It is almost that time again — football season in the South. And when you live in SEC country, it just means more. Or at least, it used to.
In recent years, Mississippi State Athletics has not lived up to that standard. Since the sudden and tragic passing of head coach Mike Leach in December 2022, the Bulldogs have struggled to find their footing. Leach’s unexpected death sent shockwaves through the college football world and left a gaping hole in Starkville — not just on the sideline, but in the heart of the program.
In an effort to stabilize the locker room, Mississippi State quickly promoted defensive coordinator Zach Arnett to head coach. What started as a move to maintain unity quickly turned into a cautionary tale. The Bulldogs limped to a 5–7 record in 2023, and Arnett was dismissed before the season ended. It was clear the program needed a reset.
That reset came in the form of Jeff Lebby, the former Oklahoma offensive coordinator and one of the nation’s most talked-about offensive minds. Known for his fast-paced veer-and-shoot system — variations of which have brought success to schools like Tennessee, Ole Miss, and TCU — Lebby was expected to spark life into a stagnant offense.
Instead, things got worse.
The 2024 campaign saw more losses, more inconsistency and more growing pains. To be fair, not all the struggles were on Lebby and his newly assembled staff. Much of the roster was built by Arnett’s regime, and key recruiting misses at the high school level showed up in real time. Combine that with one of the toughest schedules in the SEC, and the challenge became even steeper.
Still, the loss to Toledo — a Mid-American Conference opponent — was a low point that made the rebuilding job feel the worst.
But it was not all bad. There were signs of life late in the season. Mississippi State showed fight against top-tier programs like Georgia and Texas. Even the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss, though a loss, was a competitive effort. As the season wore on, the Bulldogs began to look more like a team adjusting to a new identity and less like one in free fall.
The roster overhaul has been just as aggressive. As of now, 42 new players have joined the program through high school recruiting and the transfer portal. Headlining the newcomers are On3 Elite 11 quarterback Kamario Taylor and Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek, both of whom bring excitement and competition to the quarterback room.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Mississippi State has several key areas where improvement is not just desired, but necessary. It starts in the trenches. The offensive line struggled all year, failing to give the quarterbacks time to operate or open consistent lanes in the run game. In response, Lebby made a change, firing offensive line coach Cody Kennedy and hiring Phil Loadholt, someone he has worked with before and who brings experience and discipline to the position group.
Defensively, the Bulldogs must improve in open-field tackling, pass coverage and third-down efficiency. Too many drives were extended due to missed assignments and poor angles, putting extra strain on an already inconsistent offense. Lebby and his defensive staff will need to simplify the scheme and improve fundamentals if they want to compete week in and week out in the SEC.
With spring practice wrapped and the portal window still open as of this writing, the pieces are still coming together. But this much is clear: Mississippi State can not afford another rebuilding year that lacks direction. The SEC does not wait for programs to catch up.
Only time will tell if this team can accomplish what it needs to stay relevant within the SEC. They will need to compete or show that they can before they get left behind in this ever-changing world of college football.
