STARKVILLE — Following a brief lull on the recruiting trail in recent weeks, MSU nabbed its 11th commitment in the class of 2021 on Friday as three-star Florida linebacker Timar Rogers committed to coach Mike Leach and the Bulldogs’ staff.
“I would like to thank all my coaches from youth years to now for all the lessons and value they have taught me not only football but life itself,” Rogers wrote on Twitter on Friday. “I would also like to (thank) every (coach) who recruited me and gave me a chance to achieve my goal as a DI student athlete. With all that being said I am proud to say I am 100% committed to Mississippi State.”
Rogers, who is a high school teammate of recent three-star safety pledge Myzell Williams, fills a major need at linebacker in this year’s group and becomes the second player at the position to commit to MSU after No. 1 junior college inside linebacker Navonteque Strong committed to MSU on June 8.
With Rogers and Strong now in the fold at linebacker, MSU is expected to add at least another one or two players at the position. The Bulldogs did suffer a loss at the position when three-star Georgia product Thomas Davis decommitted on June 8. Davis initially said MSU would remain in the mix but released a top three consisting of South Carolina, Florida State and Miami via Twitter on Saturday.
Linebacker is a major position of need for the Bulldogs in the 2021 class, as Willie Gay Jr. is already off to the NFL, and senior Erroll Thompson will exhaust his eligibility this fall should football actually be played. Behind Thompson, the Bulldogs brought in Copiah-Lincoln Community College transfer Tyrus Wheat in the 2020 class along with freshman Alabama native Rodney Groce Jr.
Should things hold as is, MSU would have just Groce, Wheat, Strong and sophomores Jett Johnson, Aaron Brule and Nathaniel Watson as meaningful pieces in place for the 2021 season. Look for MSU to dip into the junior college ranks or perhaps an underrecruited name that has yet to arrive on the recruiting board to fill these spots.
“You’re just trying to maximize the athleticism you’ve got on the field,” MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett explained of his 3-3-5 system in February. “And then that grouping has been the way we can be the most multiple. You want to get into a four-down look? Well, you put a linebacker at the line of scrimmage. You want to get another linebacker down in there? You drop a safety down then he becomes a linebacker. It’s not so much some strict, ‘Hey, there’s three (defensive) linemen; there’s always three linebackers right here.’ It just allows us the most multiplicity.”
While linebacker is a bit of a mystery, MSU’s next major recruiting domino could fall any day, now as four-star Louisiana receiver Malik Nabers whittled down his options to Leach’s Bulldogs and Georgia in recent weeks. If Nabers does head to Starkville, he’d join an already impressive receiver haul alongside four-star Texas pass-catcher Theodore Knox and three-star Flowood receiver Brandon Buckhaulter.
The Bulldogs are expected to sign anywhere from three to five receivers in the 2021 class, as the cupboard left by Joe Moorhead’s staff is due for an upgrade with Leach’s high-flying air raid offense now being installed. Texas native Da’Wain Lofton is also an expected MSU lean and could join the Bulldogs sooner rather than later.
Defensively, Lafayette High School cornerback Brendan Toles is expected to be in play for MSU. Toles, who spoke with The Dispatch last week, said the offer he received from the MSU coaching staff caught his attention and that it will make him think long and hard about his current commitment to Louisiana Tech.
“I was happy, and it was a good moment because it was my first SEC offer, and I’m just happy that I got that offer,” Toles said.
At present, MSU’s class ranks No. 49 nationally and No. 12 in the SEC according to the 247Sports composite rankings. And though it remains to be seen whether football is even played this fall, the Bulldogs have begun to round out Leach’s first full class in Starkville.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.