Rivals250 DT names MSU leader

Tupelo (Miss.) defensive tackle P.J. Jones was ecstatic about the news Wednesday he had made the final Rivals250 for the class of 2011 at No. 243.

"Been dreaming of that since the eighth grade," he said.

Jones also apparently is pretty excited about what transpired during his visit last weekend to Mississippi State. In fact, things went so well in Starkville, the 6-foot-2, 252-pounder has named the Bulldogs as his leader.

"State showed me a lot of love," Jones said. "They have a family atmosphere, and the players there really welcomed me. [Head coach] Dan Mullen, he just wants you to be great in everything you do. Be a champion on and off the field. I loved that. I had a great time."

Jones still plans to visit Ole Miss this week and Arkansas the next. Both, he said, are still in the hunt.

"It's between those three teams," Jones said. "Mississippi State is leading right now. They're getting up there. As far as people wise, even if I didn't play football I would definitely go to State. I liked it that much. You can succeed there. You can just feel it. Everyone is pulling for each other; even the administrators and the teachers. They're willing to help you and go the extra mile to make sure you succeed. That's what I love about State."

According to Jones, Ole Miss is No. 2.

But, he added, "Arkansas is still up there. They're pretty high on me. Coach [Steve Caldwell] from Arkansas and I have a pretty good relationship. I just want to get out there and see it. I've got some friends at Arkansas."

First things first … it's now the Rebels' turn.

"They're not out of it," Jones said. "But they've definitely got some work to do. And they know they do. I just want to see how the people are there. I already know about the program. I want to see how the people treat me. "