Mike Leach and his Mississippi State coaching staff were already a hit with the locals, but after landing Starkville High School product Rufus Harvey, the new Hail State coaches likely reached an unprecedented popularity in Starkville.

Mississippi State had to work hard to win over Harvey, who had been committed to Arkansas State when Leach was hired in Starkville, but according to MSU assistant Steve Spurrier Jr., Harvey was a Day One priority for the Bulldog staff.

“First day I got here, I went to see him,” Spurrier said during his National Signing Day media availability which was shared by Logan Lowery on YouTube. “It was interesting seeing the number of people that loved him.”

While Harvey may not have filled a need in Mississippi State’s previous offensive scheme, Spurrier noted that after researching all the players they inherited in Starkville, Leach’s offense has a need for an explosive receiver that can play the slot position.

“We spent a lot of time evaluating the guys that were committed to us, a lot of time evaluating the other people on our list that offered in this class and then a lot of time looking at the guys on our team,” Spurrier noted. “And then, after the full process of that, Rufus was a guy we needed. He’s a body type we need, he’s a skill set we need, he’s a skill set we don’t have. We are excited to have him in the fold here with us.”

When it comes to which position Harvey will play, Spurrier noted, “I would imagine he would be more in the slot for us.”

The assistant coach’s thoughts on Harvey were echoed by Leach during his Wednesday National Signing Day press conference. Here’s what MSU’s head coach had to say when asked what the Starkville native can bring to the Bulldog offense.

“He’s really good with the ball in his hands; I think that’d be the quickest way to describe it,” Leach noted. “He’s a pretty complete player as far as being productive on special teams and on offense. It’s kind of like, in some place, it’d be kind of inexplicable how it happened, but he’s very productive with the ball in his hands.”

Here’s Harvey’s senior season highlight reel with Starkville High School. Based on this video, it’s easy to see why Mississippi State coaches made Harvey a priority target.