STARKVILLE — Steven Bench will listen to what Mississippi State has to say tonight, but the quarterback is very certain his future resides in Houston.
The Cairo, Ga., star committed to Rice in late December before Mississippi State re-entered the picture last week. Bench was on MSU’s radar last summer, when he came to a camp and, as he put its, “lit it up.”
“They were deadly serious for a while and during the summer they told me they weren’t going to take a quarterback,” Bench said. State kept in touch via letters and phone calls, and continued to tell him that they were not interested in signing a quarterback, Bench said. But that was before Dylan Favre transferred in December and the Bulldogs missed out on East Mississippi Community College’s Bo Wallace. Depth is an issue and State now has two quarterbacks on scholarship.
MSU linebackers coach Geoff Collins is scheduled to visit Wallace tonight, though it appears Bench’s interest has waned. Bench visited Rice over the weekend and said he still plans to sign with the Owls.
“I understand it’s a business,” Bench said. “I’m not blocking them out and I’m allowing them to come to the house, but there’s something to be said for going to a schoool that wants you.”
Bench is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and 24sports.com. He’s two-star prospect, according to Scout.com.
- MSU offensive coordinator Les Koenning is expected to visit another quarterback prospect, Nick Schuessler, on Wednesday. Schuessler of Grayson High in Loganville, Ga., is committed to Middle Tennessee State but appears willing to commit to MSU if a scholarship is offered. Arkansas, Colorado State and North Carolina are also interested, the quarterback said in a text message Sunday.
- Long Beach linebacker Richie Brown was named a Parade All-American over the weekend. He’s the only prospect from the state to be given the honor this year. Brown is considering the Big 3 in the state and Tennessee. The Dandy Dozen prospect is scheduled to visit MSU this weekend.
