National Signing Day is still a far way off, but anyone in the recruiting business will tell you the recruiting process lasts 365 days a year.

Many of the nation’s best recruiters are already hard at work trying to win over the favor of some of the top prospects from the 2016 class, all in an effort to continue laying a foundation for their program’s success in the coming years.

The state of Mississippi is loaded with top talents. The state doesn’t boast a five-star prospect, but it does boast 10 four-star recruits who all have a chance to make a major impact at the college level.

Of those 10 prospects, four have already committed. All four gave their commitments to Ole Miss and head coach Hugh Freeze, which hauled in three of top 10 players from the state in the 2015 class.

Four of the seven uncommitted players regarded among the top 10 prospects from the state of Mississippi are predicted to eventually commit to Mississippi State, which brought in five of the state’s top 10 players in 2015.

The best player in the state is wideout DeKaylin Metcalf, who would join 2015 four-star signees Van Jefferson and Damarkus Lodge in Oxford if he follows through on his commitment (he’d also join Laquon Treadwell should he return for his senior season in lieu of beginning a career in the NFL).

Many consider Metcalf to be a top five high school wideout in the nation, and Ole Miss will have to stave off competitors from across the country to maintain his commitment.

The same can be said for Benito Jones, the No. 2 player in the state who will add depth at defensive tackle as Robert Nkemdiche and Issac Gross likely exit the program after this season.

The lack of out-of-state schools in the running for these top Mississippi prospects is not uncommon. Last season, only one of the state’s top 10 recruits signed with someone other than Ole Miss or Mississippi State (three-stat defensive end Gabriel Campbell, who signed with Oklahoma). From 2012-14, only six total players ranked among the top 10 prospects in the state signed with someone other than the Rebels or Bulldogs.

Player Rating Position 247 Sports Prediction
1. DeKaylin Metcalf 4-star WR Ole Miss*
2. Benito Jones 4-star DT Ole Miss*
3. Damion Dickens 4-star DE Mississippi State
4. Nigel Knott 4-star CB Ole Miss
5. Octavious Cooley 4-star TE Ole Miss*
6. Jeffrey Simmons 4-star DE Ole Miss
7. Justin Connor 4-star RB Ole Miss*
8. Scott Lashley 4-star OT Mississippi State
9. A.J. Brown 4-star WR Mississippi State
10. Jeriko Morris 4-star ATH Mississippi State

*Already committed.