Former Vanderbilt Commit Flips to Mississippi State

The Bulldogs flip a linebacker from a fellow SEC school.

Sep 6, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler reacts on the sideline in the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Austin Howard decommitted from Vanderbilt and pledged for Mississippi State ten minutes later. First-year head coach Jeff Lebby has now added four new commitments to his class this weekend and has now flipped a pair of prospects from fellow Power 4 school.

It has been a busy two weeks for the MSU coaching staff, and this weekend was set to focus more on in-state prospects. However, MSU has now added four new out-of-state commitments.

They include a pair of receivers from Louisiana and a running back from Bartlett High School, Geron Johnson, who is teammates with Howard. The 6-3, 225-pound linebacker holds offers from another pair of SEC schools, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

The 3-star prospect had an impressive junior season as he racked up 41 total tackles, 14 for loss, nine sacks, and an interception. The most impressive part is his speed from sideline to sideline and his ability to take a good angle to the ball carrier.

He lines up as an outside linebacker, but he is aligned very similarly to a traditional defensive end and will likely stick there in Starkville. Most MSU coaching staffs do fairly well recruiting Mississippi, and this staff has followed suit with three 4-star commits from the Magnolia State.

However, this staff has done well at evaluating out-of-state prospects quickly and getting them in the boat.