2015 4-Star DT T.D. Moton Decommits from Mississippi State

Junior defensive tackle T.D. Moton, one of the top-100 recruits in the Class of 2015, has decommited from the Mississippi State Bulldogs, according to Derek Tyson of ESPN:

Moton later confirmed the news himself:

Ranked No. 97 on the 247Sports composite, Moton (6'4'', 310 lbs) has an ideal frame for the position and was supposed to be a lynchpin of Mississippi State's future. His composite grade of .9535 made him the Bulldogs' highest-ranked recruit in the class and would have made him (by far) the highest-ranked recruit in this year's class as well.

Moton plays for Woodlawn High School in Shreveport, La., an area traditionally dominated by local LSU. He's the No. 5 prospect in the state and seems a good fit for John Chavis' defensive scheme, so it was curious to see him commit to MSU in the first place.

Does that make him a lock to go the Tigers? Not quite. But LSU is definitely the favorite, currently checking in with 100 percent on the 247Sports "Crystal Ball." With so much time to go before next year's signing day, though, it's hard to call this a fixed deal.

Moton has other offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, Georgia, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas A&M and USC. He also has interest from Alabama. He'll have his pick of the litter.

Though this is obviously bad news for Mississippi State, it's not the major blow that it may seem. The Bulldogs have five other recruits committed in the Class of 2015, currently checking in at No. 7 in the 247Sports team rankings. This isn't the end of the world.

What's more, it's not like they're out of the running for Moton. Per John Talty of the Clarion-Ledger, Dan Mullen's team will remain heavily involved in his recruitment:

The Class of 2015 is a marathon, not a sprint, and Mississippi State is still one of the pack leaders. It still has time to overcome this loss, though today was a step in the wrong direction.