Tyshun Willis signs to play at Mississippi State
Tyshun Willis, Madison County’s top-ranked football recruit, signed with Mississippi State on Wednesday morning, becoming one of the only players in school history to sign with a power conference school out of high school.
Willis is one of the most accomplished players in school history, leading Velma Jackson to a state championship game and a state semifinal appearance, while also taking home 1A Mr. Football honors this year during his senior season.
“It means a lot to be able to play close to home for me,” Willis said. “To only be a couple hours away from family, especially my mom, is great for me.”
Willis is rated as a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 and is ranked as the 211th best recruit in the country and the seventh ranked recruit in the state by 247Sports’ composite rankings, which combines ratings for a majority of the major recruiting services.
Even with Mississippi State coming off a rebuilding year and Head Coach Jeff Lebby’s first season at the helm of the program, the Bulldogs have put together the 26th ranked recruiting class in the country as of this date and Willis is one of the top players in that class. Willis believes in the vision and the future of the Mississippi State program.
“It really just felt like home every time I visited and I felt that everytime I went back there,” Willis said. “I felt a lot of love from the coaches and I feel like I can go play and make an impact up there.”
Willis is one of five in-state high school players to sign with Mississippi State in the class of 2025 to this point.
Tyshun Willis will go down as one of, if not the best football players in the history of Velma Jackson, but he has also made a major impact on the Falcons’ football program that will be seen for years to come.
“He’s a really high-character guy that works hard and knows what he wants,” Velma Jackson Head Coach Quentin Euell said. “From day one you could see that this young man was going to be a special player and person.”
Not only has Willis made a major impact on the Velma Jackson community, but the community has made a major impact on him and has led and developed him into the player and person he is today.
“The community and support we have at Velma Jackson is special,” Willis said. “We are a small school, but we accomplished a lot and made a lot of good history here. This team helped me become who I am today.”
Willis will likely enroll early at Mississippi State, as is the normal trend with players who sign during the December early signing period, and will participate in spring practice with Mississippi State if he decides to do so.