re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition

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Demetric Warren put in a CB for Simmons to Bama.

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How massive of a recruiting surge could Henry's Heisman, Pruitt's hire, and a national championship produce?

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Ole Miss commit Dekaylin Metcalf and Starkville standout A.J. Brown highlighted Mississippi’s offense, both receiving Co-MVP in their performances. Metcalf finished with five catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns, while Brown recorded nine receptions for 137 yards and two touchdown receptions of his own.

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HATTIESBURG – A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf stood together at the 50-yard line and smiled for photos while they held up a shared piece of hardware.

Throughout the 2015 season, the debate surrounding two of the state’s most talented players remained a constant: Who is the top receiver in Mississippi’s class of 2016?

While some strived to nitpick every part of their game and compare and contrast their strengths and weaknesses, Brown and Metcalf each compiled strong senior campaigns that helped lead their teams, Starkville and Oxford, to the Class 6A and 5A state finals, respectively, last week.

And in the final game of their high school careers, the four-star wideouts settled the debate by pointing out that it was possible to be equally good.

Brown and Metcalf earned co-MVP honors in the 29th Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Football Classic, which was played in the Magnolia State for the first time in the series history. Mississippi snapped a seven-year losing streak by defeating Alabama, 28-21, on Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium on the campus of Southern Miss.

“It was our time,” Metcalf said. “We came out and showed why we’re the best class in the nation.”

And they did so quickly.

The first touchdowns of the game were scored within 45 seconds of each other by two players whose fathers played in the NFL.

Alabama struck first when five-star linebacker Ben Davis, whose father Wayne Davis played with the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals, picked off a Keon Howard pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown with 10:26 on the clock in the first quarter. Two plays after Mississippi got the ball back, Howard hit Metcalf, whose father is former Chicago Bears offensive guard Terrence Metcalf, for a 69-yard touchdown reception to tie the game 7-7.

By the end of the first quarter, Metcalf had over 100 yards receiving. Brown caught up quickly with 1:48 remaining in the period, hauling in a 35-yard pass to tie the game for a second time at 14-14. Brown recorded nine catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the game, while Metcalf had five receptions for 151 yards and two scores.

The Starkville standout lined up with Auburn commit John Broussard on the third play from scrimmage. The two took off down the sideline and jumped simultaneously in the air to try and catch Howard’s fade at the front of the end zone.

Brown jumped just a little bit higher, and it made all the difference.

“I knew I had to make a play,” Brown said. “That was a big play, at that. Going on top of somebody, I had to.”

Of Mississippi’s 395 yards of total offense, 326 yards came from the passing game.

The two receivers caught all but two passes thrown by Howard and Itawamba AHS quarterback Vijay Miller.

“They hit us on big plays,” Alabama coach Mark Freeman said. “We were worried all week about deep balls and one-on-one jump balls because we knew they had really good receivers.”

Mississippi broke the second tie as time expired in the third quarter. On a seven-play, 50-yard drive, Brown once again found the end zone, hauling in a 17-yard touchdown reception to give the Mississippi All-Stars their first lead of the game at 21-14.

The two Dandy Dozen wideouts joked with each other on the sideline about who was going to get the next score.

“To be honest, I just wanted to win,” Brown said. “It was like who’s going to make the most plays. I was going to try to out-do him or whatever, but it’s all love.”

But Metcalf wasn’t about to be outdone by his close friend.

The Ole Miss commit finished off Mississippi’s scoring run of 14 unanswered points by catching a 32-yard pass from Howard with less than seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

Alabama scored again when Tyrrell Pigrome hit T.J. Simmons for a 21-yard touchdown reception with 39 seconds remaining to cut Mississippi’s lead to 28-21.

Mississippi turned the ball over five times throughout the first three quarters, but was able to recover with the help of its own defense that dominated Alabama’s offensive line, recorded two interceptions and held its neighbor to the east to 5-of-16 on third down.

The feeling for Howard was the same every time he got the ball back. All he had to do was throw up a pass and one of his many options at receiver would take care of the rest.

“It’s a great feeling,” the Laurel quarterback said. “You just throw the ball up in the air, and every time they’re going to catch it or something big is going to happen. They’re big-time players, and when you get the ball in their vicinity, they’re going to get up and get it.”

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