JUCO LB Branden Jennings commits to Mississippi State

JUCO linebacker Branden Jennings has committed to Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs are set to be his fourth Division I team, as he previously made stops at Maryland, Kansas State and UCF.

Coming out of high school, Jennings was ranked a four-star prospect and was the No. 16 linebacker in the country and No. 122 overall. Jennings is currently the No. 117 JUCO prospect and No. 15 LB, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

For more Mississippi State Bulldogs recruiting intel, check out Maroon and White Daily.

“Jennings told me that he plans to be in Starkville for the Kentucky game next month and is also in the process of setting up a Bulldog official visit for the month of December,” Maroon and White’s Paul Jones wrote on Oct. 20. “During his prep days in Florida, Jennings was recruited by Mississippi State (and offered) although that was by the previous staff at Mississippi State.”

Jennings does not currently have an On3 NIL Valuation. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Mississippi State building top-40 recruiting class

Mississippi State’s current 2024 class features 16 commitments and ranks No. 37 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

The pledge list is headlined by three four-star prospects, all of whom hail from Mississippi: Sardis North Panola wide receiver JJ Harrell, Starkville WR Braylon Burnside and Madison native interior offensive lineman Jimothy Lewis, who plays for IMG Academy in Florida.

“It was a no brainer, even after I committed to another school they never gave up,” Harrell told On3 upon his commitment. “I prayed on it and God led me to making this decision. Coach Bump and Coach Arnett really believe in me, committing was the only way to go about it.”

The Bulldogs’ class features 10 in-state pledges. Jennings hails from Jacksonville, Fla., but currently plays for Hinds CC in The Magnolia State. Other top commits for Miss State this cycle include Memphis Freedom Prep three-star safety Tyler Woodard, Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County Central three-star defensive lineman Terrance Hibbler, McCalla (Ala.) McAdory three-star tight end JaCorey Whitted and Mobile (Ala.) Baker three-star quarterback Josh Flowers.