Mississippi State football had seen a recent run of positive recruiting momentum with multiple highly-ranked players joining the 2025 class. However, the positive news couldn't continue for the Bulldogs today.
4-star offensive lineman Mario Nash Jr. decommits from Mississippi State football
On Monday news broke that 4-star offensive lineman Mario Nash Jr. out of Kemper County High School in De Kalb, MS was decommitting from Mississippi State. 247 Sports rates the 6-4, 280-pound Nash Jr. as the 8th-best player in the state of Mississippi and the nation's 14th-best interior offensive lineman.
Top247 offensive lineman Mario Nash Jr. has decommitted from Mississippi State.
— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) October 7, 2024
“First I want to thank Miss State and their staff for the time that they have spent in my recruitment, but after talking with my family, we have made the decision to reopen my recruitment.”… pic.twitter.com/73UwSx7im5
Nash Jr., who holds offers from the likes of LSU, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Florida State, committed to the Bulldogs in June following a visit to Starkville. Over the weekend, he made his visit to Florida State. It's clear that visit made a big impression on him with his decommitment from Mississippi State coming immediately after.
With the decommitment of Mario Nash Jr., Mississippi State's class dropped to 33rd in the 247 Sports composite rankings, which puts them 15th in the SEC.
Losing Nash Jr. is a massive blow to the Bulldogs 2025 signing class
The loss of Mario Nash Jr. is a tough hit to State's 2025 signing class. He was one of their highest-rated commitments, and they now have just one offensive lineman currently committed, 3-star Josiah Clemons.
The biggest concern with losing Nash Jr. is that it makes it more challenging for State to address their main issue offensively. The Bulldog offensive line has been a weak link throughout this season, greatly limiting the potential of what could be a potent offense. The talent in that room simply isn't good enough to compete in the SEC.
And while the transfer portal can be used to fill holes, fixing a struggling OL through the portal is nearly impossible. MSU is quite literally seeing that firsthand this season, as four OL starters are transfers. The only way to fix the problem is to recruit and develop quality lineman out of high school. Now, MSU is without a player that would've helped those matters.
Of course, there are still over two months to go until signing day. It's not out of the question that State could still land Nash Jr., nor is it unreasonable to think they couldn't still land a high-level OL to replace him. But for the time being, it slows the great momentum the Bulldogs had on the recruiting trail.