STARKVILLE — Mississippi State has added another defensive lineman to its 2021 class.
Former UCF standout Randy Charlton announced his commitment to MSU via Twitter on Thursday afternoon with the caption, “Yea it’s official.” In parts of three seasons in Orlando, Charlton played in 26 games for the Knights, totaling 68 tackles and four sacks.
While the talent is there, he heads to Starkville under murky circumstances. Charlton was one of four players kicked off the team at UCF in October following his role in a police incident in which teammate Antwan Collier was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed firearm and driving with a suspended/revoked license, according to Orange County Clerk court records.
Body cam footage of the scene also showed multiple players at the scene shouting insults toward officers.
“I’m not going to get into specifics with how the decision was made,” UCF head coach Josh Heupel said at the time. “At the end of the day, you’ve had an opportunity to see the video. There’s a way we need to represent our program and our university, and that’s why the decision was made.”
Multiple sources told The Dispatch on Thursday the staff in Starkville is aware of the circumstances in which Charlton left the program.
“I believed my actions that transpired that night were actions of a concerned brother under the team law, ‘One Team One Heart Beat,'” Charlton wrote on Twitter on Nov. 4. “I know some words that was used was not acceptable and not up to the team standard held for me, so I will take full responsibility for those things and I will apologize for that. I owe to my family, friends, fans and most importantly to myself to grow from this situation and not let it define the person I am.”
With Charlton aboard in the 2021 class, it brings an end to a string of decommitments over the past few weeks for MSU. Three former Bulldog pledges — three-star receiver Brandon Buckhaulter, three-star defensive back Brendan Toles and three-star Starkville running back Amariyon Howard — all backed off their commitments over the past three weeks, though it’s understood they are set to be replaced in the class.
MSU’s 2021 class currently ranks No. 38 nationally and No. 10 in the Southeastern Conference according to the 247Sports composite rankings. With 18 commits on the docket including Charlton, it’s expected the Bulldogs could add as many as 25 or 26 players in this class. The Early Signing Period in which football commits nationwide can sign their national letters of intent runs from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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