Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
Anderson's All-American Secret
August 17, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Deonte Anderson knew exactly what his college destination was going to be during the early signing period last December.
But instead of going public with his plans, the former four-star defensive end waited a few weeks and announced his intentions during the All-American Bowl Declaration Day on Jan. 2 live on NBC Sports.
Safely surrounded by his family and dozens of balloons in the Fort Meade (Fla.) locker room, Anderson selected a Mississippi State hat among the five other finalists represented on the table and made his decision clear.
"It was something different because I'd never been on national TV before," Anderson said. "It was real crazy and something that I thought I'd never experience in my life."
Anderson admits now that he was a little nervous being on camera, describing himself as "just really low key". However, his play on the field speaks loudly, which is why he received 26 scholarship offers during the recruiting process.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder chose the Bulldogs over finalists UCF, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Penn State and South Carolina.
"I picked Mississippi State because of the coaching staff," Anderson said. "They really showed love towards me. They've sent defensive linemen to the draft most every year."
Anderson was rated the nation's No. 14 edge rusher in the country by 247Sports.com and the 25th overall prospect in the state of Florida. He made 32 tackles during his senior season including seven stops for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Anderson also played tight end for the Miners and recorded 16 catches for 192 yards and four touchdowns on that side of the ball.
Since arriving in Starkville during the first summer term, Anderson has been hard at work learning Zach Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive playbook. Anderson stated that while the scheme is similar to what he ran in high school, some of the concepts are more complex.
"It's a little tougher because at my high school I'd either pinch or loop out," Anderson said. "Up here, we've got plays with hand signals and all that."
Anderson is also having to adjust to a more structured practice environment as well since starting training camp on Aug. 6.
"College is way different than high school and what I'm used to," Anderson said. "I'm used to running around and unorganized but over here it's real organized and efficient."
Anderson's alma mater is a small Class 1A high school about an hour east of Tampa and he is not accustomed to playing in front of large crowds, especially considering the All-American Bowl had to be cancelled last year due to Covid-19.
The pandemic also prevented Anderson from officially visiting MSU's campus during his recruitment so he has never experienced a crowd like he will inside Davis Wade Stadium when the Bulldogs kickoff the season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4.
"I'm looking forward to it a lot because I've never been in that type of background before," Anderson said. "I'm coming from a high school (stadium) that would hold maybe 1,000 people. Up here, I'll be playing in stadiums that hold 90,000."
But instead of going public with his plans, the former four-star defensive end waited a few weeks and announced his intentions during the All-American Bowl Declaration Day on Jan. 2 live on NBC Sports.
Safely surrounded by his family and dozens of balloons in the Fort Meade (Fla.) locker room, Anderson selected a Mississippi State hat among the five other finalists represented on the table and made his decision clear.
"It was something different because I'd never been on national TV before," Anderson said. "It was real crazy and something that I thought I'd never experience in my life."
Anderson admits now that he was a little nervous being on camera, describing himself as "just really low key". However, his play on the field speaks loudly, which is why he received 26 scholarship offers during the recruiting process.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder chose the Bulldogs over finalists UCF, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Penn State and South Carolina.
"I picked Mississippi State because of the coaching staff," Anderson said. "They really showed love towards me. They've sent defensive linemen to the draft most every year."
Anderson was rated the nation's No. 14 edge rusher in the country by 247Sports.com and the 25th overall prospect in the state of Florida. He made 32 tackles during his senior season including seven stops for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Anderson also played tight end for the Miners and recorded 16 catches for 192 yards and four touchdowns on that side of the ball.
Since arriving in Starkville during the first summer term, Anderson has been hard at work learning Zach Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive playbook. Anderson stated that while the scheme is similar to what he ran in high school, some of the concepts are more complex.
"It's a little tougher because at my high school I'd either pinch or loop out," Anderson said. "Up here, we've got plays with hand signals and all that."
Anderson is also having to adjust to a more structured practice environment as well since starting training camp on Aug. 6.
"College is way different than high school and what I'm used to," Anderson said. "I'm used to running around and unorganized but over here it's real organized and efficient."
Anderson's alma mater is a small Class 1A high school about an hour east of Tampa and he is not accustomed to playing in front of large crowds, especially considering the All-American Bowl had to be cancelled last year due to Covid-19.
The pandemic also prevented Anderson from officially visiting MSU's campus during his recruitment so he has never experienced a crowd like he will inside Davis Wade Stadium when the Bulldogs kickoff the season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4.
"I'm looking forward to it a lot because I've never been in that type of background before," Anderson said. "I'm coming from a high school (stadium) that would hold maybe 1,000 people. Up here, I'll be playing in stadiums that hold 90,000."
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