Mississippi State Bulldogs

The class

Recruits: 26 (23 high school seniors and three junior college players).

Top prospects: Damien Robinson was the No. 10 offensive tackle in the country and one of the top handful of players in the state. Michael Carr and Brandon Hill were two other four-star prospects from the state that the Bulldogs landed.

Sleepers: Nick Griffin barely cracked the list of the top 100 running backs nationally. But with the Bulldogs losing three senior running backs, he could see the field early. Jamerson Love is another in-state running back to watch.

Needs met: Losing running back Rajion Neal late in the recruiting game to Tennessee hurt. The Bulldogs are obviously thin in the backfield. But getting an offensive tackle the caliber of Robinson helps to ease the sting. The Bulldogs also needed some defensive end/outside linebacker types, which is where Kaleb Eulls and Hill fit in.

Analysis: Dan Mullen said when he took the Mississippi State job that the Magnolia State would be his priority, and he’s now signed 37 in-state players in his two classes. Right away, the athleticism in this class is impressive. Mullen signed a number of players who could play on both sides of the ball. Not allowing Robinson to get out of state was also a resounding statement for this staff and where the program is headed.

Scouts Inc. grade: B-

What Dan Mullen said:

• "We wanted to put together a class of champions that will take pride in representing the entire state of Mississippi. I'm proud of the work our staff has done in bringing in the best from around the state and adding great talent to our team from both inside and outside of Mississippi."
• "Over the last two years, since we've been here, we've signed twice as many players than Southern Miss from the state of Mississippi and three times than the school up north from the state of Mississippi."
• "With Damien Robinson, I don’t think there was a higher recruited kid in the state. For him to pick our program, and the combination of those other young guys coming in, that boosts us for the future. With an offensive line with four seniors, next year [the offensive line] will be a priority for us as well."