The Mississippi State Bulldogs may have found its next star both on the gridiron and on the hardwood as four-star recruit Elijah Staley -- four stars in both sports -- announced his commitment to the squads on Friday.
Elijah Staley commits to Mississippi State as quarterback and basketball player
Mississippi State lands a dual-threat recruit, in more ways than one. He’s a dual-threat quarterback, but might be more highly touted in basketball.
Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE
Staley, a 6’6, 210-pounder from Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler, is a dual-threat quarterback on the football field and a power forward on the court. He garnered a four-star rankings from Rivals, but received three from most services in football -- ranking as the No. 20 dual-threat quarterback in the nation in 247’s composite. Staley’s more highly regarded in basketball, though, as the No. 92 player at any position in the country and No. 23 among power forwards.
The dual-sport threat came public with his commitment with a video on Vine, and did quite well on the suspense, making a fun jump cut to the final frame in which he’s on top of a pile of Mississippi State recruiting paraphernalia:
He's probably a bigger get for basketball coach Rick Ray -- whose Bulldogs went 10-22 in his first year after the retirement of longtime head coach Rick Stansbury -- than for Dan Mullen. Quarterback Tyler Russell graduates after the upcoming season, but Mississippi State grabbed a pair of quarterbacks last year in pro-style 3-star Cord Sandberg and dual-threat 3-star Damian Williams.
Staley was being recruited by a variety of SEC schools as well as Georgetown, Miami (Fl.) and Virginia Tech in basketball. His football offers were from Boston College, Marshall, UMass, and Virginia.
