The Top 40 list of colleger football recruits was compiled by Todd Kelly and Sekou Smith of The Clarion-Ledger after discussions with high school players, coaches and college recruiters. The list isn't an evaluation of college potential, but rather an assessment of interest from Division 1-A recruiters. The Best of the Rest and the Rest are listed alphabetically.
| # | Name | School | Pos. | Ht - Wt | Signed With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Will Overstreet | Jackson Prep | DL | 6-4, 245 | Tenn |
| 2 | *Robert Gillespie | Hattiesburg | RB | 5-9, 180 | Florida |
| 3 | Conner Stephens | Ackerman | DL | 6-5, 240 | MSU |
| 4 | *Freddie Milons | Starkville | WR | 5-11, 180 | Alabama |
| 5 | Eddie Strong | South Panola | LB | 6-3, 230 | Ole Miss |
| 6 | *Reggie Myles | Pascagoula | DB | 5-11, 180 | Alabama |
| 7 | *Edward Prather | Falkner | RB/DB | 6-1, 180 | MSU |
| 8 | Dicenzo Miller | Weir | RB/DB | 5-10, 185 | MSU |
| 9 | *Lorenzo Diamond | Biloxi | TE | 6-4, 210 | Auburn |
| 10 | Syniker Taylor | Gulfport | RB/WR | 6-2, 190 | Ole Miss |
| *Ivan Billie | Choctaw Central | LB | 6-4, 210 | MSU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Antuain Bradford | South Panola | LB | 6-0, 210 | Vanderbilt |
| Jeremy Bridges | South Pike | OL | 6-4, 285 | USM |
| *Chico Chandler | Houston | LB | 6-1, 195 | Ole Miss |
| Justin Griffith | Magee | RB | 6-0, 225 | MSU |
| Mario Haggan | Clarksdale | LB | 6-3, 255 | MSU |
| Leroy Handy | Perry Central | WR | 6-2, 185 | North Carolina |
| *Kwenda Hodges | Gulfport | DL | 6-3, 270 | Illinois |
| *Nathan Jackson | Florence | LB | 6-4, 225 | MSU |
| Leroy Johnson | Gulfport | DB | 6-0, 170 | Ole Miss |
| Chris McGuirt | Picayune | OL | 6-5, 280 | USM |
| Marco Minor | Natchez | WR | 6-4, 200 | MSU |
| Toward Sanford | South Panola | RB | 5-10, 200 | Ole Miss |
| Torrin Tucker | Southeast Lauderdale | OL | 6-5, 295 | USM |
| *Kyle Wallace | Simpson Academy | OL | 6-7, 305 | MSU |
| *Tanner Allen | New Albany | DE | 6-5, 250 | UAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Blanchard | Aberdeen | LB | 6-1, 205 | Juco |
| Gary Davis | Greenwood | RB/LB | 6-0, 215 | USM, Ark. State |
| *Nick Floyd | Pontotoc | LB | 6-1, 210 | MSU |
| *Sam Forehand | Vancleave | OL | 6-7, 340 | LSU |
| Larry Hollins | Madison Central | WR | 6-2, 190 | JSU, USM, Ark. State |
| Chris Langston | Magee | LB | 6-2, 210 | USM, Nichols State, NE La. |
| Anthony Johnson | Houston | DE | 6-3, 200 | Ole Miss |
| Albert Jones | Velma Jackson | RB | 6-0, 215 | Alcorn, JSU, MSU, others |
| *Preston McDonnell | Copiah Academy | OL | 6-5, 270 | Ole Miss, LSU, others |
| *David Page | Northwest Rankin | QB | 6-1, 185 | California |
| *Antwan Shell | Ackerman | DB | 5-10, 180 | Rice |
| Nick Wash | Picayune | RB/WR | 6-0, 190 | Juco |
| *Brad Weathers | Amite County | OL | 6-5, 320 | MSU, USM, La. Tech |
| Corey Yates | Holly Springs | DB/RB | 5-10, 170 | USM |