After an unsatisfactory season last year, the Mississippi State football team is working harder than ever to improve. With 42 new additions, including both transfers and high school class of 2025 commits, this team is much different from the team that previously went 2-10.
In 2024, the MSU Football team had a total of 45 new players, but this year’s rankings are higher than last in every category.
247 Sports ranked the 2025 State incoming roster 30th overall and 15th for transfers, as compared to the 2024 class being ranked 35th overall and 45th for transfers. This significant change for the roster shows that although they signed fewer players than last season, the athletic rating of the players has improved in the 2025 roster.
“They were excited for day one of winter workouts,” head coach Jeff Lebby said after Tuesday’s spring practice. “Day one excitement should carry us all the way through, and that’s been the biggest thing for them as we’ve gotten into it.”
Lebby has secured a strong group of players, including wide receiver Gracen Harris, running back Kolin Wilson, quarterback Kamario Taylor, and linebacker Tyler Lockhart. These four players are all 2025 commits, fresh out of high school.
Wilson, a running back from Gulf Shores, Alabama, signed with Mississippi State in December 2024. Wilson’s offers from schools like Cincinnati, Harvard, Air Force and more reflect the level of player he is. He is a 5’9, 190lb athlete whose main position is receiver, but he also used to play quarterback for Gulf Shores High School.
Wide receiver Gracen Harris was a multi-athlete at Ennis High School in Ennis, Texas, participating in both football and track & field. Harris competed in both the long jump and triple jump, and played both quarterback and wide receiver. Harris was named the Texas District 8-5A D-II Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a freshman in 2021. Harris’ high school stats are a promising sign that he may have a breakout season with State.
“Those two guys, I think, are ahead of where most guys are, as true freshmen,” Lebby remarked on Wilson and Harris.
Kamario Taylor, a Mississippi native from Macon, has been added to MSU’s quarterback roster. Taylor is a four-star recruit, and with the help of transfer Luke Kromenhoek and graduate student Blake Shapen, Lebby said he is confident that this aspect of the offense won’t be a problem.
On the defensive side, MSU is bringing in Tyler Lockhart, a four-star linebacker recruit from Winona, Mississippi. Lockhart is currently ranked fifth for top high school linebacker recruits by 247 Sports. Lebby said he has high hopes for what Lockhart can bring to the team.
“Tyler’s done a good job — continued to grow inside the scheme and understand what the expectation is,” Lebby said, “just an incredible athlete that has a chance to be a great player, and we’re excited about where he’s at.”
Along with these four athletes, Lebby’s group of freshmen has the potential to add to the Bulldogs’ talent and make them a daunting team to their opponents.
More than 20 of last year’s players have entered the transfer portal according to the Clarion Ledger. Despite this, Lebby and his staff have managed to bring in 24 transfers who will hopefully add to Mississippi State’s opportunity for a winning season.
On the offensive side, the Bulldogs gained star quarterback Luke Kromenhoek from Florida State University. However, Shapen still has the responsibility and pressure of leading the team as a star quarterback.
“[Shapen] needs to set the expectation and tone for the team every single day, so that those guys understand we’re living and dying on every snap,” Lebby said. “And Blake’s done a really good job of that. Those guys have taken to that, the room is in a great place right now. I could not be more excited about those three guys where we’re at.”
Aside from the newcomers, MSU also has many players that will be returning for the 2025 season, specifically the wide receivers.
“I’m proud of that group,” Lebby said, “They’ve worked incredibly hard, they’ve practiced incredibly hard, they’ve been serious about being great teammates.”
Lebby spoke with passion about his star receivers and said he is excited about how serious they are about playing well.
“Defensively, we’ve got to find ways to create negative plays and get sacks,” Lebby said. “We have too. Offensively, it been the exact same on the other side of the coin so that’s been a stress force this spring.”
The players have been working hard in practice six days a week with the goal of having an unrecognizable team. In regard to how spring is looking for the Dawgs, Lebby said he believes that his roster truly is improving the team.
“We’re getting better,” he said. “Our roster is in a better place today than it was a year ago. Part of it is not even close, so that has been really good. The thing that has been most promising to me is that we’ve been able to practice in a way we needed to be able to develop the roster.”
Compared to this time last year, Lebby has seen significant improvement. He said that this growth is in every aspect of the team. When asked about how spring is going for the team, Lebby shared some promising words.
“We have better athletes and we understand what the expectation is, so we’ve gotten better,” he said.
Lebby expressed that he believes the team this year has the true potential, talent and passion that is needed to be an effective SEC football team.
“I feel really good about where the room is today, as long as we continue to develop and grow.”
