When Harrison (Ga.) quarterback Justin Fields made a long trip to State College on Dec. 1, 2016, he didn't plan on committing to coach James Franklin.



One of the things Fields said he valued at the time was the interaction he had with Franklin in the hours leading up to a pivotal home game against Iowa. Franklin was attentive and responsive to Fields when he had every right to put that interaction off to a less hectic time.



That level of focus carried weight with Fields and perhaps pushed him to commit to Penn State.



"That showed me how much of a priority I was to him and how much he really cared about getting me," Fields said at the time. "That just really opened my eyes because not a lot of coaches do that. Some might, but that was the first coach to ever do that to me. That really meant a lot."



Fields' recruitment later blew up and the draw to in-state Georgia, where his sister is set to enroll and play softball, ultimately proved too strong. Fields decommitted from Penn State last summer and ascended to No. 2 in the 247Sports national prospect rankings along the way.



The distance was a big issue that Penn State was unlikely to ever overcome as big-time Southern schools turned up the heat recruiting Fields. Still, Franklin kept the Lions in the hunt by recognizing Fields' talent before many others did and by taking care of the little things.



Joe Moorhead, then the Lions' offensive coordinator, helped lead Fields' recruitment and made a last-ditch effort to keep Fields' onboard. That pursuit followed the first of two seasons Moorhead spent at Penn State before leaving in November to take the head job at Mississippi State.



Moorhead also got attention for head jobs following the 2016 season, but returned to Penn State and had another big year to set up the jump to the SEC.



"When you talk about a decision to take a job or not take the job, it's personal, it's professional and it's monetary," Moorhead said. "The opportunity to be a head coach in the SEC and specifically the SEC West was something to me that was too good to pass up on a bunch of different levels."

Listen to reporter Dustin Hockensmith's interview with Joe Moorhead on the Keystone Sports Network.

Moorhead has taken a piece of Penn State with him to Starkville, and it's starting to show up in the way he and his staff are recruiting. The Bulldogs are one of the hottest programs in the country and now boast the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Moorhead is sticking to his plan, identifying top targets early and communicating his vision to them.

"I think we've got a very good plan," Moorhead said. "I think that involves early identification and evaluation, the ability to build and cultivate relationships and ultimately be able to express the things that differentiate your school from the competition relative to a prospect's decision-making criteria. We've done a real good job there from top to bottom."



Moorhead is also focused on being conscientious and considerate.

Through texting and social media, prospects, parents and coaches can correspond with football coaches by text or direct message at any time. Moorhead believes a little extra effort to be punctual and responsive can help differentiate Mississippi State from other programs.



"You've got to be thorough in every aspect of it," Moorhead said. "Whether it's the young man you're recruiting or his parents or his guardian or a key person in the decision-making process, it's about identifying what's important to the kid relative to his decision-making criteria, then being able to effectively communicate how your school meets those desires. Punctuality, thoroughness, attention to detail, all those things are critical in those stages."



Moorhead is a Pittsburgh native and a Fordham grad who coached at Pitt, Georgetown, Akron, Connecticut, Fordham and Penn State before taking the Mississippi State job. Making that move brought out skeptics who wondered if a coach who spent his entire career in the Northeast can thrive in the South. Moorhead said he understands the curiosity, but offered a simple response.



"It's been somewhat of a repetitive theme, and I think it's a fair question," Moorhead said. "Certainly, being from a certain region of the country or coaching there for an extended period of time, it doesn't guarantee success but it doesn't eliminate it, either. I've talked a little bit about how Coach [Nick] Saban, Coach [Urban] Meyer and Jimbo Fisher weren't guys that were born in the South but had a good amount of success down here.



"I just think if you can recruit, you can recruit. If you can coach, you can coach. And if you can't, you can't."



Without a doubt, Moorhead can coach.



Returning to the assistant ranks at Penn State after four seasons as head coach at Fordham helped validate his ideas and gave him fresh eyes for a bigger move. The Lions averaged 23.2 points per game the year before Moorhead's arrival, but saw that number jump to 37.6 points in 2016 and to 41.1 last season.



The marriage between Penn State and Moorhead came at a perfect time for both sides. It allowed Moorhead the chance to return to Pennsylvania and take his coaching -- and recruiting -- ability to another level.



"It gives you fresh perspective and a new set of ideas, and eventually when you have the opportunity again to be a head coach, it makes you better," Moorhead said. "You're really trying to take all the positive things from all the places you've been and certainly from my time at Penn State, from a program-building, from a cultural aspect, from an Xs and Os and what we did offensively. And certainly, Coach is a renowned recruiter. I'm carrying those good things and bringing them down to Mississippi State."



In two seasons in Happy Valley, Moorhead helped reposition the Penn State program and ushered in a new era and a new style of football. The program's record books will look back on him him fondly, which is exactly how Moorhead says he will remember his time there.



Which memories will he cherish the most?



"Just about all of it, to be honest with you," Moorhead said. "Coming in after two successive 7-6 years and coming off the sanctions and being able to help build on Coach Franklin's vision of the program. Just with the guys on our offensive staff for two years, hanging around with those guys and putting game plans together and having a lot of fun there, then certainly the success we had offensively.



"I really look back to that Big Ten championship game as something that was special and the run we had in 2017 and helping Trace become one of the most prolific passers and winners in Penn State history from the quarterback position, and seeing guys like Saquon being taken second in the draft and Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton and all those guys, those are things I'll take with me forever."