Hoover, Ala. — Jamar Chaney insists he never wonders might have been. But more than occasionally, Georgia is clearly on his mind.

Chaney, now a senior linebacker and All-SEC candidate at Mississippi State, originally signed a letter-of-intent to play for the Bulldogs. But Chaney's test scores were flagged and he was denied admission by the University of Georgia.

With coach Mark Richt's assistance, Chaney landed in Starkville, Miss., with the maroon-colored Bulldogs. Four years later, he has played in every game Mississippi State has played since and recorded 186 tackles. Earlier this week, the SEC coaches named him second-team all-conference.

"I pretty much forgot about that little situation at Georgia," said Chaney, sharply-dressed in a full-length maroon suit. "I mean still have ties there. Some of my best friends go to the University of Georgia. But I'm pretty happy where I'm at, at Mississippi State. I wouldn't change it for the world. I've been blessed to have a great career here and be a part of a great team."

Chaney said Georgia senior Jeff Owens, a fellow South Floridian, remains one of his best friends and the two go fishing whenever free time allows it. He's also talks to Mohamed Massaquoi on occasion and keeps up with the Eastern Division Bulldogs throughout the season every year.

"I always root for Georgia except for when we're playing them," he said.

The teams have met twice with UGA claiming victory both times. Georgia won 23-10 at Starkville in Chaney's freshman year in 2005 and pulled out a hard-fought 27-24 victory in Athens the following season.

In the meantime, Chaney has watched those other Bulldogs win one SEC Championship and play in three bowls in a row, including two Sugar Bowls. State played in its first bowl in seven years last December, defeating Central Florida 10-3 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

"It's been good to be a part of rebuilding a program and getting them back on their feet," Chaney said. "Mississippi State hadn't been to a bowl game since 2000 until this past year. That's a great thing to be a part of."

Chaney said the transition to Starkville was made easier by the Mississippi State players, who readily accepted him. It didn't hurt that there wasn't much time to contemplate it. He arrived the day before preseason practices began.

Now 6 feet 1, 236 pounds, he's considered a legitimate NFL prospect.

"He's played very, very well for us," Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said. "We were fortunate to get him. He responded positively to his situation and has done a good job of dealing with it. Now he's the leader of our defense. We always try to be strong down the middle and we feel like we are with him at the middle linebacker spot."

Best of all, the Maroon Dogs are considered legitimate threats in the SEC. State, which will open against Louisiana Tech, returns 15 starters from last year's 8-5 bowl team, including seven on defense.

For the first time in Chaney's career, he can sense the buzz of expectation, albeit somewhat different from the kind Georgia is experiencing in Athens.

"There's a lot of excitement on campus, including us," he said. "We can't wait to see what can happen when the games start. I wish we could fast-forward to play La-Tech tomorrow."