STARKVILLE, MS - September 09, 2023 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs during the game between the Arizona Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Mike Mattina
Mississippi State Bulldogs
2024 Results: 2-10, 0-8(SEC)
2025 Projection: 4-8, (SEC)
Overview:
Shapen was sharp before he got injured and missed the last eight games of the season in 2024. He is the perfect fit for Jeff Lebby’s system and proved it on the field early last year, but there are a lot of new faces that will neeed to gel quickly if the these dogs are going to compete in the SEC this season.
Offense:
A deep backfield led by Davon Booth could help bolster the offense, but an unproven offensive line and lack of depth at receiver will be some of the biggest challenges that face the Bulldogs in 2025. There is talent at receiver, but giving Shapen the time to find them in space will be paramount to the success of this unit. So, the new faces on the offensive line will need to exceed expectations if the Bulldogs want to light up the scoreboard this season.
Defense:
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense and if State can sustain drives it would certainly help a defense that ranked last in the SEC in 2024, giving up an average of 456.4 yards per game. They hit the transfer portal to bring in Red Hibbler from NC State and Jalen Smith from Tennessee to shore up the defense, but also return their leading tackler in Isaac Smith who tallied 127 tackles last season, so there is hope for improvement. This unit only got to the quarterback 10 times last season, so that number will need to improve drastically if they want to become bowl eligible.
Special Teams:
Davon Booth will be a good option in the return game and both kicking specialists return from 2024 with placekicker Kyle Ferrie and punter Ethan Pulliam to provide stability in the third phase of the game.
Final Thoughts:
Lebby has a good system but was given the keys to a lemon. There are good parts, but its going to take one hell of a mechanic to get the engine running at maximum capacity in Starkville this season. Making a bowl will be hard.
