Mississippi State Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Mississippi State College Football Preview 2024

This is what you’re supposed to do if you’re Mississippi State. You're supposed to bring the firepower.

The program brought in plenty of NFL talents over the years, but it’s been rough in a division with Alabama, LSU, and Auburn. But now there are no more divisions, and it’ll be tougher than ever for the program to find its footing without a differentiating factor.

Offense, offense, offense. That’s what it’s been over the last 15 years, starting with Dan Mullen doing a strong job of cranking it up over nine seasons.

(It’s still a great trivia question: Who was the first ever College Football Playoff No. 1 team? It was Mullen’s 2014 squad that ended up seventh and would’ve been in an expanded CFP.)

The Joe Moorhead era didn’t work as expected, but he’s a fantastic offensive coordinator and a nice idea, and Mike Leach was Mike Leach. After things didn’t work with Zach Arnett, here comes Jeff Lebby.

He’s another great offensive mind, he has the system and scheme to start doing more down the field, and Mississippi State should instantly be a lot stronger with a more high-powered attack.

However, it’s ALL about the transfer portal with this year’s team, and there will be some ugly moments, but under the offensive-minded head man there will be a few games when the offense kicks in full force.

The base will get a glimpse of what’s coming over the next few years with the new ...

Mississippi State Football Preview 2024: Offense

- Jeff Lebby was a star offensive coordinator at Oklahoma and previously Ole Miss, and he’s going to be his own OC even as the head coach. He doesn’t have the talent to work with what he had at OU, but he’ll make this fun.

Mississippi State was awful at converting on third downs, the passing game didn’t work, and the running attack couldn’t make up for it. Oklahoma under Lebby was awesome on third downs, the passing game was sixth in the nation, and the running attack was dangerous at times.

But to make this work, the new guys needs a huge boost from his …

- Offensive line. Mississippi State lost everyone from a decent bunch, and now four starters are coming in through the transfer portal, and 6-8, 325-pound Leon Bell will likely move up into a starting job at right tackle. North Texas C Ethan Miner and Memphis OT Makylan Pounders should immediately shine.

The ground attack might need a little bit. It has to be more than just along for the ride, but it needs a star to step up. Jeffery Pittman is a veteran who’ll get an early look, and former Penn State transfer Keyvone Lee will matter, but Utah State transfer Davon Booth could quickly take over.

- Oh yeah, the passing game. It’ll be different. Oklahoma pushed the ball down the field under Lebby, and it’s about to start doing that with a Bulldog offense that dinked and dunked to depth.

Will Rogers is off to Washington, and in comes Blake Shapen, a baller of a quarterback from Baylor.

Jordan Mosley is the main Miss State receiver returning, but Kelly Akharaiyi (UTEP) will be the most dangerous deep threat and Kevin Coleman (Louisville) is a do-it-all shifty option.

The tight end combination of Justin Ball (Vanderbilt) and Cameron Ball (Buffalo) - they’re 6-6, 250-pound brothers - should matter fast.

Mississippi State Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The defense wasn’t too bad, and it’s getting more parts back than the offense. The problem is veteran production - Mississippi State doesn’t have many sure-thing starters from last year.

Safety Corey Ellington should be the defense’s best returning player. He’s an all-around baller who was one of the few key parts returning.

The secondary needs star prospect Isaac Smith to build off his first season and JUCO transfer Brylan Lanier to be stat-sheet fillers. The corner situation is iffy - fall camp will matter with West Virginia’s Montre Miller potentially a key get.

- The linebackers should be fine. Be a bit surprised if South Carolina transfer Stone Blanton isn’t one of the team’s leading tacklers, but there will be plenty of battles up until the opener for the other spots. JP Purvis is a good veteran in a rotation with fellow former backup John Lewis.

- The line lost some strong tackles. Nathan Pickering and Jaden Crumedy were mainstays, and now it’ll be up to Kedrick Bingley-Jones (North Carolina), Sulaiman Kpaka (Purdue) and Trevion Williams to hold up in the interior.

Where are the pass rushers in the 3-3-5 alignment? De’Monte Russell is more of a 280-pound tackle than a pure playmaker in the backfield, and linebackers Ty Cooper and Donterry Russell need to be great right away.

Key To The Mississippi State Football Season

Get the adjustments in the passing game to work right away.
The Mississippi State passing game had a bad mix of inaccuracy and lack of deep pop. The quarterbacks managed to complete just 58% and failed to get to 200 passing yards eight times.

It might take a little shoehorning, but there should be more downfield plays, a better tempo, and it all starts with a big season from …

Mississippi State Key Player

Blake Shapen, QB Sr.
No pressure, but the entire season revolves around the Baylor transfer. He’s not all that big, but he has experience with close to 5,600 yards with 36 touchdowns in his three seasons. No, he’s not a big runner, but he’ll take off from time to time and have his moments.

Can he stay in one piece? He led the 2022 Bears for a full season, but he missed a bulk of time early last year. Here’s where he comes in big - he averaged 7.5 yards per pass over the last two seasons. Mississippi State quarterbacks averaged 6.3 yards per throw last year.

Mississippi State Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Ethan Miner, C Sr.
He might not be the most talented transfer coming in, but the 6-2, 305-pound transfer from North Texas is a whale of a technician at center. He started out at Arkansas State, was great at UNT last year, and now he should instantly be the leader of the rebuilt Bulldog line.

Top Transfer Out: Will Rogers, QB Sr.
He had a very, very interesting run with the Bulldogs. Mike Leach’s quarterback early on, he was just starting to grow into the job with 71 touchdown passes in 2012-2022 and 12,315 yards in his three seasons, but it was a struggle under Zach Arnett. He might not be Michael Penix Jr. but he’ll be the new starting quarterback in the rebuild at Washington.

Mississippi State Key Game

Florida, Sept. 21
It’s not just the SEC opener, and it’s not just a home game, and it’s not just a big deal for Jeff Lebby to get his offense to work in a rebuilding year. Try this for a run to follow - at Texas, at Georgia, Texas A&M. There could be a rough start if the Bulldogs can’t beat the Gators for the first time since since 2010 and the first time in Starkville since 2004.

10 Best Mississippi State Football Players

1. Corey Ellington, S Sr.
2. Blake Shapen, QB Sr.
3. Kelly Akharaiyi, WR Sr.
4. Stone Blanton, LB Jr.
5. Makylan Pounders, OT Jr.
6. Kedrick Bingley-Jones, DT Jr.
7. Ethan Miner, C Sr.
8. De’Montre Russell, EDGE Sr.
9. Davon Booth, RB Sr.
10. Marlon Martinez, OG Sr.

Mississippi State 2023 Fun Stats

- Field Goals: Opponents 14-17, Mississippi State 11-18

- 2 Point Conversions: Mississippi State 3-8, Opponents 2-2

- Fumbles: Opponents 24 (lost 11), Opponents 13 (lost 7)

Mississippi State Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

Mississippi State managed to beat most of the teams it was supposed to, and came up with a retroactive shocker over Arizona early on. It got to five wins, and it’ll be a push to get back there this season.

In a rebuilding year, consider it a success if the Bulldogs are in the mix for a sixth win and a bowl appearance going into the final two games against Missouri and the Egg Bowl vs Ole Miss.

There’s no Alabama, LSU, or Oklahoma, but there’s also no winnable games against Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina, or Vanderbilt.

Can the Bulldogs get past Arizona State on the road? That’s not easy, and beating Toledo at home isn’t a tap in putt. But Eastern Carolina and UMass should give the team two wins, and between Arkansas, Toledo, and an upset somewhere - maybe at home against Florida - there should be five wins, but again …

For the second straight season, it should come down to beating Ole Miss.

Set The Mississippi State Win Total At … 5

Likely Wins: Eastern Kentucky, UMass

50/50 Games: at Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M, Toledo, at Ole Miss

Likely Losses: at Georgia, at Tennessee, at Texas

2024 Mississippi State Football Schedule

Aug 31 Eastern Kentucky
Sept 7 at Arizona State
Sept 14 Toledo
Sept 21 Florida
Sept 28 at Texas
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 12 at Georgia
Oct 19 Texas A&M
Oct 26 Arkansas
Nov 2 UMass
Nov 9 at Tennessee
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 Missouri
Nov 30 at Ole Miss

Missing: Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vanderbilt