Four-star Louisiana RB Ke'Traveon Hargrove commits to Mississippi State

Just 11 days removed from realizing there was an offer from Mississippi State waiting for him, Bull's mind was made up.

Bull, the affectionate nickname for four-star Ruston (La.) running back Ke'Travion Hargrove, committed to the Bulldogs on Wednesday. Louisiana Tech, Louisiana, Texas State, Memphis and Penn State were other teams in the mix for top-10 prospect from The Boot.

Recruiting Louisiana is nothing new for the Bulldogs under coach Mike Leach, who tabbed assistant Mason Smith to court prospects from the neighboring state. Mississippi State actually offered Hargrove earlier in the year, but the talented all-purpose back didn't get word of it until mid-January.

“It was a right choice because it’s close to home and I will be able to expand my talents on the field and be dominant at both Wide receiver and running back,” Hargrove told Rivals of his decision.

"I was excited and grateful, especially with them being in the SEC," the 6-foot, 180-pounder told Rivals after learning of the offer.

"It's good," he added of his relationships with the coaches at State.

Entering the day, Leach's 2021 recruiting haul ranked No. 24 nationally on Rivals. Hargrove is the first running back in the fold.

Hargrove is a speedy late-bloomer that emerged during his junior season at Ruston High and solidified himself as one of the most dangerous backs in the country as a senior.

As a junior, Hargrove amassed north of 1,500 yards with 20 touchdowns and added another 460 yards and six scores as a receiver.

This season, his heroics paved the way for Ruston to advance to the Louisiana Class 5A quarterfinals, which included an upset road win at Ponchatoula where Hargrove scored thrice and proved to be too hard to contain, a theme for much of the past two seasons for the North Louisiana speedster. Hargrove finished with 793 yards and 11 scores in five games in 2020, averaging north of 8.5 yards per attempt.

Hargrove has speed in the 4.4 range and has the ability to beat defenders around the edge. He has a knack for cutting up-field and with some momentum, he's hard to corral. He has clear and obvious breakaway speed in a crowd and is dangerous if he gets alone in space.

Additionally, Hargrove is specially elusive and fleet-of-foot to keep defenders off-balanced. He makes a habit out of keeping his legs churning, which makes for big-play potential as Hargrove keeps plays alive when they appear done. His straight-line speed is certainly clear.

Hargrove is a bonafide home-run threat. His big-play potential was seen as a senior where the majority of his touchdown runs were 10-plus-yards, a testament to his combination of speed, agility, balance and ability to cut up-field.