Mississippi State lands 1st commitment since hiring of Jeff Lebby

Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State staff didn’t need long to land a commitment for the Bulldogs.

Johnnie Daniels, a junior college running back, announced his pledge to MSU on Wednesday via social media.

Blessed to say I am 100% COMMITTED to Mississippi State University!! @RGibsonMSU @Coach_Leb #GoBulldogs‼️ #AGTG? pic.twitter.com/uQFN9BYLl7

— Johnnie Daniels (@Jdaniels__2) November 30, 2023

Daniels heads to Mississippi State from Copiah–Lincoln Community College. He played high school football at the in-state program Crystal Springs.

On 247Sports, Daniels’ recruiting profile does not include a rating, but shows that Arkansas State and McNeese State also extended scholarship offers. He is listed as measuring 5-10, 200 pounds.

Daniels spent 2 seasons at Copiah-Lincoln, averaging over 7.2 yards per carry. As a freshman, Daniels rushed 65 teams for 485 yards and 2 touchdowns. Daniels played more as a sophomore and increased his workload, logging 168 carries for 1,196 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also has 34 career catches for 396 yards and 3 scores.

MSU sits at 17 verbal commitments for 2024, a number likely to change after hiring a new coach close to the December Early Signing Period. Bulldog fans can get a preview of what Daniels brings to Starkville by checking out his 2023 highlight reel, below, via Hudl:

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.