It’s no secret the state of Mississippi has a history of producing football greats – especially on the Division I level – and with this year’s college football season less than two months away, I’ve compiled a list of my 2025 preseason “All-Mississippi Team.”
For the sake of clarity, this list only includes players who were born in Mississippi. Of course, plenty of talented out-of-state players will take the field for in-state universities this fall, but let’s just bring it home for a moment.
Offense
QB – Luke Altmyer, Illinois (Starkville)
The Starkville native and Ole Miss transfer has what it takes for another breakout season. In his second season as a starter for the Fighting Illini, Altmyer tossed for 2,717 yards with 22 touchdowns compared to six interceptions. He led Bret Bielema’s group to 10 wins a season ago, including a Citrus Bowl victory over South Carolina.
RB – Ahmad Hardy, Missouri (Monticello)
After winning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year while at Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy decided to take advantage of the portal and move up to the SEC ranks. He is expected to be the lead back for the Tigers who have the College Football Playoff on their minds. In Monroe, Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards with 13 touchdowns.
RB – Robert Henry, Jr., UTSA (Lumberton)
Projected to be the best running back in Conference USA, Henry is the definition of a dual threat. In 2024, he rushed for 706 yards with seven scores but added 199 yards and another touchdown on 21 receptions.
WR – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State (Bentonia)
Rucker hopes his final season of eligibility will be his best, which might be hard to beat. In 2024, he led the Red Wolves with 1,053 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 69 caught passes. Twice being named to the All-Sun Belt second team, Rucker owns virtually every ASU receiving record.
WR – Chris Bell, Louisville (Yazoo City)
Entering his fourth season with the Cardinals, the lengthy Bell will try to work off a successful 2024 season that included 737 yards on 43 receptions with four touchdowns. He has the ability to be a deep threat, hauling in a 68-yard pass last season and averaging over 17 yards per catch.
WR – DR Sheffield, Rutgers (Corinth)
Sheffield is coming off a nice season at North Texas, in which he scored 11 times on the way to being named to the All-American Athletic Conference first team and an honorable mention All-American. Now getting ready to suit up for the Scarlet Knights of the Big Ten, the Northwest Mississippi Community College product will look to translate those numbers to a bigger stage.
TE – Ethan Conner, Troy (Columbus)
Despite suffering season-ending injuries in 2023 and 2024, Conner will look to come back better than ever. The 240-pounder has four touchdowns over the past two shortened seasons and can hold his ground in the blocking game.
C – Zarian McGill, Colorado (Taylorsville)
McGill recently found a new home in Boulder and will take the field under head coach Deion Sanders at Colorado. He has 36 career games played, including a 2024 season at Louisiana-Monroe that saw him be named to the All-Sun Belt second team. He also graded out as the Warhawks’ best overall lineman, according to Pro Football Focus.
OG – Davion Carter, Texas Tech (Pearl)
Lots of analysts this offseason are saying Texas Tech has a shot to make the College Football Playoff, but in order for that to happen, it all starts up front. Helping lead the charge will be Carter, who started 12 games for the Red Raiders last season and finished as the second-highest graded lineman on the team. He previously played at Memphis, starting 23 games for the Tigers.
OG – Malachi Breland, Memphis (Laurel)
Speaking of Memphis, Breland is now in his third season with the Tigers and has starts in back-to-back bowl games. He was a major piece to Memphis ranking sixth in scoring offense among FBS teams a season ago.
OT – McKale Boley, Virginia (Hattiesburg)
Entering his senior season, Boley has started in 14 games and produced a pass-blocking grade of 88.2 – the highest by any UVA lineman last season. The son of legendary Southern Miss linebacker, Michael Boley, he made history in 2022 when becoming the second true freshman to start the first game in 2022.
OT – Kahlil Benson, Indiana (Southaven)
Benson has appeared in 22 games with 21 starts across stops at Indiana, Colorado, and now Indiana again. Starting his career with the Hoosiers in 2020, he played in 24 consecutive games at right tackle before transferring to Colorado for the 2024 season. He helped Coach Prime and company return to the postseason before deciding to head back to Indiana.
K – Tanner Gills, Memphis (Lewisburg)
While Gill started his career primarily as a punter, he’s expected to be the full-time kicker at Memphis this season. His stat line to date includes knocking 10 of 13 kicks through the uprights, including going six of eight from 40 yards or longer. He’s also been successful on 47 of 49 extra point attempts.
KR – Chris Davis, Jr., Stanford (Picayune)
No, not that Chris Davis that ruined Alabama’s day with the “Kick Six” in the 2013 Iron Bowl. But this Chris Davis can also be pretty good when getting an opening on kick returns. The rising sophomore mostly saw playing time at running back as a freshman, and while he will continue to take snaps out of the background, don’t be surprised if you see some big-time plays from Davis on special teams.
Defense
DT – Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss (Canton)
A huge player for the Rebels – literally, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 320 pounds – Harris is heading into his fourth season in Oxford. So far, his stat line includes 65 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and five blocked field goals across 37 games.
DT – Josaih Hayes, Kentucky (Horn Lake)
Hayes is a veteran in the trenches, with 45 career games across five seasons for the Wildcats. He’s recorded 57 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three pass break-ups. After missing the first nine games in 2024 with an ACL injury, if he stays healthy in 2025, it could be his best season yet.
DE – Red Hibbler, Mississippi State (Louisville)
Back home after playing for NC State in 2024, Hibbler should have an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. He led the Wolfpack in 2023 with 6.5 sacks and won the Bo Rein Award, which goes to the player who makes a vital contribution in an unsung role.
DE – Jordan Lawson, Louisiana (Brandon)
Gearing up for his fourth season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Lawson has appeared in 36 games with a stat line that includes 109 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery. He was an All-Sun Belt second-team player a season ago.
LB – Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss (Raleigh)
Earning All-American nods in his first two seasons in Oxford, Perkins will be a leader for this year’s Ole Miss D. He now has 26 games under his belt, including 98 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
LB – Triston Newsom, Missouri (Independence)
Newsom has been a tackling machine since landing in Columbia after a three-year stint at Northeast Mississippi Community College. In two seasons with Missouri, he’s registered 122 tackles, 65 of which have been solo tackles.
LB – Reginald Hughes, Colorado (Tunica)
2024 was a breakout season for Hughes. He earned All-Conference USA honors as a member of the Jacksonville State team and finished the year with 83 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and six quarterback hurries. Now a member of the Buffaloes, he will look to be one of the defensive leaders for Coach Prime and company.
DB – DeCarlos Nicholson, USC (Petal)
The former Mississippi State defensive back will be in his second season with Southern Cal after recording 27 tackles and five pass break-ups in 2024. His career stat line includes 74 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and eight pass break-ups.
DB – Quindarrius Jones, Florida State (Meridian)
Jones has appeared in 22 games for the Seminoles, recording 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, and a return touchdown on a blocked field goal. After a disastrous 2024 season for FSU, Jones will look to help reignite the flame of an otherwise historic program.
DB – Bray Hubbard, Alabama (Ocean Springs)
A former high school quarterback, Hubbard has grown into one of the better defensive backs in the SEC since being recruited to Tuscaloosa by Nick Saban. In 2024, the first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer, Hubbard tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He also tallied 57 tackles to go along with a pair of pass break-ups.
S – Malcolm Hartzog, Jr., Nebraska (Silver Creek)
Hartzog was named to the All-Big Ten honorable mention team in 2024 after starting all 12 games and leading the team with four interceptions – the most since a Cornhusker since 2015. He also totaled a career-high 45 tackles with two tackles for loss and four pass break-ups.
S – Isaac Smith, Mississippi State (Fulton)
I mentioned Newsom being a tackling machine, but maybe, I should have waited until this one to throw out that phrase. Smith is really the definition of a player who knows how to tackle. In 2024, he led the SEC with 127 tackles in 11 games.
P – Ross James, Oregon (Brandon)
A special teams veteran, James has now punted in 30 career games with the Ducks. He has an average of 46.2 yards per boot, including a career-long of 69 yards, and can pin opposing teams when needed.
