CB Dre Otey commits to Mississippi State, reclassifies from 2027 to 2026 class

Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State Bulldogs received big news from Dre Otey.

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound cornerback out of Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale committed to Mississippi State and will also reclassify from the 2027 class to 2026, allowing him to arrive in Starkville in late May.

“Reclassifying early is something I have been thinking about,” Otey told Rivals. “Then on the visit this weekend, we discussed it, and I felt like it was the right decision.”

The decision came together quickly during his trip to campus.

Otey held more than 20 offers before choosing Mississippi State over programs like Kentucky, Maryland, Purdue, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

The opportunity to compete early in Starkville played a major role in the decision.

“I can come in and compete at a high level at State,” Otey said. “I’ll be playing against the best every day, so it will be great for my development there.”

Getting to know the staff and learning more about the system also helped push Mississippi State to the top of his list.

“The more I got to know about Coach Bell and learned about his system, I felt like his style of coaching is great for me,” Otey said.

The visit to Starkville ultimately sealed both decisions — committing to the Bulldogs and reclassifying to the 2026 class.

“Coach Lebby is a transparent coach,” Otey said. “He sat me down and told me the plan for me and I appreciate him for that. He can do great things with the program and he is going to do great things.”