After finishing in the middle of the pack in the SEC with its 2015 recruiting class, Mississippi State was sitting toward the bottom of the SEC standings with its 2016 class.

The Bulldogs, though, were able to land five-star DE Jeffery Simmons on Wednesday afternoon to salvage an otherwise disappointing National Signing Day.

LAST-MINUTE ADDITION

Simmons chose the Bulldogs over several other SEC programs, including Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. The 6-foot-3, 277-pound in-state recruit is the third-best commit at his position and 19th-best overall player.

The addition of Simmons also moved the Bulldogs’ 2016 recruiting class into 11th place in the SEC.

BOOSTING THE DEFENSIVE LINE

Signing Simmons gave Mississippi State three players rated at four or five stars, all defensive linemen.

Weakside DE Marquiss Spencer will play opposite Simmons. At 6-foot-5, Spencer is taller than Simmons, but Simmons has more than 30 pounds on his fellow defensive linemen. Spencer is ranked the 19th-best weak side defensive end in the class.

Fellow four-star commit, Kobe Jones, will play between Simmons and Spencer in the years to come. Jones, a Starkville native, is 6-4, 265 pounds and was ranked the 28th-best defensive tackle.

TWO MISSES

Landing Simmons was really the only positive for Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs on National Signing Day. Mississippi State’s other two top targets, DT Derrick Brown and WR A.J. Brown, signed with Auburn and Ole Miss, respectively.

Mississippi State was seen as a longshot for both Browns, but it must have been was painful to see A.J. Brown, a Starkville native, choose the hated Rebels and criticized the Bulldogs’ recruitment of him.

On one hand, it was a little unrealistic to expect a huge class from Mississippi State because the Bulldogs are losing only 12 seniors. And signing Simmons was huge.

But the 11th place in the SEC with two signing-day misses was disappointing.

SIGNEES

  • Jeffery Simmons DE, five-star
  • Marquiss Spencer DE, four-star
  • Kobe Jones DT, four-star
  • Jamal Couch ATH, three-star
  • Stewart Reese G, three-star
  • Erroll Thompson ILB, three-star
  • Nero Nelson ATH, three-star
  • Korey Charles, ATH, three-star
  • Jordan Thomas TE, three-star (JUCO)
  • Greg Eiland OT, three-star
  • Cameron Dantzler ATH, three-star
  • Dareaun Parker OT, three-star

EARLY ENROLLEES

  • C.J. Morgan-Walker CB, three-star
  • Dontea Jones TE, three-star
  • Lashard Durr CB, three-star (JUCO)
  • Christian Roberson TE, three-star
  • Tre Brown DT, three-star (JUCO)