2024 signee Ricky Johnson confident in Mississippi State future

Coaching changes always bring about a landscape shift on the recruiting trail, some good and some bad. But with Mississippi State and new head coach Jeff Lebby, those changes provided a nice surprise during the December signing period regarding 2024 receiver and On3 three-star prospect Ricky Johnson.

The On3 three-star prospect was a top target for Mississippi State this past spring before he initially committed to Stanford. The 6-foot-1 and 175-pound Johnson remained committed to Stanford until he officially signed with the Bulldogs last month.

“I wasn’t all that big on Mississippi State during the summer,” noted Johnson. “Then when Coach Lebby got the job, he wanted me bad and wanted me at Mississippi State.”

Johnson, who also played defensive back at Houston County High School, also held offers from Auburn, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, UCF and Minnesota among several others. During the final official visit weekend before the December signing period began, Johnson and family members took an official visit to Mississippi State.

“They just made me feel welcomed,” explained Johnson, who had 65 catches for 1,213 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at Houston County High School. “I feel like I am a good fit for the offense, too, and it is closer to home. It is the SEC so basically you are playing competition that will be in the NFL on Sundays. So it will prepare me for the NFL and Coach Lebby is one of the best offensive coaches in college.”

Johnson also pointed to that visit to Starkville as a major factor to his eventual decision to become a Bulldog.

“I will say the people there stood out to me the most with that visit,” Johnson added. “The people really stood out, just the love they showed me. It was just a different type of vibe and it felt like home.”

Bulldog assistant Chad Bumphis was a key factor in Johnson’s decision to sign with the Bulldogs, as well. Johnson was one of Bumphis’ top recruiting targets not long after Bumphis joined State’s coaching staff last year.

“Coach Bump played a big role in my recruitment. Him and Coach Lebby were the main coaches I talked to and the main coaches that hit me up. They hit me up every day trying to get me to flip. Then I was with them a lot when I took my official visit there.”

Through it all, however, Johnson was quick to note his decision was a difficult one. He was a long-time commit for Stanford and switching to State at the last minute didn’t happen without a lot of thought and prayer.

“The decision was extremely hard,” mentioned Johnson. “For about 2-3 weeks I was stressing bad, just thinking about it. It was definitely one of the toughest decisions I’ve made in my life. I’ve been stressed but I’ve been praying to God. But it worked out and I feel good about how it all worked out.”