Riverdale's Dre Otey commits to Mississippi State football, reclassifies to 2026
Riverdale cornerback Dre Otey committed to Mississippi State football on March 23.
Riverdale senior defensive back Dre Otey decided where he wanted to play college football, and he's not waiting an extra year to get started. Otey committed to Mississippi State on March 23, changing back to the class of 2026 after having reclassified to 2027 earlier in his career. He will begin classes in the fall.
"I was talking to coaches and they were like, why waste a year in prep school when you can go ahead and go there and learn the system and build your body up and learn the plays? " said Otey on reclassifying. Otey, the brother of former Blackman and Southern Cal standout Adonis Otey and former Riverdale and Purdue standout Zytreacs Otey, chose Mississippi State over his other top five choices of Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Purdue and West Virginia.
He made the decision after his second visit to Starkville on March 21-22. He had previously had an in-game visit to Mississippi State when the Bulldogs played Arizona State on Sept. 6.
"When I went on my visit, I was talking to coaches, they just welcomed me and it felt like home," Otey said. "I have a good relationship with (cornerbacks coach Corey Bell), talking to me, and (coach Jeff Lebby) was convincing me too. It felt like home ...