Who's the most over-achieving State football player of your lifetime?

dawgman42

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Jul 24, 2007
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I have two:
(1) Donald Lee. Was like a 2-star from Eupora Maben (thanks, VillageDawg) that went on to play in the NFL. Due was a monster.
(2) Titus Brown. How that guy escaped the black-hole pull from Tuscaloosa is amazing. Wish he could have played on better teams. Also went on to the NFL. We beat out the mighty Alabama A&M for his services.
 
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bulldoghair

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Jul 9, 2013
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Relf and Fitz. Proves that at the time, that offense was a little niche and less common. This is what we need here to have a chance. Not to mention, in today’s world of NIL and transfer portal, these two would cost us less money and they would be way less likely to be lured and stolen by a bigger program, due to specific skill set not complementing other offenses.
 

OG Goat Holder

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Sep 30, 2022
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Relf and Fitz. Proves that at the time, that offense was a little niche and less common. This is what we need here to have a chance. Not to mention, in today’s world of NIL and transfer portal, these two would cost us less money and they would be way less likely to be lured and stolen by a bigger program, due to specific skill set not complementing other offenses.
Mullen's offense was definitely more 'niche' than people realize. I think he got away from that at Florida and it's one reason why it got away from him there.
 

Dawgzilla2

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Oct 9, 2022
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Mullen's offense was definitely more 'niche' than people realize. I think he got away from that at Florida and it's one reason why it got away from him there.
It wasn't Mullen's offense, it was Urbsn Meyer's offense, and it worked fine at Florida the first time around. Mullen was really able to open up his playbook with the talent he had at UF, and his first three seasons there were great.

Mullen was done in by lack of recruiting, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
 

leeinator

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Feb 24, 2014
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Wasn’t Benardrick McKinney a 2 star? He was really good for us. Loved watching him stopping the run.
I watched Bernardrick play for, I think, Tunica @ Lewisburg as a QB. He wasn't too bad and threw a frozen rope TD pass in the corner of the EZ. He played DE and LB on defense for them. I think he listed at about 6'4"/200 lbs then. Never thought he'd be a dominating LB in college.
 

johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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Elgton Jenkins out of Clarksdale, MS. Recruited as an unknown 2-Star offensive lineman. Made it to the NFL and is a 2 Time Pro Bowler. Most of us at that time just thought he was just a warm body for our practice squad.
This is a good one. He and Deion Calhoun were both late adds and "insiders" were saying we wanted both early but didn't publicize it because we thought if other schools got a look at them they'd try to poach both of them. Thought that was a load of ******** at the time, and still not sure it wasn't, but doesn't look as crazy now. I assume they were both more like Taveze Calhoun, who if I remember correctly received the last scholarship in his class and wouldn't have gotten one had we not missed on some others but then turned into a borderline NFL quality player.
 

johnson86-1

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Sponsored by @Bobby Ricigliano

For me, it's Chris Relf.
A little different speed, literally: Dicenzo Miller. I think he had one of the slowest 40 times for a RB in the combine in history. Even against college defenses, he didn't look fast. He just had great vision and was hard to bring down and managed two 1,000+ yard seasons.
 

OG Goat Holder

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It wasn't Mullen's offense, it was Urbsn Meyer's offense, and it worked fine at Florida the first time around. Mullen was really able to open up his playbook with the talent he had at UF, and his first three seasons there were great.

Mullen was done in by lack of recruiting, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Meh, Urban had a concept, but Mullen was calling the plays. Florida offense went downhill in 2009 and 2010 after Urban left. Mullen was forced to develop it even more at MSU, and ultimately looked like a fish out of water when he had a passing QB. Similar to if Leach ever had a running QB.

All coaches are ultimately done in by a lack of recruiting.
 
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The Peeper

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Feb 26, 2008
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Kent Hull would be a good one. Relatively unknown player out of Greenwood HS

-4 year letterman at MSU
-3 year starter for Trumps New Jersey Generals and blocker for Hershel Walker who broke single season rushing record one of those years.
-All USFL Player
-He was a first year starter immediately at Buffalo for rookie QB Jim Kelly and rookie coach Marv Levy
-2x 1st team NFL All Pro
-2x 2nd team NFL All Pro
-3x Pro Bowler
-Started in 4 consecutive Super Bowls
-MSU Hall of Fame
-MS Sports Hall of Fame
-MSU Ring of Honor Member
-Kent Hull Trophy named in Honor of Him for the Most Valuable OL in MS each year

QB Jim Kelly: "I know one thing, I'm in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of #67 Kent Hull
 
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BoDawg.sixpack

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Dak is probably going to pass Aikman and Romo this year in completions and yardage and as we all know Aikman is a HoF'er. All Dak has to do is stay healthy and he's in the Cowboy's record books because he averages 3500 passing yards in seasons where he plays at least 15 games. Considering the dearth of MSU talent in the pro's behind center both past and present I have to give it to Dak. The other names listed here were great but Dak meant more to his team than any of them in my opinion.
 
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L4Dawg

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A little different speed, literally: Dicenzo Miller. I think he had one of the slowest 40 times for a RB in the combine in history. Even against college defenses, he didn't look fast. He just had great vision and was hard to bring down and managed two 1,000+ yard seasons.
Dicenzo was kind of like Walter Payton. He wasn't that fast until you put a football in his hands and people were trying to tackle him.
 

johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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Kent Hull would be a good one. Relatively unknown player out of Greenwood HS

-4 year letterman at MSU
-3 year starter for Trumps New Jersey Generals and blocker for Hershel Walker who broke single season rushing record one of those years.
-All USFL Player
-He was a first year starter immediately at Buffalo for rookie QB Jim Kelly and rookie coach Marv Levy
-2x 1st team NFL All Pro
-2x 2nd team NFL All Pro
-3x Pro Bowler
-Started in 4 consecutive Super Bowls
-MSU Hall of Fame
-MS Sports Hall of Fame
-MSU Ring of Honor Member
-Kent Hull Trophy named in Honor of Him for the Most Valuable OL in MS each year

QB Jim Kelly: "I know one thing, I'm in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of #67 Kent Hull
I think Hull probably belongs on this list just because of his size, but hard to say who overachieved from that era because people just didn't pay attention to recruiting the same way. There are probably a good number of players from that era that seemed to be unknowns that if recruiting had had the same focus as now, probably would have been nationally known prospects.