Recruiting never ends, and as such, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen and his Ole Miss counterpart Hugh Freeze are working to lure future Bulldogs and Rebels to Starkville and Oxford, respectively.

A lot can, and will, happen between now and the 2017 National Signing Day. But with both programs pointing north, the state of Mississippi is an attractive option for prospective “homegrown” players looking to make it big on the next level to stay close to home.

The Magnolia State has two players — Cam Akers (No. 36) and D.D. Bowie (No. 51) — ranked inside the top 100 (top 200, actually) according to 247Sports’ 2017 recruit rankings. Mississippi State and Ole Miss each have four commitments, to date, out of the top 10 home-state recruits.

Freeze is the favorite to land the three best players in the state, including Akers. The four-star running back has received offers from eight SEC squads, with Alabama and Georgia also jockeying with the Mississippi schools for the 5-foot, 11.5-inch, 210-pound Clinton, Miss., standout.

Akers could join Bowie, a four-star wide receiver who has committed to play for Hughes and the Rebels — as well as four-star safety C.J. Avery and three-star receiver Tim Jones.

Mullen doesn’t have any hard commits from the state’s 10 best in his 2017 class, yet, but he has the inside-track to sign a pair of four-star talents in RB Kylin Hill and OLB Willie Gay — the only player among the top 10 in-state recruits from Starkville.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss signed seven of the state’s top 10 recruits from the 2016 class, and outsiders are interested in the 2017 class as well. Most notable is four-star athlete Jordan Murphy, who is leaning toward LSU.

Will Wallace, a three-star defensive lineman at Cathedral High School, has received offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech and Southern Mississippi, but it starting to gather attention from Mississippi State, as well as Florida State and Nebraska. Wallace (6-5, 240) is being scouted as a tight end.

Here is a quick look at the top 10 recruits from Mississippi, according to 247Sports.

Player Rating Position 247Sports Prediction
Cam Akers 4-star RB Ole Miss
D.D. Bowie 4-star WR Ole Miss*
C.J. Avery 4-star S Ole Miss
Kylin Hill 4-star RB Mississippi State
Willie Gay 4-star OLB Mississippi State
Jordan Murphy 4-star WR LSU
Kam White 3-star ATH Mississippi State
Freddie Hartz 3-star ILB Southern Mississippi*
Tim Jones 3-star WR Ole Miss
Will Wallace 3-star SDE/TE Miss. St./Florida St./Nebraska

*Already committed