Mississippi State tops West Virginia for Tyrese Ross
What a year it has been for Tyrese Ross. A lot of joy, but some sadness too.
The 6-foot-1, 180 pound senior defensive back had to leave his hometown of Jacksonville (Fla.) a little less than a year ago to head north and relocate to Atlanta. Not all would have been able to handle that move the way Ross did.
It was tough and it could have been all negative, but he turned it all into a real positive.
Without question, he has made the most of leaving many of his friends he grew up with. Ross has over 30 scholarship offers and after evaluating numerous Power 5 programs, he has committed to Mississippi State.
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"It is a blessing to be committed to Mississippi State," said Ross. "It really came down to them and West Virginia, with UCLA and a few others in there too.
"It was a tough decision, it was a long journey, but it is a blessing and I feel good about my decision."
Ross made up his mind earlier this week and he has already informed the Bulldog coaching staff. He has a little bit of the jitters when he hit send on his phone.
"There was some nervousness in there before I called them. I felt the butterflies, but I have known the Mississippi State coaches for a while now, they are like family, so I just made the call, told them I was ready to be there with them and we were all excited."
Terrell Buckley was the first coach to know and he may have had a feeling this news was coming. The rest of the staff may have been a little surprised.
All were happy to hear about Ross' commitment.
"They were telling me that they had been waiting for this and that they were wondering what was taking so long," said Ross. "They told me they were getting a little worried because they thought I was coming, so when I made the call Wednesday, they were very happy about it."
A visit to Starkville (Miss.) earlier this summer really put the Bulldogs in a good position for Ross. That time on the campus pushed them up his list.
"That visit was a very big part of my commitment. I was able to learn about the school, I got a good look at the campus and it really did make a big impact on me.
"I was able to see what I would be going into as a player if I chose them, so it played a big role in my commitment. Without that visit, I do not think I would feel like I do about Mississippi State."
Ross felt at home there. He likes the depth chart, the fan base impresses him and the coaches have done an excellent job of recruiting him, but it came down to that home feel.
That feeling is going to make it tough for other schools to change his mind.
"Me and my family do not believe in committing for now reason, so I am 100-percent committed to Mississippi State," said Ross. "I did not commit to de-commit. I am very strong with this commitment."