Florida 2017 LB Tyler Dunning Shocks Recruiting World with Mississippi State Commitment
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
The recruiting game is a tricky one every now and again and on Wednesday Fort Lauderdale area linebacker Tyler Dunning shocked college football with a commitment seemingly out of nowhere to Mississippi State.
Dunning, listed at 6-1, 230, has been a staple in the St. Thomas Aquinas defense over the last two seasons at linebacker. In 2015, Dunning posted a season stat line of 46 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, four fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one sack in parts of 14 games played. St. Thomas Aquinas was rarely tested on the field shocking no one when they took home a state title after beating Viera High School 45-10 running their season record to 13-1.
Offers started coming in for Dunning with Kentucky, LSU, FAU, Colorado, FIU, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Alabama, and Arkansas among the many. Dunning was an early commitment to Miami siding with the Canes on Feb. 21, 2015. He opened his recruiting back up recently naming a Top 5 of LSU, Syracuse, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee… with Mississippi State nowhere to be found.
In a RNG interview with Dunning on April 14, when asked if his Top still included LSU, Syracuse, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee Dunning said “yes.” When asked which schools outside his Top 5 were still pushing hard and pursuing him he responded with, “Colorado, Florida, Auburn, Duke, and a few other schools are still in regular contact with me.”
A commitment was imminent but “after the spring – right after” according to Dunning. The 4-star recruit made his commitment public via Twitter posting, “Just would like to let everyone know that I’m committed to Mississippi State!!! #HailState.”
Mississippi State now has 11 verbal commitments after a couple of junior college recruits went off the board; Emmit Gooden and Cameron Myers. The Bulldogs 2017 class is highlighted by Louisiana quarterback Keytaon Thompson.
Mississippi State 2017 Verbal Commitment List (11)
CB Emanuel Dabney, 6-1, 170, Callaway HS, Jackson, MS
LB Tyler Dunning, 6-0, 239, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, FL
DE Aaron Odom, 6-3, 230, Callaway HS, Jackson, MS
DT Lee Autry, 6-3, 310, Itawamba C.C., Fulton, MS
OG James Jackson, 6-4, 330, Pascagoula, MS
OG Paul Gainer, 6-4, 275, Gautier HS, Gautier, MS
OT Tommy Champion, 6-5, 320, Copiah-Lincoln C.C., Wesson, MS
TE Ravian Pierce, 6-4, 225, Southwest Mississippi, C.C., Summit, MS
QB Keytaon Thompson, 6-4, 210, Landry-Walker, New Orleans, LA
WR Monterio Hunt, 6-1, 180, Walnut Attendance Center, Walnut, MS
WR Austin Williams, 6-3, 202, Ocean Springs HS, Pascagoula, MS
Decommitted
DE Emmit Gooden, 6-4, 275, Holmes C.C., Goodman, MS
ATH Cameron Myers, 5-11, 170, Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C., Perkinston, MS
Photo credit: 247sports.com; Tyler Dunning at a Nike camp.