Three-star OT Joe Crocker commits to Mississippi State

Nashville (Tenn.) Franklin Road Academy three-star offensive tackle Joe Crocker committed to Mississippi State Monday night. The 6-foot-6, 318 pound offensive lineman chose the Bulldogs over Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Crocker is the No. 513 overall prospect and No. 37 offensive tackle in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also ranked as the No. 16 player in Tennessee.

Mississippi State is now up to nine commitments in the 2023 class with the addition of Crocker. The Bulldogs’ 2023 class is also ranked No. 49 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 11 in the SEC. The Bulldogs’ class rose 12 spots from No. 61 in the Consensus Recruiting Rankings following Crocker’s commitment.

Crocker is Mississippi State’s first commitment of July. He is currently ranked ahead of every Bulldogs pledge except for Bay Springs (Miss.) three-star athlete Ty Jones. Crocker is one of three top-600 recruits for the program alongside Jones and Katy (Tex.) three-star running back Seth Davis.

Even though Mississippi State has had a slow start to July on the recruiting trail, it had a big June, landing four commitments over a span of nine days. They were Norcross (Ga.) three-star wide receiver Nakai Poole, Clarksdale (Miss.) three-star safety Kelley Jones, Itta Bena (Miss.) three-star athlete Dante Kelly and Hattiesburg (Miss.) Oak Grove three-star cornerback Jaylen Aborom.

Mississippi State’s class also includes Laurel (Miss.) three-star offensive tackle Malik Ellis and Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County three-star EDGE Joseph Head.

A look into Crocker’s recruiting process

Landing Crocker was a big win for the Bulldogs. He received nearly 30 offers from some of the top programs in the country including Georgia and Michigan.

Crocker took 28 total visits, but only visited six programs multiple times. The schools were Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Wisconsin. He took his most visits to Knoxville with four. However, his top three of Michigan State, Mississippi State and Wisconsin earned his official visits last month.

Crocker’s official visit to Starkville came on June 10, less than a week after his second official visit to the campus.