Mississippi State football has had anything but a stress-free National Signing Day. There's been a handful of prospects they had to fight to keep up until the end, and they've suffered one major loss already. Now, you can make it two major losses to the class, and unfortunately, this player is going to the rival school.
UPDATE: Lockhart signs with Mississippi State after all
At the eleventh hour, a Signing Day miracle occured. Tyler Lockhart, despite signing with the Rebels earlier in the day, is coming to Mississippi State. We are working on a new story on his signing with the Bulldogs.
4-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart flips commitment from Mississippi State to Ole Miss on National Signing Day
The Bulldogs lost another one of their top commitments in the 2025 class. 4-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart from Winona, MS is signing with the Ole Miss Rebels after being committed to Mississippi State since September.
BREAKING: 4-star LB Tyler Lockhart has signed with Ole Miss.
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) December 4, 2024
He was previously committed to Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/2EWpjqACSG
By the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, Lockhart was the second highest-rated commitment in the Mississippi State class. He was a top five player in the state of Mississippi and the nation's 16th-best linebacker prospect.
Tyler Lockhart was by some estimates the top high school defensive prospect in the state. He originally committed to Auburn before making the flip to Mississippi State. Lockhart seemed set to be an immediate impact player in Starkville, but Ole Miss was not going to sit idly by and not put up a fight for him. By all accounts, Rebel defensive coordinator Pete Golding was working overtime to convince Lockhart to flip. Clearly his efforts did not go to waste.
And here's the kicker for Mississippi State: Lockhart's brother and best friend both play for the Bulldogs. Fellow linebacker Fred "Fat" Clark and offensive lineman TJ Lockhart are currently freshmen in Starkville. State had the personal connections on the roster but still couldn't seal the deal.
Bulldogs have suffered two back-breaking defensive losses on Signing Day
It has not been a good Signing Day for Mississippi State's defensive staff. Despite flipping 4-star cornerback Kyle Johnson, MSU's efforts in defensive recruiting have been a net negative today. Early this morning, JUCO defensive end Zavion Hardy, the top-ranked JUCO recruit in the country, flipped from the Bulldogs to South Carolina. Now, you've lost your best linebacker prospect in the class to your in-state rivals.
Both Hardy and Lockhart were players that were expected to be immediate contributors at Mississippi State, if not challenge for starting roles. Considering how disastrous and untalented the Bulldog defense was in 2024, it is an absolute necessity that they rebuild that side of the ball with SEC caliber players.
They had two players committed all the way until Signing Day who would greatly help fix things. But they couldn't get them to sign. Even if State can find adequate replacements through the transfer portal in the coming weeks, not having a player like Lockhart on campus for multiple years where you can build around him is a big miss. It's more than just a short-term loss.