100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 40 Days – No. 40, Jr. LB Nic Mitchell

Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.

The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.

While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.

Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.

Today, we look back at a linebacker that should be ready to contribute this season.

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 40 Days – No. 40, Jr. LB Nic Mitchell

Three years as a Bulldog, Mitchell is one of the more seasoned Bulldog linebackers heading into the season but is still looking for some increased reps at his position.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native came to Starkville in 2021 after former State LB coach-turned-defensive coordinator Matt Brock evaluated him. Mitchell was recruited during COVID-19 restrictions and wasn’t able to be seen much in person, but his film impressed Brock, Arnett and the State defensive staff.

Mitchell played for Class 8A Mandarin High School and had 97 tackles as a senior with 17.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a fumble returned for a touchdown. He was a three-star recruit ranked as the No. 120 LB in the country and the No. 141 player in the state of Florida.

As a true freshman in 2021, Mitchell would play in two games before being redshirt and he made three tackles against Tennessee State. He began to earn more playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2022 as he played in all 13 games as a special teamer and had five tackles. Mitchell followed that up by playing in all 12 games last season and had seven tackles.

With two years down cutting his teeth on special teams, Mitchell now prepares to crack into the rotation this year under new LB coach and Defensive Coordinator Coleman Hutzler. We’ll see how that transpires in the fall.