Mississippi
Vote for top Mississippi wide receiver entering 2024 MHSAA, MAIS high school football season

Who is Mississippi’s best wide receiver entering the 2024 high school football season? MHSAA and MAIS football fans can decide which high school wide receiver is the best in Mississippi. Now it’s your turn to vote.
Fans can vote once per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Saturday.
Tyree Barnett, Hattiesburg: Barnett, a recent transfer from Harrison Central, had 1,005 receiving yards with 63 receptions and nine touchdowns, including 197 return yards. He has offers from Central Arkansas, UT Martin and Northeast College.
Jermarj Bell, Northside: The Central Arkansas commit had 1,775 all-purpose yards with 981 receiving yards on 56 receptions, 14 total touchdowns and two punt returns for scores.
Trent Buckley, Columbia Academy: The tight end had 29 receptions for 403 yards with three touchdowns, along with five tackles and two sacks last season.
Jeremiah Cole, McComb: Cole had 46 receptions with 1,012 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last season, including 210 kick return yards.
TOP MISSISSIPPI WR: Best Mississippi receivers in 2024 MHSAA, MAIS seasons? See our ranking
Zayion Cotton, Grenada: Cotton, a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, had 36 receptions for 636 yards with five touchdowns in 2023. He has offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Caleb Cunningham, Choctaw County: The Alabama commit is the No. 1 prospect in Mississippi and the No. 2 wide receiver in the country. Last season he set Choctaw’s season records for receptions (48) and yards receiving (1,138) and scored 14 touchdowns.
Deshawn Dillon, Northwest Rankin: The Cougars’ leading receiver had 44 receptions for 660 yards with nine touchdowns. Dillon has offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Sheldon Isaac, McComb: Isaac had 15 receptions for 307 yards with five touchdowns in eight games last season. Isaac has offers from Grambling and Florida A&M.
Zechariah Jenkins, Laurel: The three-star recruit produced 36 receptions for 603 yards with three touchdowns last season.
O’Mari Johnson, Wesson: The four-star recruit had 43 receptions for 807 yards and 465 rushing yards on 55 carries with 21 total touchdowns. Johnson has offers from LSU, Florida State, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Micah Jones, Madison Central: Jones, a Florida commit, is the No. 15 prospect in Mississippi and the No. 28 tight end nationally for the Class of 2025. Last season, Jones recorded 168 receiving yards with a touchdown and helped Madison Central go 8-5.
Tristen Keys, Hattiesburg: Keys, a four-star recruit and the No. 6 overall prospect in Mississippi, has offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Miami.
Aiden Knox, Clinton: The three-star recruit had 178 receiving yards with a touchdown in seven games last season. Knox has offers from Penn State and Toledo.
Anson Lewis, Oak Grove: Lewis is a four-star wideout and No. 12 recruit in the state. His offers include Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri. Lewis has transferred to Oak Grove after spending the past two seasons at Columbia.
Jase Mathews, Greene County: In nine games, the three-star recruit had 25 receptions for 484 yards with two touchdowns and 673 all-purpose yards. Mathews has an offer from Ole Miss.
Xavier McDonald, Morton: McDonald, a four-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, had 56 receptions for 1,166 yards with 16 touchdowns. McDonald has offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and UCF.
Matthew Nowell, Leake Academy: Nowell recorded 1,129 receiving yards with 62 receptions and 13 touchdowns last season and had five games over 100 receiving yards.
Quincy Phillips Jr., Brandon: Phillips had 87 receptions for 1,027 yards with six touchdowns in 2023. His receptions broke the school’s season record held by NFL player Jonathan Mingo.
John Austin Sterling, Centreville Academy: Thomas had 58 receptions for 1,120 yards and 22 touchdowns, as well as 219 return yards. Sterling has an offer from Toledo.
Case Thomas, Madison-Ridgeland Academy: Last season, Thomas produced 59 catches for 1,296 yards, which led MAIS, and recorded 17 touchdowns.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.

Mississippi
World Atlas names 2 Mississippi cities some of best places to live in the South. See why

U.S. News and World Report’s best city ranking is here!
U.S. News and World Report released its annual ranking of “Best Places to Live in the U.S.”
Thinking of moving? Mississippi has a lot to offer, and two cities were recently named some of the best places to call home in the Southeast.
“The American South stands out as one of the most diverse regions in the United States, offering a unique blend of vibrant cities, charming small towns, and striking natural landscapes, from the Appalachian Mountains to miles of coastline and rolling farmland. With a warm year-round climate and a slower pace of life, these qualities create an appealing environment for those seeking comfort and a sense of balance.” World Atlas wrote.
The site chose nine of the best places to live in the South. The criteria included wellbeing, affordability, job opportunities, education and more.
Natchez and Biloxi made the list. Here’s what you need to know about these iconic Mississippi cities, why people love living there.
Natchez is affordable, fun
World Atlas highlighted Natchez as a historic treasure. The state’s oldest city has a long story to tell, starting with ancient Native American civilizations that called the area home. It played a key role in European settlement here, including the state spending time under French and Spanish rule before becoming part of the U.S.
“With a cost of living below the national average and a median home price of around $170,000, Natchez offers affordable housing alongside a rich cultural lifestyle,” World Atlas wrote.
Travel + Leisure recently called Natchez a great retirement city. They advise people looking for affordable living and a walkable community to add it to their shortlists for consideration.
Biloxi has entertainment, beautiful beaches
World Atlas noted that Biloxi is a gem on the Gulf Coast. Casinos provide lots of entertainment options near white sand beaches.
“With a cost of living slightly below the national average and a median home price around $250,000, Biloxi provides an appealing combination of scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and economic stability, making it a compelling place to call home,” World Atlas wrote.
Best places to live in the South
According to World Atlas, these are nine of the best places to live in the Southern U.S.
- Natchez, Mississippi
- Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- Mount Airy, North Carolina
- Florence, Alabama
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Danville, Virginia
- Helen, Georgia
- Guntersville, Alabama
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Overreaction Sunday in full swing for Mississippi State fans after loss to Florida

The NFL has overreaction Monday where its fans make outlandish, emotional statements about a big change their team needs to make or how the rest of the season will go.
College football has that too, just on Sundays and there’s no shortage of overreactions being made by Mississippi State fans right now.
The Bulldogs’ 23-21 loss to Florida should have been a win and not just because of what happened at the end of the game. There were plenty of opportunities to win and that makes this loss a lot more painful and, in turn, has made some fans on social media and on message boards emotional.
Here’s three of them. How this will work is we’ll make the argument in favor of a statement and then make a judgement on if its an overreaction or not.
Let’s begin with probably the most controversial reaction.
Shapen was 24-of-36 for 324 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and was sacked four times. He threw the game-ending interception to a defensive tackle who dropped into zone coverage.
There was also the three overthrown passes to wide receivers in the end zone in the first half. He did have two long pass completions to Anthony Evans III (48 yards) and Brenen Thompson (47) against Florida.
You cannot continue to sit Kamario Taylor behind a guy who cannot consistently run, pass, or move around in the pocket. We are actively losing games due to this insanity
What does Shapen do that is GOOD? Now, what does he do that is bad?….
Play #1. It is time. — HailStateMuse (@HailStateMuse) October 18, 2025
But for the most part, the Bulldogs’ offense didn’t do much. Their first touchdown came on the opening drive and then didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.
This decision isn’t limited to just one game, either. Shapen and the Bulldogs offense didn’t play well against Texas A&M and Shapen missed an open receiver in overtime against Tennessee to keep that game going.
At this point what do you have to lose? Put Kamario Taylor in and let him loose. This team needs a spark, and they’re not going to get it from Shapen who’s falling down with nobody around him. He’s scared to take a hit.
— Dylan Flippo (@dylanmflippo) October 18, 2025
With better quarterback play, Mississippi State would be 6-1 right now.
Verdict: Overreaction.
Mississippi State’s offensive struggles aren’t just because of the quarterback play.
The offensive line has struggled in pass protection and is inconsistent in run blocking. There are fewer penalties being called against the Bulldogs, but illegal formations, false starts and holding calls still plague them.
And while putting the blame for losing to the Gators on Shapen is easy, there are other mistakes that cost the Bulldogs the game.
Kyle Ferrie “missed” a 41-yard field goal (its debatable because the ball passed right over the right upright).
Seydou Traore gets called for holding that negates a 30-yard Davon Booth run in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs do score a touchdown on the drive to make the score 23-21, but that touchdown could have come quicker and given Mississippi State more time on the final drive.
Also, there’s no guarantee Kamario Taylor or Luke Kromenhoek play any better. We haven’t seen enough of either to know if they’d play better.
And do you really want to put Taylor, the true freshman quarterback, behind that offensive line for more than just a handful of plays?
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Mississippi State has already seen what can happen when you put a true freshman quarterback in a starting role behind a shaky offensive line.
In the last two games, the Bulldogs’ defense did enough to put the team in a position to win.
They held Texas A&M to 14 points through three quarters. Against Florida, they got two interceptions and sacked DJ Lagway to force a punt with 1:41 left in the game.
Florida’s star freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson was targeted seven times but made just two catches, held Lagway to just a 58 completion percentage and had three TFLs.
Let’s not forget the goal line stand against Arizona State, holding the Sun Devils to a field goal so the offense can win the game on a 58-yard Brenen Thompson touchdown catch.
Verdict: Not an overreaction.
The defense isn’t elite and it’s toeing the line of being a great defense. For now, really good is great for Mississippi State.
Who would’ve believed me a year ago if I said “in a year Coleman Hutzler” is going to look like the best coach for Mississippi State?
It’s astonishing how much improved this defense is after one year. The Bulldogs were 126th nationally in total defense a year ago.
This year, after seven games, the defense ranks 45th in total defense.
That’s just one stat, but the defense has made similar improvements in most other categories, too.
And, really, just use your eyes and you can see how much better the Bulldogs are.
Jeff Lebby is still winless in the SEC after 11 games and won’t be favored in any more games the rest of the season. So, 0-16 in SEC play in two seasons is possible.
Fire Jeff Lebby now. Hire a real coach. I’m so sick of having to see him standing on the sideline, mouth agape, right after having to watch his absolutely terroristic offensive play calling. It’s been the same dumb mistakes and decisions for almost 2 years. It’s time. pic.twitter.com/IhSXV1VlA6
— Randal The Vandal (@HurricaneRandal) October 19, 2025
Lebby also came to Starkville as an offensive guru and engineered some of the best offenses of the last five years, but that hasn’t shown up at Mississippi State.
James Franklin is available
— Everything MS State (@msudawg04) October 18, 2025
Yes, the big plays are fun, but the offense has been far from great.
Forfeit the rest of the season. Fire Lebby, strip Shapen of his scholarship
— Stephen (@CFCStephenC) October 19, 2025
And the decision to throw a pass in the fourth quarter against Florida instead of kicking a field goal was a colossal mistake.
I’m not supporting Mississippi State football as long as Jeff Lebby is the coach. I’m done.
— Paul Dixon (@pdixon4446) October 19, 2025
Verdict: Massive overreaction.
This is the biggest overreaction I’ve seen this season.
Three weeks ago everyone was in love with Mississippi State and believed Lebby was doing a great job.
But now everyone is mad and thinks Lebby should be fired?
Seriously, folks, chill. That was a tough loss and it’s OK to be upset, but maybe step away from social media and the message boards?
Lebby’s not going anywhere, nor should he. He inherited a dumpster fire of a situation, suffered through 2024’s two-win season and has shown big improvements in 2025.
Look at the running backs (when healthy), the wide receivers and the entire defense. Lebby is building a program that everyone thought was on the rise three weeks ago.
And it still is.
Mississippi
Blake Shapen stats as QB has Mississippi State in position for upset before interception

GAINESVILLE, FL — Blake Shapen’s interception sealed Mississippi State football’s 15th consecutive SEC loss.
The quarterback had driven the Bulldogs into field-goal range with a chance to stun Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They had the ball at the Gators’ 29-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, trailing by two points.
Then, Shapen was intercepted by Florida defensive lineman Michai Boirea, and MSU (4-3, 0-3 SEC) lost 23-21 on Oct. 18.
Here’s how we graded Shapen against Florida (3-4, 2-2).
Blake Shapen stats for Mississippi State vs Florida
- Passing attempts: 24-for-36
- Passing yards: 324
- Passing touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 1
- Rushing attempts: 10
- Rushing yards: 1
- Rushing touchdowns: 0
Blake Shapen’s best: QB had Mississippi State in position to win
Shapen wasn’t fantastic in the game. The offense didn’t find a rhythm until the fourth quarter. But Shapen still had Mississippi State in a position to win.
The Bulldogs got the ball at their own 26-yard line with 1:38 remaining, trailing 23-21. On the first play of that drive, Shapen scrambled up the middle for an 18-yard gain. He completed four of his next five pass attempts, including a 10-yard pass to running back Davon Booth on third-and-9.
Blake Shapen’s worst: Mississippi State QB threw game-losing interception
Shapen’s performance won’t be remembered for those plays, however. The interception he threw to seal the game will be the memory that lasts.
Boirea was positioned at the line of scrimmage, but the 349-pound lineman dropped into coverage after the snap. He read Shapen perfectly and intercepted the pass over the middle of the field.
Grade: C
Shapen’s 324 yards were the most he’s thrown for in 11 games at the Mississippi State starter. However, his streak of 21 straight games with a touchdown pass was snapped.
The interception was the costly play. Mississippi State needed him to take care of the football in that situation, and he didn’t.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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