Picayune’s James Brady and the rest of the Mississippi All-Stars reported to this port city on Monday, in anticipation of taking on Alabama’s best later this week.

The 20th annual Alabama/Mississippi All Star Football Classic is set for 7 p.m., Saturday night at historic Ladd-Peebles Stadium which also plays host annually to the Senior Bowl and GMAC Bowl.

Brady and the best players from the Magnolia State will be out for revenge after last year’s 24-3 whipping at the hands of the Alabama team.

About a dozen players from South Mississippi including Brady will suit up for the Magnolia State squad in the prestigious affair, which has produced dozens of National Football League players and hundreds that went on to star on the collegiate level.

Alabama leads the series 13-6.

Brady, a Southern Mississippi signee, was actually one of two players from the Maroon Tide selected for the game, but Levi Slaydon pulled out of the contest just after being picked.

Slaydon is the first player from Picayune to opt out of the game, but certainly joins a long list of players choosing not to participate, especially this year.

Both the Mississipp and Alabama rosters have undergone significant changes since they were released earlier this year.

In addition to Slaydon, linebacker Chris Strong of South Panola, defensive backs Jermairey Atterberry of Kosciusko and K.J. Wright of Olive Branch and Rashod Henry of Lumberton are not coming to the game, with their roster spots being filled by linebacker Donta Chambers of Wayne County, defensive back Ross Willard of Simmons, defensive lineman James Siefker of West Lauderdale, tight end Courtney Granderson of Yazoo City and quarterback Lindsey Spinks of Meridian.

Players who chose not to play for the Alabama squad are defensive linemen Kerry Murphy of Hoover and Nick Gentry of Prattville, receivers Quindarious Carr of Huntsville and Marquis Maze of Tarrant, offensivelineman William Vlachos of Mountain Brook, and defensive backs William Spight of Jeff Davis and Rashad Graham of Russellville.

They have been replaced on the Alabama roster by defensive linemen Jake Lanefski of McGill-Toolen and Carlos Jones of Athens, offensive lineman Rodney Hudson of B.C. Rain, receivers Charles McClain of Oxford and DeMarcus Covington of John Carroll, and defensive backs Jacques Pride of Athens and William Albert of Prattville.