Mississippi State Football Middle-of-the-Pack in SI All-American Recruiting Rankings
Mississippi State became an even more intriguing place for recruits across the country after the Bulldogs' baseball team won it all in Omaha, shutting out Vanderbilt with a 9-0 victory.
But the recent success and bright future ahead of the baseball team isn't the only thing fans should be excited about.
Mississippi State's 2022 football recruiting class has shown a lot of promise, and the month of June was a solid one for it. The Bulldogs were able to flip an LSU offensive line commitment and suffered just one decommitment themselves.
The Bulldogs' class places at No. 12 within the SI All-American top 25 rankings, one spot below where it was in the last edition. That puts MSU ahead of Rutgers and behind a rising Baylor team.
"Beyond the College World Series, Bulldogs fans should be excited about their next recruiting class," John Garcia Jr. wrote. "It picked up one of the top pass rushers within state lines in Donterry Russell just before flipping LSU offensive line pledge Lucas Taylor in the first week of June. Fellow trenchman Cam East replaces the lone decommitment of the month from tackle Jacarius Clayton."
The Bulldogs currently have 14 verbal commitments within the class.
Ohio State claimed the top spot on the list, just as it had done for the month before. The Buckeyes total 15 verbal commitments.
"June was been more of the same for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, adding to the No. 1 class with key pieces throughout the month, including Texas defensive back and NFL legacy Terrance Brooks on Wednesday, bolstering the top secondary class in the country," Garcia wrote. "Running back Dallan Hayden and wideout Kaleb Brown were also added to the Buckeye haul in June."
It will be interesting to see how things continue to shake out on the recruiting trail for MSU and other Power 5 programs in America with Name, Image and Likeness now factoring in as well.
Athletes' ability to turn a profit with the new rule change brings a new element to recruiting, with colleges not only having to sell players on the football program itself itself, but also endorsement and marketing opportunities.