4-star DE Emmit Gooden commits to Mississippi State

Courtney Cronin | The Clarion-Ledger

Emmit Gooden made it official Thursday night.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive end committed to Mississippi State during the Haywood (Tenn.) annual football banquet. Gooden, a Brownsville, Tennessee, native, chose the Bulldogs over his other finalists, Alabama and LSU.

"I feel like it's the best fit for me as a student-athlete. I feel like I can achieve in the classroom and I have a really good relationship with coach (Dan) Mullen and all of the coaches," Gooden said. "They treat me like their son. My relationship with the players is great. Dak (Prescott), even though he's a high-profile player, he treats me like his little brother. I look up to all of the D-line like big brothers, too."

Gooden is a Mississippi State legacy. His older brother, Jarvis Varnado, played basketball at MSU from 2006-10. The four-star defensive end made several trips to Starkville before his recruitment ramped up during his senior year. That led to visits nearly every weekend for Mississippi State's home football games this season except Alabama.

"Like I said, the relationships I have with the players and coaches and the fan base itself was a big part of it," he said. "Every time I arrive in Starkville, it's nothing but love from the fans."

The defensive end totaled 88 tackles (41 solo) and 27 tackles for loss this season. He also had 10 sacks and three forced fumbles. Gooden's size and skill set may allow him to play several positions along the defensive line when he arrives in Starkville. His relationship with Bulldogs defensive line coach David Turner continued to flourish this fall, and Gooden is already working to prepare himself physically and mentally for the next level.

"They're going to be needing some D-linemen in the next couple of years, so (Turner) is working his butt off to recruit hard," he said. "The whole time I was down there on my (official) visit, I took the time to observe and sit in on meetings to see how I fit in and what I can do to better myself as a player."

Gooden is the first four-star prospect to commit to the Bulldogs in 2016. Mississippi State has 15 commitments in its current class and ranks 13th in the SEC. With his own commitment out of the way, the defensive end hopes to take on the role of a recruiter for the Bulldogs and help build MSU's recruiting class.

"In my opinion, I think (Mississippi State is) going to get more of the top recruits from Mississippi," he said. "I hope we get A.J. Brown and Jeffery (Simmons), Kobe Jones and Raekwon (Davis) to top it off.

"I will do whatever it takes to recruit and win ball games and help them bring the best talent to Mississippi State."

Contact Courtney Cronin at (601) 961-7091 or ccronin@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @CourtneyRCronin on Twitter.