Mississippi
Mississippi State football lands Grenada 4-star WR Zayion Cotton in 2026 recruiting class
This story was updated to add new information.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football has a new top prospect in its 2026 recruiting class.
Zayion Cotton, a 247Sports Composite four-star, committed to the Bulldogs on June 22. The wide receiver from Grenada announced the news with a post on X.
“1,000% committed!!! #HailState,” he wrote in the post.
He kicked off a run of four commits for the day. Shortly after Cotton’s commitment, three-star Canton wide receiver Jayden Cration pledged to the Bulldogs. So did South Pike edge rusher Micah Nickerson, who’s unranked, and three-star Holmes County Central cornerback Terrell Johnson Jr.
Cotton picked MSU over power conference offers from Ole Miss, Miami, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Auburn, Arkansas and NC State. He overtakes quarterback Brodie McWhorter as the top player in Mississippi State’s recruiting class. The 6-foot-5, 215 pounds receiver recorded 48 receptions for 700 yards and six touchdowns last season as Grenada won the MHSAA Class 6A championship.
Cration, 6-3, 185 pounds, held power conference offers from Ole Miss, LSU, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Nickerson’s one other power conference offer was from Virginia. Johnson had no other offers from power conference schools.
Two three-stars committed over the weekend before Cotton: tight end Luke Hutchinson and safety Jax Pope.
247 rankings for Zayion Cotton, Jayden Cration, Micah Nickerson and Terrell Johnson Jr.
Cotton is a four-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He’s tabbed at No. 418 nationally, the No. 65 wide receiver and No. 16 in Mississippi.
Cration, a three-star, is ranked No. 563 nationally, the No. 91 wide receiver and No. 19 in Mississippi.
Johnson, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, does not have a national rank but is the No. 146 cornerback and No. 51 player in Mississippi, according to 247Sports.
Nickerson, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, is not ranked.
Mississippi State football recruiting class 2026
Mississippi State now has 20 commitments for its 2026 recruiting class:
- WR Zayion Cotton
- QB Brodie McWhorter
- WR Jayden Cration
- IOL Jakobe Green
- ATH Jaiden Taylor
- WR Camden Capehart
- RB Jaeden Hill
- DL Kaleb Morris
- OT Charles Humphrey
- S Antavius Watts
- TE Adam Land
- CB Camron Brown
- S Kolby Barrett
- S Jax Pope
- TE Luke Hutchinson
- OT Jayden Ross
- LB Maurice Jones Jr.
- IOL Dylan Steen
- DE Micah Nickerson
- CB Terrell Johnson Jr.
Where Mississippi State ranks in 2026 team recruiting rankings
The Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class is ranked No. 34 nationally. It’s No. 7 in the SEC.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 8, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 8 drawing
01-05-08-17-27
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 8 drawing
Midday: 2-0-1, FB: 8
Evening: 3-7-0, FB: 9
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 8 drawing
Midday: 4-1-1-5, FB: 8
Evening: 0-6-8-4, FB: 9
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 8 drawing
Midday: 12
Evening: 04
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Mississippi
Huskies Hosting Yet Another Mississippi Player
Sam LeJeune, according to recruiting website logs everywhere, is touring the University of Washington football facilities on Monday (today) in an official capacity.
He is a 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive tackle and end from Mississippi, specifically a 4-star prospect from Poplarville, which is 45 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 74 from New Orleans.
LeJeune, according to his various recruiting profiles, is down to four schools: Auburn, California, Florida State and Washington.
FSU is believed to be the favorite because it has had this kid on campus nearly a dozen times since they first crossed paths at the Seminoles’ 2024 Big Man Camp — and will host him last among his final suitors this coming Friday.
A note to Huskies recruiters about to give him a Montlake sales pitch, offering a few salient points to consider:
Introduce LeJeune to sophomore linebacker Zayrdium Rainey-Sale, who two years ago chose between the Seminoles and the UW among a few others, and settled into Montlake instead of Tallahassee.
Also introduce him to sophomore defensive tackle Kai McClendon, who’s from Mississippi, specifically Gulfport, which is about 48 miles from Poplarville.
McClendon was persuaded to leave the Deep South and come north, with the promise of significant playing time once he is fully recovered from a knee injury suffered nearly a year ago.
The UW recruiters should remind this visitor, too, that the program has had a homegrown Mississippi player in three of the past four seasons, counting quarterback Will Rogers, running back Dillon Johnson and McClendon, all of whom transferred out of Mississippi State.
Blessed to recieve an offer from Washington. pic.twitter.com/qsCJv2l2yK
— Sam LeJeune (@sam_lejeune08) May 15, 2026
For an 8-5 Hornets team last fall, LeJeune piled up 58 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss and 7 sacks, plus 5 pass break-ups, 5 blocked field-goal attempts, a forced fumble and a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown. He gets around on the football field.
Noting his mobility, which includes a 4.8-second 40-yard dash, Rivals has ranked him as the nation’s No. 10 defensive line prospect and No. 105 player overall.
Should the Huskies be able to coax him into playing in Seattle, LeJeune would become the fourth commit among their 2027 defensive-line prospects.
Others are defensive tackles in 6-foot-3, 295-pound Jon Ioane from Tustin California, and 6-foot-4, 270-pound Tevita Nonu from Seattle, plus 6-foot-3, 240-pound edge rusher Matamatagi Uiagalelei from Santa Ana, California.
Ioane and Nonu likewise are 4-star recruits.
The Huskies offered LeJeune on May 14 and have increased their recruitment of him in corresponding fashion over the past 25 days.
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Mississippi
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