Bulldogs get good news and bad news on recruiting front

Mississippi State adds one commitment and loses another

Mississippi State got a little good news and a little bad news on Monday. First, the country's top rated junior college inside linebacker, Navonteque Strong, announced he has committed to the Bulldogs. Meanwhile a player who had already given a verbal pledge to MSU – three-star defensive lineman/linebacker Thomas Davis – announced he is reopening his recruitment.

The recruiting action began around noon Monday when Strong announced he has picked the Bulldogs over reported offers from South Carolina, Colorado, Louisiana, East Carolina and multiple others.

Strong was a force for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College this past season as he helped his team to an undefeated record and the NJCAA national title. Strong racked up 104 total tackles for the season including 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles, broke up three passes and hauled in an interception. Strong is the second player from Mississippi Gulf Coast to say he'll be a part of State's 2021 class, joining cornerback Cortez Eatmon. 

Less than two hours after Strong announced he plans to be a Bulldog, Davis backed away from his previous commitment. Davis originally committed to the Bulldogs back in April. However he posted to Twitter on Monday that he is reopening his recruiting process, while insisting MSU will remain in the mix for his services.

After all of Monday's recruiting action, MSU's class of 2021 sits ranked as the 40th best class in the country per 247Sports. However, it bears noting it is still relatively early in the process with months to go before anyone puts pen to paper and officially signs.