Just because I'm bored, a look back at Mississippi's best (recrootin again).....

[Railin Jemmye]

I'm going to use 2006-2009, since they've had a chance to play out. Going to show the 12 highest rated star guys at Signing Day (combined with Dandy Dozen, if I can find it), then my opinion of who's career was best. I am making guesses after the 4 stars run out, based on what I remember. They are in no particular order.

2006:
Allen Walker - Ole Miss
Cordera Eason - Ole Miss
Richard Dickson - LSU
Terry Levy - Ole Miss
Anthony Dixon - MSU
Derrick Odom - LSU
Milton Talbert - Alabama
Terry Grant - Alabama
Justin Woodall - Alabama
Anthony Summers - MSU
Markeith Summers - Ole Miss
Marcus Tillman - Ole Miss

2006 revisited:
Anthony Dixon
Richard Dickson
Markeith Summers
Allen Walker
Terry Grant
Justin Woodall
Marcus Tillman (I think he played and started)
Shay Hodge - 2 star, Ole Miss
J.C. Brignone - 3 star, MSU
Damion Fletcher - NR, USM
Tyson Lee - NR, JUCO/MSU
Reggie Hicks - 2 star, Ole Miss


2007:
Jeramie Griffin - Alabama
Chris Strong - Ole Miss
Stevan Ridley - LSU
Robert Elliot - MSU
Derek Sherrod - MSU
Chaz Ramsey - Auburn
Jazzmen Guy - MSU
Antonio White - MSU
Lee Chambers - Miami
Johnny Brown - Ole Miss
Marcus Green - MSU
Antwon Dixon - MSU

2007 revisited:
Stevan Ridley
Derek Sherrod
Marcus Green
Johnny Brown
Chaz Ramsey (he did start as a freshman, stopped by injury)
K.J. Wright - 3 star, MSU
Quentin Saulsberry - 2 star, MSU
Bradley Sowell - 2 star, Ole Miss
Addison Lawrence - 2 star, MSU
Taiwan Easterling - 2 star, Florida State
Austin Davis - 2 star, USM
Cannot find another worth mentioning


2008:
Deandre Brown - USM
Tig Barksdale - Ole Miss
Alonzo Lawrence - Alabama
Templeton Hardy - MSU
Andre Wadley - Auburn
Charles Mitchell - MSU
Marlon Walls - Tennessee
Bo Tillman - USM, think he may have ended up at K-State on the bench
Willie Packer - USM
Ken Davis - unsigned
Jason McNair - UT-Martin
Rashun Dixon - MSU

2008 revisited:
Deandre Brown
Charles Mitchell
Marlon Walls at least played at UT
Trevor Stigers at least played and graduated
Arceto Clark - 3 star, MSU
Tobias Smith - 3 star, MSU
Kendrick Presley - 3 star, USM
Devin Jones - 3 star, MSU
Derrick Herman - 3 star, Ole Miss
Desmond Johnson - 3 star, USM
Vick Ballard - NR, JUCO/MSU
Kelvin Bolden - NR, JUCO/USM


2009:
Pat Patterson - Ole Miss
Josh Boyd - MSU
Tyler Russell - MSU
Rod Woodson - Alabama
Fletcher Cox - MSU
Chad Bumphis - MSU
Chris Garrett - LSU
Dennis Thames - MSU
Kevin Norwood - Alabama
Kendrick Hardy - USM
Cameron Lawrence - MSU
Clayton Moore - /JUCO/Akron/JSU

2009 revisited:
Josh Boyd
Tyler Russell
Fletcher Cox
Chad Bumphis
Kevin Norwood
Cameron Lawrence
Johnthan Banks, 3 star - MSU
Daren Bates - 2 star, Auburn
Gabe Jackson - 3 star, MSU
Ladarius Perkins - 3 star, MSU
Anthony Steen - 3 star, Alabama
Deontae Skinner - 3 star, MSU
There's a few more in this class that are contributing as well. Collins, Lampley, Hardy, Whitley.

What does this tell you? Tells me we've got a bigger problem in MS than I thought. Not only do we not have enough talent in MS, the ones we have aren't rated properly, aren't prepared properly, and can't act right once they get to college, if they get in at all. So I guess it pays to have an evaluator like Mullen.

 

[Mjoelner]

Bradley Sowell went to Ole Miss and Jason McNair went to Tenn. Martin not USM but I get your point.

 

[kired]

One thing I'm glad to see is that most of the top guys are at least getting into school now. Liggins was the only highly recruited player last year that didn't make it. Another plus is that the highest targets stayed in state. Liggins & Cowen were the only ones MSU or UM went after that signed out of state. If things stay the way they are this year, it appears the best will stay in state again.

We don't need another 2008 anytime soon. Man, that class was bad... and not just for MSU. So many of those guys were busts for one reason or another. And we missed out on some of the best from that class:

Austin Davis - went on to break pretty much every USM passing record
Ballard - at least we got him for two years, would have loved to redshirt him as a freshman
Dominique Davenport - was a very good CB, 4 year starter at Delta State. I'd have traded louis watson for him.
Jamarcus Hardwick - went JUCO route, but ended up at Nebraska

 

[Railin Jemmye]

No doubt, things seemed to have miraculously gotten better from 2009 forward. I don't remember when Slive took over, or if there was some 'program' put in place to help MS athletes get in. But there sure seems to be a bigger emphasis on it here recently. Just a quick Scout search for 2010 and 2011 MS athletes only yields a few who have just disappeared like the previous classes.

But I do expect history to somewhat repeat itself, only 50% or so of the highly rated players will end up being the best. But at least there's more to choose from.