Bulldogs New Quarterback Has History With Hogs

Sam Pittman didn't have enough time to land him, but has showed what he can do

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — At one point during the recruitment of new Mississippi State starting quarterback Mike Wright it appeared Arkansas was in the running for the dangerous dual threat athlete. He received an initial offer from then offensive coordinator Joe Craddock in August of 2018.

Wright continued to develop throughout his high school career and by the time he was a senior he passed for 2,700 yards, 37 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The Atlanta native is an electric athlete  who possesses 4.5 speed  He also rushed for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Although he didn't accept the Arkansas offer, Wright eventually committed to Vanderbilt in December of 2019 as the no. 14 dual threat in his class and and no. 49 player in the state of Georgia. He chose the Commodores over Northwestern, UCF, Ole Miss, Tulane and Utah. 

It's not likely Sam Pittman and Kendal Briles had enough time to have Wright flip his commitment from Vanderbilt to Arkansas in a matter of days. Instead, the staff landed Malik Hornsby who was rated the fifth best dual threat in the country in the same class, according to 247sports. Three spots ahead of Wright was current Razorback back-up quarterback Jacolby Criswell. From a recruiting standpoint  Arkansas won out. However, Wright is a heck of a talent and Pittman is fully aware of not only his speed, but also Wright's arm talent.

“He throws better than I want him to,” Pittman said. "He can throw the football.”

Wright proved he can spin it during his time in Nashville. He played in 24 total games during his three seasons at Vanderbilt with six starts during in 2022. The 6-foot-4, 185 pound quarterback has passed for 2,228 yards and 22 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns. When given the opportunity, Wright delivered by passing for 150 yards and rushing for 100 yards in three games. 

“He’s fast," Pittman said. "Obviously, they’ll run him with run designed plays for him, not just read plays where he can have the opportunity to keep it. "Run a lot of fly sweeps with him with the opportunity to pitch or keep. Right now, they’re reading the defensive end and allowing him to run or hand it off, and running nakeds and letting him throw a little bit out of that."

OTHER RECRUITING BATTLES

Each week there will be a breakdown of recruiting battles between both schools. If there seems to have at least been an offer between both the Razorbacks and their opponent it will be included here. 

The 2021 class included RB Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, DT Cam Ball and OL Terry Wells. For the 2022 class the offensive linemen were all fought over by the Hogs and Dogs. OL Patrick Kutas, OL Andrew Chamblee, OL Luke Brown, and OL E'Marion Harris were all members of a loaded offensive line class that was one of the best nationally. All four offer lists spoke volumes for their upside. Other players from 2022 class include wide receivers Isaiah Sategna, and Sam Mbake, and defensive lineman Nico Davillier. 

Finally, the defensive side of the football is chop full of impact players. Defensive end Ian Geffrard, defensive backs TJ Metcalf, RJ Johnson, and Dallas Young, and linebackers Alex Sanford and Brad Spence were all recruited by both schools. One trend that is apparent is how hotly contested the recruiting rivalry has been between the neighboring programs.

The 2024 class has been glued together by four 247sports composite Top-100 prospects. The shocker was that none of those impact seniors have been offered by Mississippi State. On the other hand, Kavion Henderson who is a 4-star defensive lineman is the highest rated Arkansas commitment to hold an offer from the Bulldogs. Mississippi native Julius Pope has been committed to the Hogs since April and seems to remain a solid with his pledge.

Pope projects at either linebacker or running back in college. Linebacker Justin Logan and running back Jadan Baugh are a pair of Georgia natives the Hogs stole as well from other SEC schools, including Mississippi State. Two other current Razorback commitments in linebacker Wyatt Simmons and defensive back Jaden Allen also hold offers from both schools.

2024 commitments who currently hold Arkansas offers but are committed to Mississippi State include quarterback Josh Flowers, tight end JaCorey Whitted, defensive lineman Terrance Hibbler, defensive back Tyler Woodard, athlete JJ Harrell, and athlete Braylon Burnside.

With Marcus Woodson hanging around Fayetteville as an assistant coach there will continue to be an emphasis in recruiting the Magnolia State. Harrell and Burnside left Arkansas with something to think about on their visits before ultimately committing to the Bulldogs. Just having someone with connections to a state that is so rich in talent will continue paying off more and more.

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