HATTIESBURG – Without seniors Jaden Crumedy and Hayes Maples, Oak Grove coach Drew Causey doesn’t want to think about where his defense would have been.
Without those two on defense, the Warriors would have had to make up 225 tackles, 36 for a loss, and 15 sacks. That was just this season, too.
“Important may be an understatement,” Causey said with a laugh. “Those are going to be two guys who are very difficult to replace. I wouldn’t want to see (our defense without them).”
Crumedy and Maples made their long-time commitments official Wednesday by signing with Mississippi State and Southern Miss, respectively. Both players will graduate in May, as they took advantage of the new early signing period this week.
In prior years, signing this time of year meant a player was graduating in December and enrolling at the college of their choice in January. Now, players can sign during this week when their decision is made.
“It means a lot having my whole family here, and being able to play in my hometown. It means a lot,” Maples said. “I’m ready to be a Golden Eagle.”
Maples committed to the Golden Eagles in June, and he never wavered.
“It’s a great opportunity to play in my hometown,” Maples said. “I couldn’t pass it up.”
Maples, as well as Crumedy, played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game last week. It just so happened this year the game was played at M.M. Roberts Stadium, as it rotates between Hattiesburg and Montgomery, Alabama. Maples joked after Mississippi beat Alabama that the Southern Miss commits were undefeated on their new field.
With the all-star game last week and signing his National Letter of intent Wednesday, the last 10 days are something Maples has been building toward his entire life.
“It’s been awesome,” he said. “To win the Mississippi-Alabama game, and now to sign with Southern Miss, it’s been great.”
Maples recorded a team-high 121 total tackles, nine for a loss, as a senior, and he added two sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also scored two rushing touchdowns on offense in the jumbo package, which also featured Crumedy.
Crumedy was second on the defense with 104 tackles, and led the unit with 27 for a loss from his defensive end position. He also had a team-high 13 sacks, a forced fumble and five pass breakups.
Mississippi State was Crumedy’s first offer, and he received it last January. After a spring full of college offers, and summer of hype, Crumedy committed to the Bulldogs in early October.
Sporting a maroon suede sport coat, Crumedy was all smiles Wednesday. Like Maples, the past week was the result of the work he put in the past few years. He also had the chance to get close to other Mississippi State commits, since there were nine total in the game on Team Mississippi.
“It’s really special,” he said of signing day. “(The all-star game) was really fun. I got to meet new people and it was just really fun. It was good getting to know how (the other State commits) play and stuff.”
Mississippi State went through a coaching change following the regular season, but the State coaches still on the staff were quick to check in with Crumedy, visiting him in late November. Once Mississippi State hired Joe Moorhead as the new head coach, he visited Crumedy quickly, too.
The coaching switch didn’t affect him, though. He was a Mississippi State Bulldog through and through.
“I was just thinking he’ll be a good coach for State and a good coach for me,” he said. “I just bonded with him a little bit when he came down. I just wanted to tell him I wanted to be a Bulldog.”
