Mississippi State eyes another legacy with Dampier Jr.'s rising stardom

Dampier Jr. has emerged as one of the most intriguing prospects in the high school class of 2028. His freshman season numbers at Madison-Ridgeland Academy were the stuff of local legend with 13.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and two blocks per game, all while shouldering the duties of a varsity starter.

“He’s the kind of player who changes the geometry of a game,” said MRA coach Richard Duese. “And he’s only just begun.”

The younger Dampier’s ascent is happening under his father's watch. Erick Sr., an assistant coach at Madison-Ridgeland, on the bench is a living reminder of the Bulldogs’ magical 1996 run to the Final Four. It's a season that still stands as the program’s crowning achievement.

In three years at Mississippi State, Dampier Sr. racked up 1,231 points, 859 rebounds, and set a school record with 249 blocked shots, before embarking on a 16-year NBA career that would see him play for five franchises (including the Indiana Pacers, who drafted him 10th overall in 1996).

For Bulldogs coach Chris Jans, the pursuit of Dampier Jr. is about more than nostalgia.

Since arriving in Starkville, Jans has made it a priority to blend tradition with a forward-thinking recruiting strategy using the transfer portal to reconstruct rosters and targeting high-upside talent with deep Mississippi roots.

“We want to build on the legacy here, but we’re also trying to win in the present,” Jans told local media this spring. “You don’t get many chances to bring in a player who understands what Mississippi State means, both on the court and in the community.”

Mississippi State’s offer to Dampier Jr. went public in early June, but the recruitment has only just started.

Purdue and San Diego have also extended official offers, and most analysts expect a deluge of Power Five programs to follow suit by the fall.

One early projection even has Dampier Jr. ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the class of 2028

The attraction, of course, is about more than bloodlines. Scouts who’ve watched Dampier Jr. play note a soft touch around the rim, a willingness to pass out of double teams, and a knack for controlling the paint on both ends.

“He’s not just a rim protector,” said one national scout who attended the 2025 FIBA U16 AmeriCup. “He’s learning to read defenses, make the right play, and anchor a team. That’s rare at his age.”

This summer, Dampier Jr. earned a coveted spot on the USA U16 national team, traveling to Juarez, Mexico, for the FIBA U16 AmeriCup.

There, he averaged 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in six starts, helping Team USA secure the gold medal USA Basketball.

For a player whose name already carries the weight of expectation, the international experience was both a proving ground and a platform.

“Representing your country is a different type of pressure,” Dampier Jr. said after the tournament. “But I loved every second of it. It made me hungry to get even better.”

The recruitment of legacy athletes is a delicate dance, especially in an era transformed by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.

According to recruiting analysts, high school basketball stars are now fielding lucrative NIL offers, sometimes before they’ve played a single minute of college ball.

For Mississippi State, the hope is that family history and community ties prove more persuasive than any endorsement deal.

“The loyalty and pride that comes from being a Bulldog goes beyond what any NIL can offer,” said George Brooks, longtime assistant and father of recent legacy transfer Garrison Brooks.

Mississippi State’s recent success with legacy players is no accident.

Just three years ago, Brooks transferred to the Bulldogs for his senior season, following in his father’s footsteps after a stellar career at North Carolina.

In the late 2010s, the Bulldogs featured a trio of legacies in Reggie Perry (son of Al Perry), Tyson Carter (son of Greg Carter), and Robert Woodard II (son of Robert Woodard). Each played key roles in pushing Mississippi State back toward national relevance.

Perry, a McDonald’s All-American, was a consensus All-SEC First Team selection before being drafted to the NBA.

“Following in my dad’s footsteps means a lot. I grew up knowing he played here and was successful,” said Carter, who passed his father on the school’s all-time scoring list. “It made me want to be a Bulldog, too.”

Woodard II, a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, echoed that.

“You don’t always have to go far away from home to do the things that you love and to be successful doing it,” he said

Playing for the same school as your father (or, in some cases, both parents) is an angle that is a big part of the Bulldogs' recruiting.

As the sport changes, so too do the pressures on young athletes.

“Kids like Erick Jr. are growing up faster, facing more exposure and more expectations,” said one former Bulldog. “It’s a different world than when we played.”

For now, the younger Dampier seems content to focus on his development at MRA and with the Alabama Fusion on the Nike EYBL circuit, where he’s already turning heads.

His social media accounts, brimming with highlights and gold medal photos, also reflect a teenager still finding his voice.

“I’m just trying to get better every day,” he posted after the FIBA U16 tournament. “The rest will take care of itself.”

As the spotlight grows, so will the pressure. The Bulldogs haven’t reached the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend since the days of Erick Sr., and the fan base is hungry for a return to national prominence.

“We’re building something special here,” Chris Jans said last month. “We want players who care about Mississippi State—who know what it means to wear that jersey. If that happens to be a legacy, all the better.”

Now they just want to close the deal, which will be down the road. If it happens, the next chapter might just be the most compelling one yet.

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