Three Mississippi State players, along with new head coach Jeff Lebby, took to SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday to discuss where the program stands seven months into a new era and the goals the Bulldogs have two weeks out from fall camp and less than two months out from game one of the 2024 season.
Lebby, who comes to Starkville after most recently serving as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, wasted no time on stage detailing to reporters the culture he’s working to build at his first head coaching stop. Outlining four main points, Lebby shared: “We talk about four things nonstop inside the program. We talk about having fun, being tough, being competitive, and then being accountable.”
Lebby noted that if the Bulldogs can find success in those four facets both on and off the field, he believes the program shift will be prompt. The once-assistant who has made stops at Ole Miss, Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, and Baylor, said the team is getting more comfortable by the day with the changes he and his coaching staff brought with them to Starkville.
“We have gotten more and more and more comfortable and confident doing the day-to-day things,” Lebby said. “I want the energy in our building to be genuine, and with that, you need to know what’s happening on your side of the ball.”
Name-dropping multiple players he expects to have big years for the Bulldogs, Lebby said returning linebacker John Lewis, South Carolina transfer Stone Blanton, and Memphis transfer defensive back DeAgo Brumfield will be three of the defensive guys tasked with replacing SEC-leading tackle production left by Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson. He also said Baylor transfer quarterback Blake Shapen is the perfect fit to run his high-tempo offense.
“Being a QB guy and calling the plays, getting the right quarterback was something I had to get done,” Lebby said. “And we’ve got our guy. I could not be more proud of how Blake has gone about his business [and] how he does what he does every single day.”
“I think when you talk about what we’re going to look like from a team standpoint, it’s real similar to what we’re going to look like at that position—toughness, physicality, edge, being able to inspire your teammates to play better every day. That’s what Blake has done. He’s put us in a position to get off the ground the way we need to. When I watch him play, ‘I say, man, that’s my kind of guy.’ Having him in year one has been huge.”
Lebby also took a few minutes to discuss the expanding College Football Playoff, which he said works in favor of his goals of making Mississippi State a national championship contender.
“For us, as specifically Mississippi State, I think it opens a door and it creates a door,” he said. “We’ll always and forever talk about maximizing every day, every opportunity, and every single season fighting like heck to be in that top 12.”
Lebby takes over a program that went 5-7 and missed the postseason for the first time in 13 years in 2023. While the Bulldogs have never cracked the College Football Playoff, they were the first team ever ranked No. 1 when the CFP Poll was first released on Oct. 28, 2014, when the team was led by now-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
The three players to join Lebby at SEC Media Days on Wednesday were quarterback Blake Shapen, linebacker John Lewis, and offensive lineman Albert Reese IV. Below is a short recap of what each said during their press conferences.
QB Blake Shapen
Shapen echoed some of Lebby’s remarks while voicing his excitement to play under one of the more successful offensive minds college football has seen in recent years. Last season at Oklahoma, Lebby’s offense averaged 41.7 points per game in comparison to Mississippi State’s per-game scoring rate of 21.8.
“It has to do with getting the ball out quick [and] using my legs when I have to,” Shapen said. “Throwing the ball downfield is a big thing in this offense, and I feel like my arm ability is able to do that. I think toughness is going to be a big thing. We’re going to be physical, and the biggest thing is we’re going to have fun. You’re going to see a lot of guys celebrating, having a good time, and enjoying the game of football.”
Over his final two seasons at Baylor, Shapen threw for 4,978 yards and 31 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.
LB John Lewis
The only native Mississippian that the Bulldogs brought to Dallas, the Germantown High School product has so far played sparingly in 28 games since landing in Starkville in 2021. A program known historically for its defense, Lewis told reporters they can expect to see a tough-nosed group hit the field when the season begins.
“It’s a different mentality from last year to this year,” Lewis said. “We’re all learning different roles and different schemes, which has been better for us.”
Mississippi State was middle of the pack in 2023 in terms of total defense under then-head coach Zach Arnett. However, Lewis foresees the unit moving up a peg or two in 2024.
OL Albert Reese IV
Reese is expected to be the leader of a new-look offensive line that’s projected to include five new starters – also including Memphis transfer Makylan Pounders, North Texas transfer Ethan Minor, LSU transfer Marlon Martinez, and Texas Tech transfer Jacoby Jackson.
Reese, who has one start in his career, said the unit has done well adopting the new playbook, and he’s feeling comfortable with the move from tackle to guard.
“As far as this offensive playbook, we’re getting comfortable,” Reese said. “Originally, I wasn’t really comfortable with the guard position, but played all spring and felt great with this scheme.”
Mississippi State will kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 31 at home against Eastern Kentucky. The full schedule can be found below:
Aug. 31 – Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 7 – at Arizona State
Sept. 14 – Toledo
Sept. 21 – Florida *
Sept. 28 – at Texas *
Oct. 12 – at Georgia *
Oct. 19 – Texas A&M *
Oct. 26 – Arkansas *
Nov. 2 – UMass
Nov. 9 – at Tennessee *
Nov. 23 – Missouri *
Nov. 30 – at Ole Miss *
Home games in bold
* SEC Game
