Picayune Football Trio Signs to Compete at Next Level

PICAYUNE, Miss. (WXXV) — Two senior Picayune Maroon Tide standouts — and one graduate — signed to continue their football careers at the collegiate level on Wednesday morning.

Offensive lineman Mitchell Smith and defensive lineman Nolan Wilson will be taking their talents to the SEC.

Wilson didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year, but the four-star picked up interest quickly. Alabama gave him his first offer, and he stayed loyal to the Crimson Tide by officially signing with the program as one of the Magnolia State’s top recruits.

“The fact that they trusted offering somebody with no offer, no stars, none of that as his first offer off of just my film is outstanding,” Wilson said, “And it really shows that they believe in me, my abilities to learn and grow and that they trust me cause, I mean, they offered somebody that they barely even knew, that barely had any, you know… nobody else believed in, and they believed in him first as one of the biggest schools in the country.”

On the other side of the ball, Smith put pen to paper to continue his athletic career with the Vanderbilt Commodores. The three-star recruit is one of the top offensive tackles in the country and was named Mr. Football for Class 6A.

The Smith family signings didn’t end there — MGCCC sophomore defensive lineman Michael Smith returned to his alma mater to participate in signing day with his brother. He’ll also be joining the Commodores this year.

“It feels great,” Mitchell Smith said. “It’s obviously… I think that’s everyone’s dream as kids, you know, you played backyard Thanksgiving football with your brothers and family. It’s just like, ‘One day I’m going to do this in the higher levels.’ So I’m just extremely thankful, I’m thanking God every single day for the things he’s given me and my family.”