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Auburn signees highlight Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game

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Auburn signees highlight Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game


Auburn signees highlight Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game

MOBILE, Ala. — The 2024 edition of the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game week continues on Wednesday as blue-chip talent from both states took the field before arriving on college campuses nationwide.

Rivals will be live on-site with daily updates from practices throughout the week — with the annual contest set to kick off at noon CT on Saturday, December 14 from Hancock Whitney Stadium on South Alabama’s campus.

Top performers from Day 2 of All-Star practice were headlined by several Auburn signees like Anquon Fegans. and Jared Smith.

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Here’s more from Rivals National Recruiting Analysts John Garcia, Jr. and Sam Spiegelman:

FOUR-STAR SAF ANQUON FEGANS – AUBURN SIGNEE

Anquon Fegans saw action at multiple positions in the secondary during Day 2 of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game practices. The Auburn signee out of Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson is at his best working in the slot and also over the top. Fegans is sticky in coverage with plus quickness and instincts patrolling the back end of the defense. Fegans showed extremely well in coverage in various reps throughout Wednesday’s action, earning at least one interception and breaking up other passes along the way.

FOUR-STAR DE JARED SMITH – AUBURN SIGNEE

Jared Smith has continued to be a force off the edge of the Alabama All-Star defensive line. Smith is a physical EDGE defender with outstanding length and a massive wingspan, which presents ample issues for opposing offenses. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Smith is a dangerous pass-catcher with the reach to impact plays even if he can’t reach the quarterback. Smith provides consistent pressure off the edge and has a knack for completely derailing offensive plans, which continued into Day 2 of practices.

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FOUR-STAR OT CARDE SMITH – COLORADO SIGNEE

Carde Smith continues to check off boxes as a pass-protector. The uber-athletic offensive tackle from Mobile (Ala.) Williamson inked with Colorado this month, where he’ll have a chance to compete for playing time early. Smith saw action at both tackle spots and shined working on the right side. Smith is fluid dropping back in pass sets and plays with excellent leverage. He’s bendy with great feet. He certainly has the tools and the frame to develop into a very solid tackle in pass pro and run blocker.

FOUR-STAR DE ZION GRADY – OHIO STATE SIGNEE

Zion Grady enjoyed his best day of practice on South Alabama’s campus during Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game practices. The top-100 DE who inked with Ohio State was twitchy working off the edge and consistently conjured up splash plays in one-on-ones as well as in the live portion of workouts. Grady plays a major chip on his shoulder and comes downhill in a hurry. The four-star DE has power rush moves that became more and more devastating and effective as workouts went on.

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FOUR-STAR DL MALIK AUTRY – AUBURN SIGNEE

Malik Autry packs so much athleticism and power in a 6-foot-6, 320-pound frame. The four-star Auburn signee pops off the ball and is bouncy working inside of the defensive line. During Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game practices, Autry was a handful to contain. His explosive first step and ability to generate a pass rush from the middle of the defensive line set the stage for big splash plays behind the line of scrimmage, which has been his M.O. during this week of practices so far.

FOUR-STAR OT TYLER MILLER – LSU SIGNEE

Tyler Miller is a brick wall manning the left tackle spot for the Mississippi All-Star Team. The massive OL is nimble and is immensely powerful. We love Miller’s frame and athletic profile. During Day 2 of practice, Miller shined in pass protection again and was unshakable in one-on-ones with one misstep during Wednesday’s action. Overall, the four-star OL from from Laurel (Miss.) High School plays with good leverage and has immense power to contain rushers off the edge. The LSU signee is one of the most intriguing prospects at a premium position in this 2025 cycle.

FOUR-STAR OL MAL WALDREP – ALABAMA SIGNEE

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Mal Waldrep is working multiple offensive line spots this week but he has settled at left tackle for the primary unit for the all-star team. While it may not be where he projects best at the next level, there is a high-floor feel with his game. Waldrep is game for a scrap at the point of contact and he anchors well thereafter. When defenders try to beat him with speed, he has no issue redirecting with his balance and base. The 300-pounder continues to work as the safest bet among the offensive linemen, most of which are also committed within the Power 4 ranks.

FOUR-STAR LB TYLER LOCKHART – MISSISSIPPI STATE SIGNEE

Our first few in-person evaluations of Tyler Lockhart have been eye-catching. The dynamic hybrid defender from Mississippi fires off the ball at a high clip and plays downhill off the edge. He plays like a man on fire, which gives defensive coordinator added firepower on crucial downs. Lockhart has been excellent rushing from a two-point stance and closing quickly. He’s also been a force defending the run and doing his best damage playing in the box.

FOUR-STAR QB DEUCE KNIGHT – AUBURN SIGNEE

Deuce Knight has been the driving force of the Lucedale (Miss.) George County offense for years. The dynamic quarterback headed to the Plains has continued to shine with his quick delivery and outstanding decision-making. That was on display during Day 2 of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game practice. Knight ripped throws to multiple levels of the field and impressed with the timing on several passes. The future Tiger always possesses the threat of running the football or extending plays in his back pocket. At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, his mobility is an X-factor that will haunt defensive coordinators in the SEC for years to come. Knight has elevated his game to such great heights over the past few years.

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FOUR-STAR SAF ERIC WINTERS –  AUBURN SIGNEE

Eric Winters continues to showcase his versatility, even in this setting with so many elite athletes lined up all over the placer. In our viewing, he has worked anywhere from off-ball linebacker to sub defender (nickel) all the way to deep safety and he has found success in each spot. Winters looks to be around 205 pounds and despite being the largest secondary player, he moves about as well as any from a lateral and transition standpoint, allowing him to cover speedy backs and slot types alike. Winters is quite comfortable in space and his closing speed allows for wide-ranging responsibility in zone looks, too.



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Your Mississippi forecast for Friday, May 15 – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Your Mississippi forecast for Friday, May 15 – SuperTalk Mississippi


It will be a beautiful start to the weekend with sunny skies and highs in the 80s. Here’s your statewide forecast from the National Weather Service.

Northern Mississippi

It will be a sunny Friday with highs in the mid-80s. Friday night will be mostly cloudy and warmer with lows in the mid to upper 60s.

Central Mississippi

Friday will be sunny with highs in the mid to upper 80s. Friday night will be mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s.

Southern Mississippi

It will be a sunny Friday with highs in the mid-80s. Friday night will be partly cloudy with lows in the lower 60s.

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Golden Spikes watchlist features players from Mississippi State, Ole Miss – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Golden Spikes watchlist features players from Mississippi State, Ole Miss – SuperTalk Mississippi


Two pitchers representing Mississippi universities are up for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award.

USA Baseball announced Thursday the 25 semifinalists for the award, which is presented annually to the most prolific college player in the nation. Both Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius and Ole Miss’ Cade Townsend cracked the list. It’s the latest award each was announced to be up for after Valincius and Townsend became Ferris Trophy finalists earlier this week.

Valincius, a left-hander who followed first-year Bulldog head coach Brian O’Connor to Starkville from Virginia has been a star for Mississippi State this season. In 13 starts, the sophomore is 8-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 105 strikeouts, along with just 16 walks across 75 innings of work.

He has effectively limited opposing hitters to a .209 batting average on the year and ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts and wins, and is third in innings pitched and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56) and WHIP (0.99).

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Valincius is the 10th Bulldog to earn a semifinalist distinction from the Golden Spikes Award and the first since Dakota Jordan in 2024. Will Clark is the program’s only Golden Spikes Award winner in 1985 while Rafael Palmeiro and Brent Rooker finished as finalists for the honor in 1984 and 2017, respectively.

For Ole Miss, Townsend is the first Rebel since Doug Nikhazy in 2021 and just the seventh ever to be named a semifinalist for the award. He is the first Ole Miss sophomore to ever be named a semifinalist as all six before him were juniors.

The right-hander boasts a 3.25 ERA and has struck out 77 batters while only allowing 20 earned runs in 55.1 innings. Townsend ranks fifth in the SEC in WHIP (1.01), strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50), and strikeouts per nine innings (12.52). He leads the Rebels in all three categories as well as batters struck out looking (24) and wins and is second in opponent batting average (.202) and total strikeouts (77).

If Townsend is announced as a finalist, he will join Stephen Head and Drew Pomeranz in earning the honor. No Ole Miss player has ever won the Golden Spikes Award.

The full list of semifinalists can be found here. Finalists will be named on June 10, and this year’s Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced on the MLB Network on June 29. Fans can weigh in on which player is their favorite by clicking here.

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Mississippi State, Ole Miss baseball hosting scenarios for NCAA Tournament bracket

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Mississippi State, Ole Miss baseball hosting scenarios for NCAA Tournament bracket


One series remains in the regular season and Ole Miss and Mississippi State baseball are in similar situations.

Both are locks for the NCAA Tournament but are on the bubble for hosting a regional.

The Tennessean’s latest bracket projections have both the Rebels and Bulldogs as two of the 16 national seeds, but that is not solidified yet.

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Finding wins in the final series, and possibly the SEC Tournament too, are necessary. Both teams close the regular season on the road against ranked teams that are also projected to host regionals.

The No. 12 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) play at No. 10 Texas A&M (37-12, 16-10). The No. 19 Rebels (35-18, 14-13) play at No. 16 Alabama (35-17, 16-11). Both series begin May 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network+).

Here’s a look at the different scenarios for Ole Miss and Mississippi State to host NCAA Tournament regionals.

Mississippi State, Ole Miss hosting scenarios for NCAA Tournament

Ole Miss and Mississippi State getting swept could knock them completely out of the hosting conversation, barring a deep run in the SEC Tournament. However, SEC Tournament wins are not always viewed the same as SEC regular-season wins by the selection committee.

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Mississippi State is in a slightly better spot than Ole Miss. The Bulldogs’ RPI is at No. 12, one spot ahead of Ole Miss. They are tied for sixth in the SEC standings, while Ole Miss is ninth.

The Bulldogs also went 4-0 against Ole Miss, which could give them the edge if the final hosting seed came down to those two teams.

The Tennessean projects MSU as the No. 12 national seed and the Rebels as the No. 13 seed. D1Baseball and Baseball America also project MSU to host, however they both have Ole Miss as a No. 2 seed.

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That could mean Ole Miss needs two wins against Alabama, while MSU may be fine with just one win at Texas A&M. If Ole Miss wins one game at Alabama, it probably would need multiple wins in the SEC Tournament.

Mississippi State winning two games at Texas A&M could keep it in contention for a top eight seed. Ole Miss and Mississippi State sweeping their series obviously would, too.

Getting a top eight seed is advantageous because that means you are guaranteed to host a super regional.

Who Ole Miss, Mississippi State fans should root against

It will help Ole Miss and Mississippi State if teams near them in the projections lose, too. That would be teams like Oregon, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Oregon State and Kansas.

Oregon hosts Southern Cal, Nebraska plays at Minnesota, Kansas plays at BYU, Wake Forest plays at Duke, Oregon State hosts Air Force and West Virgina hosts TCU.

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How NCAA Tournament history could be made in Mississippi

If everything falls the right way, there’s a chance Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss all host NCAA Tournament regionals. That’s never happened.

The No. 9 Golden Eagles (37-14, 19-8 Sun Belt) are projected by The Tennessean as the No. 10 national seed, just ahead of MSU and Ole Miss.

Southern Miss plays a home series against Georgia Southern (15-37, 7-20) at Pete Taylor Park beginning May 14 (7 p.m., ESPN+).

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.



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