central in October … Became the first Starkville High player to rush for over 300 yards in a game since 1994 … Scored nine touchdowns in the final two weeks of the season … Finished with seven tackles and two pass breakups in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game in December … Will re-join former Starkville teammate Kobe Jones at MSU … Twitter handle is @WillieYRN.
Landon Guidry, DB, 6-1, 185, Spring Hill, Tenn. (Independence HS)
A physical presence in the secondary out of Independence High School in Tennessee … In the state of Tennessee, ranked the No. 28 overall player by 247Sports.com … A consensus three-star cornerback/safety prospect … Participated in the 2016 Tennessee East-West All-Star Game … 2016 5-5A All Region Team … Served as a triple-threat for Independence High School where he tallied 13 touchdowns and 1,612 all-purpose yards during his senior season … On the defensive side of the ball in 2016, amassed 38 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, four pass deflections, one interception returned for a touchdown, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt … Helped the Eagles to a Class 5A state championship during his junior season as part of a 29-game win streak that was snapped in the 2016 Class 5A title game … Saw more defensive snaps as a junior, when he recorded 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble … Committed to MSU on June 6, 2016 … Coached by Scott Blade … Twitter handle is @landon_rg7.
Kylin Hill, RB, 5-11, 210, Columbus, Miss. (Columbus HS)
Blue-chip running back among the best in America … Ranked No. 6 running back in the nation by 247Sports.com and No. 11 by Scout.com … Consensus four-star recruit who guided Columbus High School to back-to-back Class 6A playoff appearances … Tabbed the No. 106 overall player by Scout.com and No. 124 overall by 247Sports.com … Widely considered the No. 2 overall ranked player in the state … As a senior, averaged nearly 10 yards per carry and scored 27 touchdowns on the ground with 1,750 yards … Also used as a slot receiver, racking up 278 receiving yards … Member of the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen and a first-team all-state recipient … Captured Columbus-Dispatch’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and a senior … Tallied eight 100-yard rushing games in his final season, including five games of 200-plus and scored in 11 of 12 contests … Named Mississippi MVP in the 2016 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game in December after rushing for 91 yards and one score on 18 carries … As a junior, rushed for 1,801 yards during an eight-win season, the second-best mark in school history … Averaged 8.7 yards per carry as a junior in 2015 … In a 2015 playoff game against Clinton as a junior, dazzled fans with 382 yards rushing and five touchdowns … Topped over 200 yards rushing four times as a junior … Coached by Randal Montgomery … Originally committed to MSU in May 2016 … Twitter handle is @H_Kylin.
Aaron Odom, DL, 6-3, 250, Jackson, Miss. (Callaway HS)
Widely considered the top defensive line prospect in the state of Mississippi … Jackson native who prepped at Callaway High School … The lone player in the state of Mississippi to be named to the 2017 Parade All-American First Team … A four-star recruit by Scout.com and a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com … Ranked the No.7 overall player in the state by Scout.com and No. 10 by 247Sports.com … Among the top 22 defensive ends in the country according to Scout.com and a member of the Scout.com 300 … As a senior, racked up 166 tackles, 28 sacks and 25 tackles for loss … Returned a fumble for a touchdown in 2016 … Selected to the 2016 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen … Shifted from linebacker to defensive end prior to his junior season … Earned all-state honors as a junior after recording 124 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in 2015 … Tallied 32 quarterback hurries and forced two fumbles that same season … As a sophomore, made 133 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and five sacks … Coached by Darius Brown … Invited to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game … Originally committed to MSU in April 2016.
Montravious Richardson, OL, 6-7, 300, Albany, Ga. (Westover HS)
Strong offensive lineman out of the state of Georgia … Two-sport standout at Westover High School who also plays basketball … A three-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com … One of the top 10 offensive tackles in Georgia … Coached by Octavia Jones … Committed to MSU on Sept. 14, 2016 … Twitter handle is @229TreyWhs.
Cordavien Suggs, OL, 6-6, 285, Jackson, Miss. (Fletcher HS)
Imposing offensive lineman who is originally from Jackson, Miss., but played his high school football in the state of Florida … Three-star recruit who prepped at Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, Fla. … Ranked one of the top 10 offensive tackle prospects in the state of Florida by Scout.com and 247Sports.com … Considered the No. 15 ranked offensive tackle in the South by Scout.com … Moved to Florida after his freshman season … Coached by Kevin Brown at Fletcher HS … One of the top 200 overall prospects in the state of Florida … Originally committed to MSU in July 2016.
2017 Mississippi State Football Early Enrollees
Johnathan Abram, DB, 6-0, 200, Columbia, Miss. (Jones County JC)
Junior College: The No. 1 junior college safety in America who is no stranger to SEC football … Consensus four-star prospect … Among all JUCO prospects ranked No. 10 overall by 247Sports and No. 25 overall by Scout.com … Spent one season at Jones County and made 23 tackles, including 2.5 for loss to go along with one pass breakup and one forced fumble … Also saw some action at quarterback in “Wildcat” formations … 2015: Appeared in 10 games and made four starts at Georgia … Collected 25 tackles and one tackle for loss … Had five tackles vs. No. 11 Florida … Collected four tackles at Tennessee … Made his first college start against South Carolina, finishing with four tackles … Originally enrolled at Georgia in January 2015 … High School: Prepped at East Marion, coached by Kevin Jackson … 2014 MAC Defensive Player of the Year … A three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247Sports and No. 14 overall prospect in the state of Mississippi … Enrolled early at UGA to participate in 2015 spring practice … Returned an interception for a touchdown in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game … Led East Marion to a 10-5 record and a berth in the 2014 2A Mississippi state semifinal game … Played quarterback in addition to safety for East Marion … Finished his junior season with 88 total tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as well as 1,288 rushing yards, 19 rushing yards, 1,737 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns … Two-sport athlete who was a three-time varsity player for the baseball team.
Lee Autry, DL, 6-2, 315, Albermarle, N.C. (Itawamba CC)
Junior College: A powerful defensive lineman and a four-star prospect according to ESPN.com … The second-best junior college defensive tackle in the nation according to ESPN.com and No. 3 at his position by 247Sports … The 21st overall player out of the JUCO ranks according to ESPN.com … A member of ESPN’s JC50 … Considered the No. 90 overall JUCO prospect according to Scout.com … Received three stars by 247Sports and Scout.com … Totaled 47 tackles in his two seasons at Itawamba, picking up 12.5 behind the line of scrimmage … Also amassed five sacks … High School: A three-star prospect out of Albermarle High School … Ranked as the 33rd-best defensive tackle in the nation out of high school and the 20th best in North Carolina … Personal: Brother is current Oakland Raider and former MSU defensive lineman (2012-13) Denico Autry.
Tommy Champion, OL, 6-5, 330, Jackson, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Junior College: The fifth-best offensive tackle in the nation out of junior college according to 247Sports … A consensus three-star prospect … Rated No. 96 on Scout.com’s JUCO Top 100 list … Earned first-team all-state honors in 2016 at Co-Lin … High School: Attended Callaway High School … A consensus four-star prospect out of high school who originally committed to MSU … Rated as the seventh-best player in the state of Mississippi by 247.
Brian Cole, DB, 6-2, 200, Saginaw, Mich. (East Miss. CC)
Junior College: One of the top five junior college safeties in America according to 247 Sports and Scout.com … No. 47 on Scout.com’s JUCO Top 100 overall list and No. 84 on 247Sports … Recorded 54 tackles with one sack and three forced fumbles in 2016 at East Miss. CC … Returned one fumble for a touchdown and also blocked three kicks … 2015: Played three games at wide receiver and on special teams at the University of Michigan and caught one pass in his debut against Utah … High School: A four-star prospect out of Heritage High School where he was coached by Don Maloney… Signed with Michigan and was the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan according to 247Sports and ESPN.com … Rated the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in Michigan before making the switch to defensive back in junior college.
James Jackson, DL, 6-3, 345, Pascagoula, Miss. (Pascagoula HS)
Powerful defensive lineman out of Pascagoula … A three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Scout.com and ESPN.com … Widely considered the top defensive tackle prospect in the state … Rated the No. 21 overall prospect in the state by Scout.com and No. 25 by 247Sports and ESPN.com … Began classes on Jan. 9 at MSU and will participate in spring ball … Participated in the 2016 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game … Played on both sides of the ball and finished with 26 tackles as a senior … Originally committed to MSU on April 6, 2016 … Has tremendous strength in the weight room … Coached by Lewis Sims.
Jaquarius Landrews, DB, 5-11, 190, Summit, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Junior College: A consensus three star prospect out of the junior college ranks … Ranked the No. 83 overall junior college prospect by Scout.com and the No. 93 overall by 247Sports … High School: Saw action in 26 games over his four-year varsity career at McComb High School, playing both offense and defense … Rushed for an average of 8.0 yards per carry over the course of his varsity career … As a senior, rushed for 872 yards on 103 carries with three 100+ yard games … Also had 424 career receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Tyre Phillips, OL, 6-5, 355, Grenada, Miss. (East Miss. CC)
Junior College: Standout offensive lineman who played in 11 games with East Mississippi CC in 2016, anchoring a line that helped the Lions to an 11-1 record … Named to the All-Region 23 squad as well as the MACJC All-State/North First Team … Regarded as the best guard in the JUCO ranks by 247Sports and the fourth-best by ESPN.com … Ranked the No. 80 overall junior college prospect by 247Sports and No. 97 overall by Scout.com … High School: Prepped at Grenada High School.
Deion Pope, DL, 6-3, 300, Collins, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Junior College: Rated as the second-highest junior college defensive tackle prospect in the nation by 247 Sports and the nation’s No. 24 overall JUCO prospect … Ranked No. 40 overall on Scout.com … A consensus three-star prospect and a member of ESPN’s JC50 … Earned second-team all-state honors in 2016 after recording 51 tackles, seven tackles for loss and one sack … In 2015, tallied 42 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks … High School: Led Collins High School in tackles his senior year.
Chauncey Rivers, DL, 6-3, 275, Stone Mountain, Ga. (East Miss. CC)
Junior College: Widely considered the top pass rusher in the junior college ranks … Consensus four-star defensive end … Tabbed No. 7 on Scout.com’s JUCO Top 100 and No. 10 on 247Sports’ Top 100 overall players … Ranked No. 19 on the ESPN.com JC50 … 2015: Played in four games at the University of Georgia … Had a career-best three tackles against Georgia Tech … Notched one tackle for loss against Southern … High School: Attended Stephenson High School and was coached by Ron Gatrell … Member of Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2014 Super 11 and Class 5A All-State Team … Mamed to the Georgia Sports Writers Association 2014 All-State Class 5A First Team Defense and 2013 All-State Class 5A Second Team Defense … 2014 DeKalb defensive player of the year … A four-star prospect by 247sports.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com … As a senior, accumulated 99 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception … As a junior, had 108 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks.
Montez Sweat, DL, 6-6, 240, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Junior College: Talented pass rusher considered the sixth-best junior college defensive end prospect in the nation according to 247 Sports and is listed No. 43 on Scout.com’s Top 100 prospects … No. 47 on 247Sports’ Top 100 JUCO recruits … A three-star recruit who posted 39 tackles with six for loss in 2016 at Co-Lin … Also recorded five sacks, forced two fumbles and grabbed one interception … 2014: Appeared in two games at defensive end in his first season at Michigan State (vs. Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan) … In his collegiate debut, collected four tackles, including a half sack (2 yards), against Jacksonville State … High School: Ranked one of the top tight ends in the nation coming out of Stephenson High School, the home of former Bulldog and current Washington Redskin Preston Smith … Recorded 33 tackles, including six for losses with one sack, in 12 games his senior season playing for Coach Ron Gartrell … Helped lead Stephenson to a 9-3 record and the round of 16 in the Georgia high school state playoffs … Also played basketball and averaged 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks as a senior.
Keytaon Thompson, QB, 6-4, 220, New Orleans, La. (Landry-Walker HS)
One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in America and a proven winner … Combined for three state championships in football and basketball … Began classes on Jan. 9 at MSU and will participate in spring practice … Consensus four-star recruit out of Landry-Walker High School in New Orleans where he was coached by Emanuel Powell … No. 1 QB recruit in Louisiana according to 247Sports and a Parade All-American honorable mention … Became the first player in Landry-Walker history to be named Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year following an incredible senior season in 2016 … 2016 District 8-5A MVP and finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year … 2016 LSWA Class 5A Most Outstanding Offensive Player … Racked up 10,737 yards of total offense and accounted for 149 touchdowns during his prep career … Finished his senior season, completing 198 of 331 passes for 3,825 yards and 46 touchdowns while rushing 152 times for 1,434 yards and 26 TDs … Amassed 5,259 yards of total offense in 2016 … Accounted for 457 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in the 2016 Class 5A state championship game, leading the Charging Buccaneers to a 50-21 win over West Monroe to produce the school’s first state title … Squad capped the year on a 13-game winning streak and in that stretch he accounted for 66 touchdowns … Completed 16 of 27 passes for 303 yards with five touchdowns and carried 23 times for another 154 yards, dazzling fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the state title game … In five playoff games as a senior, completed 81 of 119 passes for 1,485 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 534 yards and 11 scores … As a junior, directed the Charging Bucs to a 10-3 record, a share of the District 8-5A championship and an appearance in the 2015 Class 5A state quarterfinals … Four-year starter at QB and a three-year starter in basketball … Basketball teammates with current MSU guard Lamar Peters … The two led Landry-Walker to back-to-back Class 4A state championships in 2014 and 2015 … A knack for making big plays, Thompson drained the game-winning bucket in the 2015 LHSAA Top 28 Class 4A championship game … Originally committed to MSU on Dec. 16, 2015 … Maintained a 3.12 GPA.
Austin Williams, WR, 6-2, 200, Ocean Springs, Miss. (Ocean Springs HS)
Sure-handed wide receiver prospect out of Ocean Springs High School … A consensus three-star recruit by Scout, ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports … Began classes on Jan. 9 at MSU and will participate in spring practice … The 15th-best player in the state according to 247 Sports, regardless of position … The sixth-best receiver in the state according to Scout.com … For his career, totaled 150 catches, 2,349 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns … Finished his senior season with 48 receptions for 697 yards and 13 touchdowns to earn Class 6A first-team all-state honors … Played in the 2016 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game … Caught 56 passes for 928 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior … Amassed 618 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore … Coached by Ryan Ross at Ocean Springs … Originally committed to MSU on April 16, 2016.
Tyler Williams, DB, 6-2, 172, Oxford, Miss. (Lafayette HS)
A three-star defensive back by Rivals, Scout.com and 247 Sports who was a member of a state championship his senior season … Guided the Lafayette Commodores to a 13-2 record and 13 straight wins in 2016 … Scored a 77-yard touchdown in the game’s opening minutes to spark the squad … Enrolled at MSU on Jan. 9 and will participate in spring practice … The 16th best player, regardless of position, in the state according to 247 Sports … Considered the third-best safety in the state according to Scout.com … 2016 Division 2-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player … Played on both sides of the ball … Recorded 795 receiving yards and nine touchdowns his senior season as well as 43 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass deflections … Notched 25 tackles and two picks as a junior … Coached by Michael Fair at Lafayette High School … Originally committed to MSU on May 16, 2016.
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