Mississippi State defensive tackle Deion Pope, a touted junior college transfer who enrolled in January and went through spring practice, announced Wednesday that he is leaving the school.
He said via Twitter that he is transferring to FCS member Jackson State, meaning he will be eligible this fall.
Pope (6 feet 4, 304 pounds) was the top-ranked JC defensive tackle nationally in the 2017 signing class. He starred at Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson, Miss.
Pope is from Collins, Miss., which is about 60 miles southeast of Jackson.
He seemed likely to start the season as a second-teamer, and he had the ability to play both end and tackle in the Bulldogs’ 3-4 front.