Let's take a look at Mullen's 2 star HS recruiting......

[Spanky.sixpack]

....from Scout.com, just for the sake of it. I'm looking at guys who made it to campus their first year.

2009: Jonathan McKenzie (also needs to be noted that Darius Slay signed in this class.

2010: Dillon Day, Eric Lawson, Christian Holmes, Archie Muniz, Dylan Favre, Corvell Harrison Gay, Jamerson Love, Blaine Clausell, Malcolm Johnson, Jameon Lewis, Brandon Hill

2011: Taveze Calhoun, Justin Malone, Kendrick Market, Preston Smith, Bernardrick McKinney

Can't really tell much from 2012 yet (Gus Walley)

Now let's look at JUCO recruiting. Pernell McPhee, Leon Berry, Sean Brauchle, Maurice Langston, Heath Hutchins, Chris White, Jeffrey Howie, James Carmon, Vick Ballard, Joey Trapp, Darius Slay. You can consider the 2012 guys here I guess since JUCO is instant impact type guys. Denico Autry, Charles Siddoway, Dylan Holley.

Also, look back at guys like Justin Cox, who were 2 star nobodies, and are now JUCO All Americans (and headed to State most likely).

Look at how many of those guys are playing on the 2 deep of an undefeated team. Look at how many of those guys are pretty talented, from what we've seen on the field from them at MSU. Does anybody here really want to question Mullen's talent evaluation anymore? The good thing now is that if we're not seeing as many of these guys committed, we must seriously be competing for a better class of player than we were before. I don't think we'd take these LA and AL guys if there were better players in MS.

Malcolm Johnson's quick re-emergence from injury is what spurred this. How does Alabama and everybody else not see this guy? I don't care what he's ranked, all you have to do is see him play to tell how good he is.

 

[engie]

I agree with all this...

No reason we should question Mullen when he decides to take a 2* early at this point. He's proven to have been excellent at evaluating these players...

 

[MSUDawg4Life]

I agree also.

I think the staff has a good eye for raw talent and they know they can develop them. So, I don't have a problem with anybody this staff selects. I believe they do a thorough job of evaluating and developing talent.

 

[gravedigger]

Good post. Easy to forget that type of thing.

 

[esplanade91]

I agree, but something you didn't mention was chemistry.

Just as NFL teams go and give less deserving players contracts to be "locker room guys", it happens in college too.

A lot of these kids aren't divas like your CJ Johnson's. They come in, work hard, make those around them work hard, and do their job.

It's a culture that Dan Mullen brought with him. I have no problem reaching on players because 9 times out of 10 their work ethic shores up the difference in talent between them and "blue chips".

 

[gravedigger]

Yup. A coach like Mullen rewards that type of thing. Think of the fb who caught the rd in the Kentucky game.

 

[MetEdDawg]

This is why recruiting rankings are so overblown.

It's all about talent evaluation. We aren't going to get all these blue chip guys from across the country or every 4 star that walks through the state of MS that we know have talent. But there are raw guys that play multiple positions at smaller schools that have the same measureables as these kids from bigger high schools in big time high school football states. They just need fine tuning, and our staff has proven it can do that.

In 6 games, a 2 star, #149 OLB in the country with no other D1 offers named Benardrick McKinney leads this team in tackles with 50 as a redshirt freshman, and he split time the first two games of the year with Bohanna. That is insane.

Johnthan Banks, a 3 star with no other D1 offers, has the opportunity to set the school record in interceptions, be an All American, and a 1st round draft pick in the NFL. Who saw that potential 4 years ago.

Or how about the fact that 3 JUCO guys like Big Pern, Chris White, and Vic Ballard are all on an NFL roster after being drafted. And soon to be added to that is Darius Slay.

It goes on and on about how this staff has developed the talent it brings in. We are putting guys in the NFL, we are developing guys into quality SEC starters that didn't have many, if any other SEC offers like Dillon Day and Malcolm Johnson. We recruit guys with raw ability, measureables that compare to the highly ranked guys, then mold them into someone that will fit our system so they can succeed. And we are seeing it pay off on the field in a huge way this season.

 

[o_Blackstock]

I agree, but something you didn't mention was chemistry.

Just as NFL teams go and give less deserving players contracts to be "locker room guys", it happens in college too.

A lot of these kids aren't divas like your CJ Johnson's. They come in, work hard, make those around them work hard, and do their job.

It's a culture that Dan Mullen brought with him. I have no problem reaching on players because 9 times out of 10 their work ethic shores up the difference in talent between them and "blue chips".

Dan did not bring culture with him. He came from 17'n Florida, friend. They sign nothing but 4 and 5 star athletes down in the swamp.

So you are still ******** because CJ Johnson spurned MSU and went to your hated rival two years ago for a better deal for himself? Isn't that what this really is all about?

And just so you know, Johnson is one of the best team players on their defense and is getting better and better each week.

 

[MSDawg34]

This thread has added a new layer of wool on me, and I thought my winter coat couldn't get thicker. Thank the Good Lord for Greg Byrne. His statue should be right beside Mullen's.

 

[esplanade91]

Dan did not bring culture with him. He came from 17'n Florida, friend. They sign nothing but 4 and 5 star athletes down in the swamp.

So you are still ******** because CJ Johnson spurned MSU and went to your hated rival two years ago for a better deal for himself? Isn't that what this really is all about?

And just so you know, Johnson is one of the best team players on their defense and is getting better and better each week.

You're right, I had forgotten Dan Mullen was the head coach at Florida............

He was a position coach and eventually a coordinator. That's like telling me your receiver coach and Wommack are the sole reasons Ole Miss is good this year.

I could care less about CJ, but to tell me he's wasn't a distraction through his recruitment and first year (swallows and stuff) is ridiculous. If he transferred to MSU right now and could play immediately, everything being forgotten and forgiven, he isn't good enough to steal the starting position from either of our ends or linebackers.

The post wasn't about CJ though, it's about the fact that we have a great locker room. Leave it at that.

Go back to the grove, kid.

 

[o_Blackstock]

It's all about talent evaluation. We aren't going to get all these blue chip guys from across the country or every 4 star that walks through the state of MS that we know have talent. But there are raw guys that play multiple positions at smaller schools that have the same measureables as these kids from bigger high schools in big time high school football states. They just need fine tuning, and our staff has proven it can do that.

In 6 games, a 2 star, #149 OLB in the country with no other D1 offers named Benardrick McKinney leads this team in tackles with 50 as a redshirt freshman, and he split time the first two games of the year with Bohanna. That is insane.

Johnthan Banks, a 3 star with no other D1 offers, has the opportunity to set the school record in interceptions, be an All American, and a 1st round draft pick in the NFL. Who saw that potential 4 years ago.

Or how about the fact that 3 JUCO guys like Big Pern, Chris White, and Vic Ballard are all on an NFL roster after being drafted. And soon to be added to that is Darius Slay.

It goes on and on about how this staff has developed the talent it brings in. We are putting guys in the NFL, we are developing guys into quality SEC starters that didn't have many, if any other SEC offers like Dillon Day and Malcolm Johnson. We recruit guys with raw ability, measureables that compare to the highly ranked guys, then mold them into someone that will fit our system so they can succeed. And we are seeing it pay off on the field in a huge way this season.

Very solid post. Now can Mullen continue to do this year after year playing these SEC brutes? I doubt it but he dang sure got off to a good 4 year start. Peterson has maintained it at Boise but their level of competition is not what MSU faces year in and year out. Less talented kids play extra hard for these two coaches though.

Those MSU running backs are playing as hard as any in the country. I've been very impressed with how hard they go get the 3-4-5 yards.

 

[DancingRabbit]

Dan also coached at Utah and Bowling Green - they don't get many blue chips. He's smart enough to know State won't get all 4 and 5 stars but he's proving he knows how to judge talent and develop raw talent.

17 off

 

[o_Blackstock]

You're right. I saw that developed Utah QB just yesterday playing against the Giants in the NFL. Forgive me.

 

[Todd4State]

On Malcolm Johnson

My guess as to why they missed on him was probably because he doesn't fit their offense at TE. Alabama would probably say that he is too small for what they are looking for at TE and he isn't fast enough as far as what they are looking for at WR. However, he fits our offense perfectly and he will continue to make great plays for us. I hope he catches the game winning TD for us in Tuscaloosa.

We are different than the Bama's, LSU's, Florida's, and even Tennessee's of the SEC. We are a developmental program. In other words, we have to recruit guys with size, speed, and work ethic and develop them into SEC players and basically coach them up. We can succeed in the SEC doing this- we've beaten Florida, Georgia, UT, Auburn, and have been competitive in almost all of our SEC games- but we have to have good coaches, a good S&C program and we have to be willing to be flexible with the talent that we get. In other words- we don't need to run the flexbone with Tyler and we don't need to run the West Coast Offense with Dak.

Now, we may get a few SEC ready Alabama type recruits here and there like Fletcher Cox, but we can't make a living off of doing that.

 

[MSUDawg4Life]

Very solid post. Now can Mullen continue to do this year after year playing these SEC brutes? I doubt it but he dang sure got off to a good 4 year start. Peterson has maintained it at Boise but their level of competition is not what MSU faces year in and year out. Less talented kids play extra hard for these two coaches though.

Those MSU running backs are playing as hard as any in the country. I've been very impressed with how hard they go get the 3-4-5 yards.

If you knew anything about our recruiting, you'd know the the number of two stars have decreased each year under Mullen. Last year, we signed four according to Scout. I don't see a problem with taking a chance on four or five guys that the staff has evaluated.

Also, we have a chance to sign the highest number of four-stars that we've ever signed under Mullen. Our classes are getting better.

Getting from where we were to here has been a process. Mullen has done a good job of working with the talent he has. I think it's erroneous to say that he's trying to build a program with two-star players. However, if he selects a few two-stars I won't question him and his staff because I've seen the results they've produced.

 

[engie]

In 6 games, a 2 star, #149 OLB in the country with no other D1 offers named Benardrick McKinney leads this team in tackles with 50 as a redshirt freshman, and he split time the first two games of the year with Bohanna. That is insane.

To add to this, I did a little checking today...

Among freshman LB's, McKinney is #2 in the country in tackles... and first in the SEC by a mile.

His tackle totals:
JSU - 4
Auburn - 4
Troy - 8
USA - 8
Kentucky - 12
Tennessee - 14

Boys, we haven't even scratched the surface yet on just how good he can be... and he is already one of the best FR linebackers in the country.

 

[MetEdDawg]

You are starting to see our recruits get bumps during the season.

Chris Jones was a 2 star unranked 3 weeks ago. Now he's a 4 star #19 DE in the country according to Scout. Cord Sandberg was in the 50s and a 3 star 3 weeks ago. Then he got the bump up to the #27 QB overall and a 4 star as well. There are a lot of these kids that we get on that improve and progress during the season and get bumped up during the year. That's all talent evaluation and our staff knows how to do it. Now both of those guys were talented and we knew that, but Mullen doesn't play the star game. He got two guys that had solid potential and you now can see that through their rankings.

And I agree on us taking shots on guys that are 2 stars. If the top rated talent in our classes continue to pan out and be big contributors for our team, we can take 2 star guys like Tyre'oune Holmes, Taveze Calhoun, Justin Malone, Dillon Day, Jameon Lewis, and Benardrick McKinney who have the raw talent to become key pieces in our system.

 

[DancingRabbit]

Sure, Dan's developed some good players.

Utah doesn't recruit all blue chippers like Florida. What's your point? Oh that's right, you don't have one.

 

[MaroonState]

Dan did not bring culture with him. He came from 17'n Florida, friend. They sign nothing but 4 and 5 star athletes down in the swamp.

So you are still ******** because CJ Johnson spurned MSU and went to your hated rival two years ago for a better deal for himself? Isn't that what this really is all about?

And just so you know, Johnson is one of the best team players on their defense and is getting better and better each week.

Hey 17'n wingnut, where was he before Florida?? Bowling Green?? Utah?? Those two schools are so well known as 4 & 5 star recruit destinations. Obviously he learned something well before he got to Florida. Just say'in since you brought it up.

 

[AT4 Dawg]

I agree with everything said about developing players. People will always use the stars/rankings to prove their points about how the system works/doesnt work. There are 5 stars like Percy Harvin, Matt Barkley, Beanie Wells, etc. that pan out. There are some that don't.

What people need to understand, and what our staff is fully aware of,is that Mississippi recruits typically don't get rated as high. Why? Because they are usually relying on athletic ability alone and most play both ways. In Florida, elite players at big schools typically just play one way and they stand out at their projected position. Guys like Bernardrick McKinney, John Banks, Jamerson Love, etc. are playing out of position and hardly ever leave the field.

Now I agree 100% that the development portion of our program has been extremely impressive. With all of his athleticism, Johnthan Banks still had to be developed and that goes to his attitude and coaching. I trust the staff who has taken classes ranked lower than UT, AU, and many others and now has our team as the 12th best team in the country.

 

[DerHntr]

A person can't bring something with them that is not directly related to their most recent position? So let's say I worked as a salesman first and was then an accountant for a number of years. I guess that sales experience is then null and void since I only now know how to count beans from my cubicle.

 

[bonedaddy401]

Effective Red-shirting and development right there...

Taking guys who want to work and don't mind red-shirting can't be undervalued. If you having to take two star guys and count on them to contribute you can get behind but if you can have these guys in your system for a couple years before they have any pressure on them you can develop something special.

This isn't just a Miss State thing. I would be willing to bet most successful programs have a few "two stars" who have red-shirted and been developed into contributors.

Whats exciting is this year we were fortunate enough to red-shirt guys like Quadry Antoine, Beniquez Brown, Richie Brown, Devon Desper, Deonte Evans, AJ Jefferson and Will Redmond.

Que the wool.

 

[EAVdog]

Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Brett Favre...

Mullen referenced those names when he first took the job. He made a point to say that none of them played for the SEC teams in the State. He recognized that recruting in Mississippi was not the same as other places. We have the raw physical athletes that need development and some under the radar guys nobody sees, like Banks.
What you are seeing now is the folks from 247, Scout, et al are coming to our camps to see these guys first hand. Three years ago a guy like Chris Jones would have been a 2* that nobody would have known about. Now he's gotten exposure from the 'Big Dog Camp' and he's a 4*. Plus he's a total freak athelete, hopefully our DE for the future. Essentially Mullen is changing the way Mississippi recruits get evaluated. So we'll see less true 2* guys unless perhaps they are true unknowns from somehwere like East Webster.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

^^^This

 

[Coach34]

You're right. I saw that developed Utah QB just yesterday playing against the Giants in the NFL. Forgive me.

How appropriate for this thread. Mullen turned 2-star Alex Smith into the top pick in the draft. As the other guy said to you- 17 off

 

[Seinfeld]

So you are still ******** because CJ Johnson spurned MSU and went to your hated rival two years ago for a better deal for himself? Isn't that what this really is all about?

I like how you phrased that one. In fairness, I wouldn't have turned down a new truck and a job for mama either, though. 17 him, 17 Nutt, and I look forward to his land shark hand getting twisted around and shoved straight up his own *** once again this year.

 

[patdog]

Been saying this for about 2 years now. Mullen has been building this program for the long term. The way he's redshirted players, we will have one of the most experienced teams in the country for at least the next 3 years. The days of having to throw a 1st or 2nd year player out there unless he's just a stud are over. We are just barely beginning to see the rewards for redshirting so many players.