What’s Next For Mississippi State’s 2025, 2026 Recruiting Classes After Firing Chris Lemonis?
Image credit: Joseph Parker (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
Mississippi State fired coach Chris Lemonis. So what happens now with the program’s 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes?
Mississippi State is 26-19 overall, 7-14 in the SEC and might miss the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. Yet, the Bulldogs have talent lined up for their next two recruiting classes. The 2025 class has five of the top 100 high school players in the nation, including a good balance of hitters throughout the field and quality arms. The 2026 class, ranked No. 9 in the country, is especially strong with pitching.
Of course, in addition to whatever happens in the draft, a head coaching change could shake things up. Other schools will try to pounce on the coaching change and—whether it’s directly or through back channels—try to persuade players to flip their commitments. And whoever Mississippi State hires could try to bring commits from his old school with him to Starkville.
Teams can’t contact players in the 2027 class yet until Aug. 1 this year, so the recruitment for the top 2027 players will heat up this summer. But for the 2025 and 2026 high school players, Mississippi State has an intriguing group of players committed that could help turn around the program.
Top Head Coaching Candidates For Mississippi State
Jacob Rudner runs through the list of names that could be in play to replace Chris Lemonis at Mississippi State.
Here’s a look at the Bulldogs’ next two recruiting classes and the top high school players who could be coming to Mississippi State the next couple years.
2025 Class
Each player’s high school class ranking is in parentheses.
Joseph Parker, SS, Mississippi (No. 9)
It would be a huge win for Mississippi State to get Parker to campus, but he’s currently the No. 21 ranked draft prospect overall, putting him squarely in potential first-round territory.
Landon Harmon, RHP, Mississippi (No. 26)
Entering the season, Harmon was the No. 30 draft prospect on our board. And while he is still one of the best high school pitchers in the country, he has slid back to 59th now. That still is in line with a second-round pick, so there’s a good chance Mississippi State loses Harmon to the draft, but there’s more hope now that he might make it to campus. If he does, and his secondary stuff continues to sharpen, he could be the Bulldogs’ version of Florida righthander Liam Peterson with his long 6-foot-5 frame, easy delivery and fastball that reaches the upper 90s.
Trent Grindlinger, C, California (No. 46)
Grindlinger ranks No. 101 overall for the draft, and given how few high school catchers sign out of the draft, the Bulldogs should feel optimistic about getting him to school. He’s a 6-foot-3 catcher with the catch-and-throw ability to stick behind the plate. He makes frequent hard contact in games with a good balance of skills on both sides of the ball.
Jacob Parker, OF, Mississippi (No. 91)
Parker and his twin brother, Joseph, are both Mississippi State commits, with Jacob ranked No. 184 overall for the draft. Jacob is an outfielder with more physicality (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and big power from a corner spot.
Peter Mershon, C/OF, South Carolina (No. 99)
David Mershon was an infielder who hit .347/.454/.500 for the Bulldogs in 2024. His younger brother, Peter, has a good blend of size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), athleticism and offensive track record. He consistently puts together quality at-bats, doesn’t whiff much and drives the ball well with the potential to develop into a middle-of-the-order hitter. He could be an offensive-oriented catcher, but he runs well, too, and could end up in the outfield.
Parker Rhodes, RHP, Indiana (No. 148)
Rhodes has been on an upward trajectory over the past year. He can dial his fastball up to 97 mph from a low three-quarters slot and features high spin on both his fastball and tight, sharp slider, which should be a bat-missing weapon for him at the next level.
Maddox Miller, RHP, Mississippi (No. 160)
The son of former major league righthander Matt Miller, Maddox has a lanky 6-foot-4 frame with a fastball that has been trending in the right direction. He’s climbed to 94 mph and has the strength projection for another jump still to come. Miller’s changeup is his best secondary pitch, and he uses it well to miss bats and disrupt timing.
2026 Class
Wilson Andersen, RHP, Florida (No. 30)
Andersen has a prototype build for a young starter at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with a sound delivery. He’s one of the hardest throwers in the 2026 class with a fastball that can already scrape the upper-90s, and he could have triple digits in his future. He shows feel for a changeup, which has good sink to help him miss bats against lefties and is his most promising offspeed pitch.
Martin Shelar, OF, Georgia (No. 67)
Shelar is Mississippi State’s top position prospect commit in a class that’s heavy on pitching. He’s 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with an aggressive swing, good bat speed and a strong track record of hitting in games. Shelar will draw draft interest, too, but if he makes it to campus, he has a chance to be an early impact player at the collegiate level because of his combination of strength and the hand-eye coordination needed to meld contact and impact to eventually hit in the middle of a lineup.
Dax Hardcastle, RHP/1B, California (No. 73)
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Hardcastle has a tall, physical frame and a quality three-pitch mix. He works off a fastball that gets into the low 90s and shows feel for both his curveball and changeup. He’s a righthanded hitter with big raw power, as well.
Hayes Holton, RHP, Louisiana (No. 97)
Holton is an athletic righthander with more strength projection left in his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. He already has high-end velocity for his age with a fastball up to 96, and once he fills out, he could eventually throw 100 mph. He has the upside to be a riser on the 2026 rankings if he’s able to dial in more consistent strikes.
Landon Brown, RHP, Texas (No. 115)
Brown has a projectable frame at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and good armside run out of his low three-quarters slot on a fastball that touches 93 mph. He shows feel to spin a slider and a changeup that has promising flashes and could become a bigger weapon for him with more experience.
Quincy Bright, LHP, Connecticut (No. 132)
Bright was throwing 94 mph when he was 15, giving him an electric fastball for his age. He had Tommy John surgery, but he’s coming back from it now. This summer will give a better sense of where Bright stacks up now that he’s returning.
Beckett Doane, LHP, Indiana (No. 192)
Doane jumps out immediately for his size at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. Pitching from a low release height, he can reach 91 mph and should have more in the tank, while also mixing in a low-80s slider and splitter.
