Who is Anthony Dunning

The Bulldogs picked up their 18th commitment recently from Anthony Dunning. Hailing from a small town in Southwest Alabama, many Bulldog fans know he was a three-time 1A lineman of the year finalist, but that is the extent of their knowledge. Who is this new Bulldog? Coffeeville's head coach gives his thoughts.

"I have been coaching six years and this is the only school I have been at," commented Coffeeville head coach Robin Tyra. "It is one of those where you wonder how you got to coach a kid like that because he is such a special talent.

"He is so athletic and over the years the game has just kind of become him and he has become wiser in the things that we've done and he just kind of fell into the system and saw things. He is a smart enough player that he can see things and coach other kids on the field and get them in positions to help them out. He is exceptional. He is very exceptional."

His exceptional ability has brought him numerous awards, including three 1A lineman of the year finalist nominations and the actual winning of that award as a senor. His size (6-foot-3 and 320 pounds) has allowed him to gain a lot of experience, with six years of high school playing time, a lot of that time coming on the defensive side of the ball.

"Last year we began playing there just because of personnel." Tyra explained. "I didn't have anybody else fundamentally sound enough or wise enough to do the technique and to do all the things to do the job. One thing I was worried about was speed, but he came in and did a real good job and as far as flushing out the quarterback he made them bounce it back up the field. He came in and did a real good job with his size."

While just being moved to defense last year, Dunning has lots of experience on the other side of the ball. He has played on the varsity team since he was in the seventh grade.

"We took a chance on him back in the seventh and eighth grade because he is athletic as he is," Tyra said. "He has been a big kid for a long time and he has gradually progressed into what he is right now.

"He also plays basketball and as a coach sometimes you feel like a dad because you sit up there and hear people ooh and ahh on the basketball floor saying, 'Oh my God. Look how quick that kid is.' It has been a real special thing to coach and see him mature over the years and become a lot wiser toward the game."

While unsure of his actual speed numbers, Dunning was used as a defensive end, rather than a tackle, thus proving his quickness.

"I am a 1A football coach and his speed has no bearing on what my linemen do," Tyra continued. "I don't even time their speed, because as long as they play well it doesn't matter. I don't expect him to take the ball and run 60 yards with it, of course he has a couple of times."

So where do the Bulldogs plan to play him?

"What they have implied to me is they are looking at him for is an offensive guard," Tyra said. "They are looking at him as a pulling guard." As a senior he graded out at 92% and defensively he added 69 tackles (30 solos), four sacks, and four caused fumbles in 10 games at defensive end.

Dunning obviously plays for a small school and many times players – especially lineman – are overlooked at these schools just due to the competition level. Coach Tyra understands this school of thinking but thinks the Bulldogs got a real steal by taking that chance.

"I understand and see why people say that, but the people that ran into him on teams in our region don't say that," he explained. "You put a 275 or 280 pound kid in front of him that you say is good. You put him across the line from Anthony Dunning and you see the difference in good and a really good kid that is a really talented kid with some great athleticism. There is nobody that matches up against him. He has taken double teams on and just manhandled him. You see kids that handle horses across the line, but you have to understand that this kid doesn't come of the field."

So what does coach Tyra see in Dunning's future?

"I think that once Mississippi State fans see some of the things he does, they are going to be pretty impressed," he said. "Granted we are a 1A school, but he is going to see a fun kid to see develop into an SEC player."

Coffeeville is located close to Waynesboro, Mississippi, and Dunning chose the Bulldogs over offers from Louisville and Jacksonville State. He was also being recruited by Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State. He will visit MSU on the weekend of Dec. 21 and is being recruited by coach Freddie Kitchens.