Bulldogs pick up Georgia fullback

With seniors Darnell Jones and Nick Signaigo graduating and Bryson Davis entering his junior season next year, finding a fullback replacement was a priority for the Mississippi State coaching staff. It once again reached into the talent-rich Peach State and got a verbal commitment from LaGrange (Ga.) Troup athlete Brandon Hart. Hart has the size and speed to fill in immediately and will be the workhorse for years to come.

“He committed to Mississippi State,” commented Troup coach Tommy Walburn. “He is a good player. A lot of schools are missing the boat on him.

“He is just a big, powerful fullback and they are hard to find. Those guys just aren’t going to fall out of trees. It is hard to find a guy that size that is really strong. He is a little bit of a Jerome Bettis type of player.

“He bench presses over 330 pounds. He power cleans over 300 pounds. He is just a good kid all the way around.”

Hart has excelled on the offensive side of the ball as a senior, but was an all-area performer as a junior at linebacker. He will be playing offense in college.

“Last year he played linebacker,” Walburn stated. “This year he is playing strictly fullback with just a little bit of linebacker, not very much. Mississippi State wants him as a fullback.

“He has gained over 1,200 yards in ten games and he has scored 18 touchdowns.

This is his second year to start. Last year he played linebacker most of the time them we would put him in at fullback, but this year he is doing it the other way around. This is his first year at fullback.”

Hart stands 6-foot-0, weighs 245 pounds, and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds.