Mississippi

Mississippi State football recruiting class 2024: See the Bulldogs’ signees

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2024

STARKVILLE — National signing day has arrived, and it should be a quiet one for Mississippi State football. First-year coach Jeff Lebby added 22 players in the early signing period, including 15 early enrollees.

MSU is no exception to the norm. Most college programs secure a majority of their signing classes in the December signing period, which was introduced in 2017.

However, it doesn’t mean the day will go to waste for the Bulldogs. Sanfrisco Magee, a receiver who flipped from Ole Miss in December, is expected to sign. The decisions of junior college receiver Leland Smith and defensive end Josaiah Knight loom.

MSU is looking to add to an already impressive receivers class. Braylon Burnside, Mario Craver and JJ Harrell make up a trio of four-star receivers Mississippi State inked in the early signing period.

Entering Wednesday, MSU had the nation’s No. 28 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Mississippi State football recruiting class 2024: Everyone who signed

QB Michael Van Buren

Hometown: Bowie, Md. (St. Frances Academy)

Vitals: 6-1, 180 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: No. 229; position ranking: No. 14

OT Jimothy Lewis

Hometown: Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)

Vitals: 6-6, 275 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: No. 371; position ranking: No. 30

S Cyrus Reyes

Hometown: Katy, Texas (Taylor)

Vitals: 6-1, 190 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 1,799; position ranking: No. 175

WR Mario Craver

Hometown: Birmingham, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville)

Vitals: 5-10, 179 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: No. 377, position ranking: No. 60

DL Terrance Hibbler

Hometown: Lexington, Miss. (Holmes County Central)

Vitals: 6-3, 275 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: No. 330; position ranking: No. 40

RB Johnnie Daniels

Hometown: Crystal Springs, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln Community College)

Vitals: 5-10, 195 pounds

247Spors Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 27; position ranking: No. 1

DL Ashun Shepphard

Hometown: Brandon, Miss. (East Mississippi Community College)

Vitals: 6-3, 260 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 40; position ranking: No. 12

LB Branden Jennings

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla. (Hinds Community College)

Vitals: 6-3, 240 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 25; position ranking: No. 2

RB Xavier Gayten

Hometown: Brookhaven, Miss. (Brookhaven)

Vitals: 6-0, 190 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 609; position ranking: No. 47

CB Elijah Cannon

Hometown: Coconut Creek, Fla. (Coconut Creek)

Vitals: 6-0, 170 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 1,659; position ranking: No. 137

S Jatavious Johnson

Hometown: Hooks, Texas (Hooks)

Vitals: 6-2, 180 pounds

247Sports Composite: Not rated

OT TJ Lockhart

Hometown: Kilmichael, Miss. (Winona)

Vitals: 6-5, 380 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 865; position ranking: No. 61

OT Luke Work

Hometown: Lausanne, Tenn. (Lausanne Collegiate School)

Vitals: 6-6, 295 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 1,274; position ranking: No. 100

S Tyler Woodard

Hometown: Memphis, Tenn. (Freedom Prep Academy)

Vitals: 6-2, 200 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 23; position ranking: No. 3

LB Fred Clark

Hometown: Kilmichael, Miss. (Winona)

Vitals: 6-2, 235 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 797; position ranking: No. 71

DL Kai McClendon

Hometown: Gulfport, Miss. (Gulfport)

Vitals: 6-2, 330 pounds

247Sports Composite: Not rated

LB Marcus Ross

Hometown: New Hebron, Miss. (East Mississippi Community College)

Vitals: 6-2, 220 pounds

247Sports Composite: Not rated

WR JJ Harrell

Hometown: Sardis, Miss. (North Panola)

Vitals: 6-1, 185 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: No. 197; position ranking: No. 33

TE Jacorey Whitted

Hometown: McCalla, Ala. (McCadory)

Vitals: 6-6, 265 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 526; position ranking: No. 32

WR Ricky Johnson

Hometown: Warner Robins, Ga. (Houston County)

Vitals: 6-2, 185 pounds

247Sports Composite: 3 stars; national ranking: No. 1,103; position ranking: No. 145

ATH Braylon Burnside

Hometown: Starkville, Miss. (Starkville)

Vitals: 6-0, 195 pounds

247Sports Composite: 4 stars; national ranking: 222; position ranking: 8

CB Brylan Lanier

Hometown: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Paul W Bryant)

Vitals: 6-1, 185 pounds

247Sports Composite: Not rated

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

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Mississippi

Mississippi turkey season bag limit, structure proposed for nonresident hunters

Published

12 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi turkey season bag limit, structure proposed for nonresident hunters

‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’

If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.

“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”

Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.

That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.

Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters

Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.

For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.

“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.

Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.

In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.

“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.

When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?

The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.

Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.

Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.

A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment

Published

24 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.

Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.

In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”

The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.

“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.

Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.

The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.

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Mississippi

Ryan McPherson injury update, Mississippi State star hurts ankle, exits Auburn game

Published

2 days ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Ryan McPherson injury update, Mississippi State star hurts ankle, exits Auburn game

(This story was updated to add new information.)

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball starting pitcher Ryan McPherson exited his May 9 return against Auburn with an ankle injury, according to coach Brian O’Connor.

McPherson tripped behind home plate while backing up a potential throw in the second inning and limped back to the mound. The MSU coaches and trainer examined McPherson before pulling him.

McPherson was making his first start since March 20 after suffering a forearm strain.

The No. 11 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) trailed the No. 6 Tigers (35-15, 16-11) by one run with one out in the inning before getting run-ruled 13-2 in seven innings at Dudy Noble Field.

McPherson threw 34 pitches in 1⅓ innings with one earned and one unearned run allowed, two hits, no walks and no strikeouts.

He did not throw a practice pitch while being examined, and he didn’t limp as he walked into the dugout, either.

Ryan McPherson injury update from Brian O’Connor

O’Connor revealed after the game that McPherson was on a 40-pitch limit, so he was likely going to get pulled soon anyway.

“I would hate for the young man to have a setback because he goes out there and tries to throw to another batter or two and changes this delivery because of an ankle (injury),” O’Connor said. “So that’s what went into that decision. It’s unfortunate, but it was good to get him back out there.”

McPherson, a sophomore, missed six straight starts with his forearm injury. He took Charlie Foster’s spot in the pitching rotation for the Auburn series.

One series remains at Texas A&M before the SEC Tournament.

“We’ll see how he recovers from this and then to see what his availability will be for next weekend,” O’Connor said.