STARKVILLE — Mississippi State added a major missing piece to its 2021 secondary puzzle Saturday.
MSU announced the addition of former Texas cornerback and top-50 recruit Jalen Green as a transfer. Green, the No. 47 player and No. 6 cornerback in the 2018 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, will enroll in school this month and be available for spring practices.
A Houston, Texas native, the former fringe five-star recruit was recruited heavily by current MSU safeties coach Jason Washington when he served as the Longhorns’ cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. Washington again was heavily involved in Green’s recruitment the second go-round, helping the Bulldogs secure his pledge.
After redshirting his first year in Austin, Green played in 21 games for the Longhorns and recorded 22 tackles, 10 assists and five passes defensed. Should he have committed to MSU out of high school, he would have been rated the tenth-highest-ranked recruit to sign with the Bulldogs in school history.
Given the departure of Marcus Murphy to the NFL draft and no immediate resolution on whether junior cornerback Tyler Williams will return to the program after he opted out last fall, the Bulldogs were again going to be razor thin in the secondary heading into 2021. With Green aboard, the Bulldogs bring back a strong top three on the outside along with sophomore Martin Emerson and freshman all-American Emmanuel Forbes. Freshman Decamerion Richardson, a late rising prospect in the class of 2020, should also be in the mix for time this fall.
MSU could also be in the market for another defensive back ahead of the February signing period whether that be a high school prospect or in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs are firmly in the running for three-star French Camp Academy athlete Calvin Johnson II, who has seen his recruiting profile skyrocket in recent months. A former Navy commit, Johnson has received offers from Duke, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, UNLV, Florida State, Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern and Memphis since mid-November.
MSU also figures to be an option for Villanova graduate transfer defensive back Jaquan Amos, who the Bulldogs offered on Friday and has indicated hopes to come to a conclusion on his final landing spot soon.
It’s unclear on when MSU might start spring practices and how those might be adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there’s a general optimism the schedule can return to a semblance of semi-normalcy.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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