FLORENCE - Florence High School’s Beniquez Brown made it official this morning, signing to play football for Mississippi State.

Rated a four-star prospect by major recruiting services, Brown joins his cousin and Florence teammate, Kivon Coman, who held up a longstanding verbal commitment by also signing with the Bulldogs.

Today is the first day high school football players can officially sign with a college.

Brown, who played linebacker, safety and running back at Florence, had been more of a mystery than his cousin. He had narrowed his top choices to Mississippi State and Tennessee before Ole Miss and Auburn entered the mix late in the process.

Brown had an opportunity for an official visit to Auburn this past weekend but didn’t go.

At a signing day ceremony before a packed Florence High School auditorium, Brown took the stage with three hats: Mississippi State, Auburn and Ole Miss. He initially grabbed the Auburn hat to a cheer from a portion of the crowd before donning the Mississippi State cap.

Also signing from Florence were: Davian Eggleston (University of North Alabama), Julian Cole (Alabama State), Wayne Fuqua (Faulkner), Trey Sims (Faulkner) and Donquez Hogan (Faulkner).