Recruiting Rumor Mill: Buzz surrounding top Mid-South prospects

Rivals.com national analyst Cole Patterson highlights the recent recruiting buzz in the Mid-South Region, including the latest chatter around two of the top recruits in the state of Mississippi for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

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Four-star defensive back PJ Woodland backed off his Mississippi State commitment over this past weekend. Woodland announced for the Bulldogs over a host of SEC offers during the summer. But that did not prevent rival programs from chipping away at the pledge.

Woodland made a trip out to LSU for the Tigers' win over Auburn prior to announcing his decommitment. The Tigers were viewed as the strongest threat to Mississippi State for the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Oak Grove two-way star. So it's not a big shock that this decision has come on the heels of that experience.

Sources familiar with Woodland's recruitment suggest that no new decision has been made and that Woodland is just weighing his options before announcing a second commitment. Oregon is a program that could generate some buzz if the Ducks opt to extend an offer. LSU and Ole Miss are worth paying close attention to, as well.

TCU is coming off a season in which it played for a national championship. The second season of the Sonny Dykes era has not been as successful, with the Horned Frogs sitting at 4-3 through seven games.

Not only that, but the Horned Frogs currently land outside the top 40 in the Rivals recruiting team rankings despite the magical season a year ago. However, TCU does have a solid foundation being built in this cycle, highlighted by four-star quarterback pledge Hauss Hejny.

Hejny is a gamer behind center with a state championship in Texas on his resume. He is one of five four-star recruits in the class with Rivals250 prospects Jeremy Payne and Gekyle Baker among them. The signal caller has drawn comparisons to former TCU star Max Duggan thanks to his style of play and moxie, which has to excite those in Funky Town.

"I'm bringing TCU a competitor that's going to play for his team and bring out the best in the guys around me. I'm going to prepare my butt off to put TCU in the best position to win," Hejny told Rivals.

Rivals250 running back Daniel Hill has been in the center of a recruiting battle led by Alabama and South Carolina for much of his recruitment. The Crimson Tide were the early leaders before the Gamecocks made a serious push from the spring and into the summer months.

Now, it appears that Alabama has regained some of that control. But a different program is seemingly squarely in the mix now: Tennessee. Hill officially visited Rocky Top earlier this fall as head coach Josh Heupel and running backs coach Jerry Mack make their push for the dynamic offensive weapon that is in the midst of an impressive senior campaign.

Alabama has pushed the right buttons in many ways while recruiting Hill. However, Tennessee, at this juncture, now appears to be the biggest threat in preventing the Mississippi State legacy from heading to Tuscaloosa for his collegiate career.