2024 juco linebacker Marcus Ross breaks down Mississippi State decision

Even before the staff changes in Starkville, Mississippi State put an emphasis on recruiting more juco prospects in the 2024 cycle. On Monday, the Bulldogs added another commitment from the juco ranks in linebacker Marcus Ross of East Mississippi Community College.

This past weekend saw Ross and his family members experience an official visit to Mississippi State. Ross collected a Mississippi State offer last month and it didn’t take him long to decide on his collegiate future.

Ross also holds offers from Arizona State, Liberty, Memphis, Marshall and UAB among others.

“It is just a family vibe that gives confidence in how they want to develop you off the field, too,” Ross said. “They want to set you up for life in whatever you choose to pursue in life after football. Some schools just focus more on football but they also want you to succeed in life outside the program.”

On that official visit, Ross was able to bond with several members of the Mississippi State linebackers’ room. That included his player host in State senior J.P. Purvis.

“I thought it was a good visit and I enjoyed myself,” recalled Ross. “J.P. was my player host. He is a good person and a good player and a good host. He showed me the ropes and told me how it is to be a student-athlete there.”

This past season at East Mississippi Community College, Ross led the Lions with 77 tackles and also had seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He met with Mississippi State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler last weekend to learn more about his role with the Bulldogs.

“My talks with Coach Hutzler were good,” the 6-foot-3 and 210-pound Ross mentioned. “He talked about what he wants and what he wants to see out of his linebackers. He showed me his development of linebackers and we went over some film. We talked about the path the defense will take and he wants me at inside linebacker.

“Coach Hutzler said he is going to play a lot of four down and have two inside backers. He will also have some three down front and he wants to mix and match so guys are prepared when they go to the league (NFL).”

Ross added that his talks with head coach Jeff Lebby were not centered around football, however. And those conversations outside of football left a good impression on Ross.

“I had a good talk with Coach Lebby,” said Ross. “What really stood out to me about Coach Lebby is his talks about things off the field. He wants to help you become a better man and also a good athlete. But our talks were mostly focused on the things outside of football. That is what really stood out.”

During his prep days in Bassfield, Ross visited Mississippi State multiple times before heading to the juco ranks. At one particular Bulldog camp before his senior year of high school, he dreamed of playing in the SEC and at Davis Wade Stadium. And now he has turned that dream into a reality.

“It is really a dream come true,” Ross added. “I remember when I was young and I went to a Top Dawg Camp. Ever since then I knew the SEC was the best of the best and it is where I wanted to be. It is just an honor for me to play at Mississippi State.”