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2026 running back Cooper Crosby breaks down Mississippi State decision

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones3 hours agoPaulJonesOn3

With the December signing period opening up on Wednesday, Gulfport High School’s Cooper Crosby knew it was crunch time. So the 2026 running back and Rivals three-star prospect made his decision Tuesday and joined Mississippi State’s class.

Crosby becomes the 27th commitment in the Bulldogs’ Class of 2026 and continued State’s recent momentum within the Magnolia State. Crosby is rated as the nation’s No. 58 running back and the state’s No. 31 prospect by Rivals.

“I knew it was coming down to it,” Crosby explained. “Wednesday is a big day and I knew I had a big decision to make. So the last couple of days I sat down with my family looking through everything, looking to see where the best possible fit would be for me. So we thought it would be Mississippi State.”

Crosby collected a Mississippi State offer nearly two months ago and quickly became a top target for the Bulldogs. Naturally, State’s coaching staff was elated to get the news on Tuesday evening.

“I told the coaches about two hours ago,” remarked the 5-foot-11 and 205-pound Crosby. “I told Coach (Jeff) Lebby and Coach (Anthony) Tucker. They were excited and pumped up. They are ready to get me on campus.”

Crosby officially visited Mississippi State last month and then officially visited Auburn this past weekend. Despite Crosby still taking other visits, he noted that Mississippi State stayed on him hard the past few months. He is also eager to play under Tucker at the running back position.

“It is instate and they’ve stuck with me,” added Crosby. “Even when I went to check out Auburn, they stayed on me every week and showing they care about me. They showed they wanted me to be a part of their program, which is a big thing for me. Coach Tucker is a great coach and passionate about what he does. So that is somebody I want to be around every day.”

Crosby has been dominant this season for Gulfport and will play in Saturday’s Class 7A state championship game against Tupelo. So far this season, Crosby has rushed for 1,631 yards and 32 touchdowns while also collecting 45 catches for 609 yards and seven touchdowns.

Crosby is also the second running back commitment in the class and joins Jaeden Hill. And on Saturday, Crosby will be facing Hill and Tupelo in that championship game

“I think it’s awesome,” Crosby noted. “I will be going up against him on Saturday but then the very next week we will be pairing up together in the Miss.-Ala. All-Star game. So it’s crazy and I am very excited about it.”

Like several other Bulldog commitments, Crosby will get an early start to his college career. He will enroll at Mississippi State in January and he believes that early start will aid his future with the Bulldogs.

“I will be on campus next month,” mentioned Crosby. “Learning the offense and the playbook, that will be a good opportunity for me to work up the depth chart. It gives me the chance to play earlier at Mississippi State.”

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