during that senior campaign . . . Led Pickens County to an 11-1 record in 2008 . . . Named honorable mention all-state by the ASWA following an injury-plagued junior campaign for the Tornadoes . . . Missed four games that year with an ankle injury . . . Had 16 receptions for 505 yards, a 31.6-yard average, and six touchdowns . . . Also had one rushing TD . . . Defensively, he had 39 tackles and four pass interceptions . . . Had 833 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore . . . Also an outstanding basketball player on the high school level, leading his prep team to back-to-back state quarterfinal appearances . . . Other top scholarship offer: Alabama . . . Committed to Mississippi State in February 2009. Heath Hutchins, P, 6-2, 215, Saltillo, Miss. (Saltillo/Itawamba [Miss.] Community College) JUNIOR COLLEGE: Listed No. 70 on Super Prep Magazine’s ranking of the top junior college prospects in the country in its post-season AllAmerica issue, the second-best punter mentioned . . . Punted 93 times for a 44-yard average during his two seasons as a junior college punter . . . Selected first-team, junior college all-America punter by the National Junior College Athletic Association . . . Chosen first-team, All-Region XXIII punter by the NJCAA . . . Named pre-season All-America prior to his sophomore campaign . . . Named one of the top 25 junior college prospects in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, the only punter on the list . . . Led the nation in punting during his sophomore campaign, averaging 46.1 yards on 69 kicks, with a season-best 69-yard boot . . . Had a string of six straight games during his sophomore season in which he pinned the opponent inside the 2-yard line, and 25 of 42 inside the 20 for the year . . . Also handled the kicking duties the final five games of that season and missed just one field goal . . . Named all-state by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges following his freshman season . . . Led the state of Mississippi and ranked sixth nationally in punting as a freshman, averaging 41.8 yards per punt . . . Had a season best 57-yarder during his first JUCO season . . . Thirty of those 55 punts came to rest inside the opponent 20-yard line . . . Played for head coach Jeff Terrill at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College . . . Also an outstanding student in the junior college classroom . . . Committed to MSU in November 2008. Gabriel Jackson, OL, 6-4, 295, Liberty, Miss. (Amite County) HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as the No. 52 offensive tackle prospect in the country by recruiting web site Scout.com . . . Considered the third-best offensive lineman in Mississippi by Scout.com, which credits him with a 5.1-second time in the 40-yard dash . . . Rivals.com has him ranked as the No. 85 offensive tackle prospect in the nation . . . That site also has him ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the state of Mississippi, the fourth-best offensive lineman on the chart . . . Rated with the top 40 high school prospects in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger following his senior season . . . Has started both ways at tackle since his freshman season . . . Other top scholarship offers: LSU, Auburn, and Ole Miss . . . Solid 2.8 grade point average in the high school classroom . . . Committed to MSU in July 2008. Maurice Langston, DB, 5-10, 185, Meridian, Miss. (Northeast Lauderdale/East Central [Miss.] CC JUNIOR COLLEGE: Listed No. 24 on Super Prep Magazine’s ranking of the top junior college prospects in the country in its post-season All-America issue . . . Named first-team all-Region XXIII and first-team, all-state by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges as a wide receiver for head coach Steve Cheatam at East Central (Miss.) Community College . . . Also named first-team, all-Region as a return specialist . . . Rated #3 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger list of the state’s top junior college prospects following his sophomore season . . . Led the nation in touchdowns, scoring 21 as a sophomore as both a kick returner and wide receiver . . . Caught 44 passes for 658 yards, a 15-yard average, and seven touchdowns . . . Also rushed 54 times for 267 yards and 10 more TDs . . . Averaged 31 yards per punt return during his sophomore campaign for the Warriors, leading the nation in that category, and scoring two touchdowns . . . Added 22 yards per kickoff return and another score . . . Credited with running a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash by recruiting web site Scout.com . . . Committed to MSU in December 2008 . . . Other top scholarship offer: Kentucky. ARKANSAS STATE: Redshirted his true freshman season as a defensive back. Cameron Lawrence, DB, 6-2, 205, Coldwater, Miss. (Magnolia Heights) 40 - Mississippi Sports Magazine
HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 50 “athlete” prospect in the country by national recruiting web site Rivals.com . . . That site also listed him as the No. 15 recruit in the state of Mississippi, the third-best defensive back on the chart . . . National recruiting web site Scout.com rates him the No. 84 safety prospect in the country . . . Named second-team, all-state in all classifications at linebacker by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger following his senior season . . . That newspaper listed him among their Dandy Dozen prior to his senior season, symbolic of being one of the top 12 players in the state . . . Rated with the top 25 high school prospects in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger following his senior season . . . Credited with running a 4.66 40-yard dash at the New Orleans Scout.com combine prior to his junior season . . . Also credited with a 265-pound bench press by Scout.com . . . Selected to the Mississippi Association of Private Schools all-star team following his senior campaign and captained the North squad . . . Helped lead coach Cliff Young’s Magnolia Heights’ team to a 22-2 record during his final two seasons of football, playing both quarterback and defensive back . . . Accounted for 1,854 yards during his junior season and scored 26 touchdowns as a quarterback on offense . . . Also amassed 138 tackles and four pass interceptions while playing defense . . . Named all-state by the Mississippi Private School Association following that junior campaign . . . Helped Magnolia Heights win a state title during his sophomore season . . . Also ran track for the Chiefs, finishing second in the state in the 300 meter hurdles . . .Helped lead the school’s baseball team to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore . . . Outstanding student in the high school classroom with a 3.7 grade point average . . . Other top scholarship offers: Oklahoma State and Duke . . . Committed to MSU in March 2008. Johnathan McKenzie, DL, 6-4, 235, Starkville, Miss. (Starkville Academy) HIGH SCHOOL: Named first-team, all-state in all classifications at tight end by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger newspaper . . . Rated with the top 40 high school prospects in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson ClarionLedger following his senior season . . . Chosen first-team, all-state by the Mississippi Private Schools Association . . . Named to the MPSA All-Star game as a senior . . . Was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the North squad in that game . . . Credited with running a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash by national recruiting web site Rivals.com . . . That site also credits him with a 315-pound bench press . . . Two-way player who also starred at defensive end for head coach Brian Sims at Starkville (Miss.) Academy . . . Had 27 pass receptions for 473 yards, a 17.5-yard average, and six touchdowns during his senior campaign . . . Had 13 quarterback sacks while playing defense . . . Also an all-state performer on the Starkville Academy basketball team . . . Outstanding student in the high school class room with a perfect 4.0 grade point average . . . Committed to Mississippi State in December 2008. Pernell McPhee, DL, 6-4, 270, Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee/Itawamba [Miss.] CC) JUNIOR COLLEGE: Listed No. 21 on Super Prep Magazine’s ranking of the top junior college prospects in the country in its post-season All-America issue . . . Two-time junior college all-America who led the state’s junior colleges in quarterback sacks as both a freshman and sophomore, totaling 33 sacks during his junior college career . . . Earned first-team junior college all-America recognition by the National Junior College Athletic Association following a star-studded sophomore season for head coach Jeff Terrill at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College . . . Two-time all-state and all-Region XXIII player . . . Named first-team, All-Region XXIII at defensive end . . . Rated #2 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger list of the state’s top junior college prospects following his sophomore season, the top defensive lineman on the list . . . Totaled a nation-leading 13.5 quarterback sacks during that sophomore season and 23.5 tackles for loss . . . Named firstteam, pre-season junior college all-America by the National Junior College Athletic Association and J.C. Gridwire Magazine prior to his sophomore campaign . . . Earned second-team all-America by the NJCAA and J.C. Gridwire following his freshman season at ICC . . . Totaled 67 tackles that season and led the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges with 19.5 quarterback sacks during that first season . . . Also had 37 tackles for loss . . . Other top scholarship offers: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas State and West Virginia . . . Committed to MSU in July 2008. LaDarius Perkins, RB, 5-10, 195, Greenville, Miss. (St. Joseph) HIGH SCHOOL: Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game . . . Ranked as the No. 37 all-purpose back in the country