Mississippi State football experienced an exhilarating recruiting night last Saturday, securing commitments from five new players: three-star athlete Stephen Miller from Greensboro, Ga., cornerback Derrion Horsley from Sharpsburg, Ga., offensive lineman Josiah Clemons from Clinton, Miss., safety Sekou Smith Jr. from Miami, Fla., and JUCO linebacker LaKendrick James from Copiah-Lincoln Community College. This marked head coach Jeff Lebby’s most successful recruiting evening since finalizing the 2024 class last December, which included notable signings like four-star wide receivers Braylon Burnside and JJ Harrell.
The excitement from those previous signings had dwindled in recent months, necessitating another impactful recruiting event like Saturday’s to reinvigorate the program. Prior to this surge, Mississippi State’s 2025 recruiting class was ranked 71st nationally, but with eight total commits now, highlighted by four-star quarterback KaMario Taylor, the Bulldogs have risen to 63rd in the country and 15th in the SEC, just ahead of Florida according to 247sports.
Additional announcements are anticipated in the days ahead as prospects conclude their official visits from the weekend. While there’s still much to accomplish for Lebby and his staff, Saturday represented a significant stride forward.
In past years, such a recruiting surge typically followed an on-campus camp, but this summer lacked that buzz due to Lebby’s focus on hosting younger prospects from 2026, 2027, and 2028. While this approach has its merits, success hinged on converting 2025 official visits into commitments.
The Bulldogs’ first weekend was evidently a triumph, and sustaining this momentum will be crucial moving forward.
Saturday was a momentous night for Mississippi State coaches Matt Barnes and Corey Bell.
As significant as Saturday was for Coach Lebby, it held even greater importance for Mississippi State’s safeties coach Matt Barnes and cornerbacks coach Corey Bell.
Bell and Barnes collaborated to bring in Stephen Miller, who is expected to bolster the safety position, along with Sekou Smith Jr. and Derrion Horsley to strengthen a Mississippi State secondary that faced depth challenges. The Bulldogs made efforts to address these gaps by adding transfers DeAge Brumfield, Traveon Wright (Memphis), Brylan Lanier (East Mississippi Community College), and Montre Miller (West Virginia) this offseason.
Securing commitments from these three 2025 prospects lays a foundation for the future of Mississippi State’s secondary. Smith Jr., in particular, chose the Bulldogs over numerous other Power Five offers, including from Missouri, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M within the SEC.
The next crucial step will be to develop these recruits by next spring after getting them settled on campus.
For Barnes and Bell, Saturday marked a pivotal moment as they delivered notable recruiting victories, a significant achievement considering the relative inexperience of the football staff, especially on the defensive side. Unlike proven recruiters like wideouts coach Chad Bumphis and defensive line coach David Turner, who have established track records, doubts had surfaced during the offseason about the defensive staff’s recruiting abilities following struggles in the transfer portal.
Saturday’s success may signal a turning point, demonstrating the potential of this new staff to navigate recruiting challenges at Mississippi State. While there is still much to prove both on the field and on the recruiting trail, this weekend represented a commendable achievement for Barnes, Bell, and the rest of Lebby’s team.
The next step for Mississippi State’s staff is to prove they can evolve.
As exciting as Saturday night’s recruiting frenzy was, Mississippi State knows there’s a lengthy road ahead before these commitments become signed players in Starkville. Securing signatures is just the first step.
The next critical phase is development, an area where the effectiveness of Lebby and his coaching staff remains to be seen. The upcoming football season will be the true test in this regard.
While landing commitments from highly touted prospects is thrilling and crucial, programs like Mississippi State can thrive—perhaps now more than ever—by cultivating the talents of athletic, high-potential three-star recruits, provided the coaching staff can nurture their skills.
Drawing from past experience, during Michigan State’s successful era under Mark Dantonio, the Spartans achieved multiple Big Ten championships, a Rose Bowl victory, and reached the College Football Playoff with a roster built significantly on three-star recruits and unheralded talents who were developed into NFL prospects.
Mississippi State shares a similar blueprint with Michigan State in emphasizing player development as a cornerstone of their success, potentially outweighing the impact of recruiting battles against traditional powerhouse programs.
With the recent expansion to a 12-team playoff format, there’s now a more accessible path to success for teams like Mississippi State, offering greater opportunities to translate summer recruiting victories into on-field development and ultimately competitive success.
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