STARKVILLE — On Sunday night, four-star linebacker Willie Gay sat down and looked at a Mississippi State hat, a LSU hat, and a Michigan hat. He thought hard about where he thought he be most comfortable and then made a decision.
On Monday night, Gay sent LSU coach Ed Orgeron and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh text messages and told them the news: He was staying home to play at Mississippi State.
Gay, who decommitted from Ole Miss in October, said he was glad the recruiting process was over. He said the number of correspondences he received forced him to delete his Twitter account for a period of time.
“Many people do not know, but this recruiting process puts you through a lot,” Gay said. “I’m happy for it to be over with and glad I am a Bulldog.”
The biggest factor in Gay’s process came when defensive coordinators Peter Sirmon and Todd Grantham swapped jobs, with Sirmon going to Louisville and Grantham coming to MSU. Gay said he was a silent commit for about a week after the new hire, but took time and prayed hard about his choice. He finally decided Grantham was an elite coach and that he was going to MSU.
Gay is the No. 2 rated player in the state of Mississippi, according to 247Sports. In 11 games this past season, Gay had 83 tackles, including nine for a loss. His performance helped him earn an invitation to play in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
In the last two games of the season, Gay moved to quarterback in an attempt to help Starkville reach the playoffs. Gay rushed for 565 yards and nine touchdowns in those games, but Starkville failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Starkville High assistant coach Josh Pulphus said his favorite memory of Gay was when he took the team and put him on his back in those two games.
“Gay really sold out for our team,” Pulphus said. “He told the team he wanted to do whatever he can do to help us win. He got in the backfield at quarterback, and never let the ball out of his hands. That speaks about his character and his will to win. He is a fantastic kid.”
While Gay is known for his speed, strength, and unbelievable work ethic, he is also one of the funniest guys on Starkville’s team. Starkville High assistant coach Tate Fischer said he will remember Gay’s interception against Cam Akers that iced the victory against Clinton in 2015 and the jokes he had with the team.
“The great thing about Willie was you never knew what he was going to say,” Fischer said. “It was always a surprise and would change day to day. He did something I liked to call Willieisms. It would occur when we would tell him something and he would not try to argue it, but would give you his opinion. Once we proved it to him over film, he would try to act like he never said the opinion he did and would give in and tell us, ‘Well, yeah you right you right you right.’ ”
Gay said playing time was another determining factor in his decision. His versatility and knowledge adds to his versatility, which should enhance his ability to play right away. When he was in junior high, Gay played quarterback, tailback, and linebacker. In ninth grade, he was a prospect at free safety. He quickly outgrew that position and moved to linebacker. Because of his previous experience at safety, he can cover as well as anyone in the secondary.
While assistant coach Randy Carlisle didn’t know where Gay was going to go Wednesday morning, he knows Gay will be successful at MSU.
“He’s the best player I have ever coached,” Carlisle said. “He is the best athlete and football player I have coached. All the positions he has played in over the six years I have coached him gives him a broad knowledge of the game, and that will benefit him at MSU. He is going to fit into any scheme the Bulldogs throw at him.”
After seeing so many top players in Mississippi leave the state, Gay gave everyone a message before he returned to class Wednesday.
“Me, Aaron Odom, and Kylin Hill are about to go to work in Starkville, Mississippi,” Gay said.
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