Football is back at Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs hit the field at the Leo Seal practice facility for the start of fall camp on Thursday, and there was a feeling of positive change.
For one, the depth on the offensive and defensive line is already paying off, as is the returning leadership and the continuity that comes with it, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the head coach
“I thought the guys that practiced with us in the spring, that had good springs, showed up,” head coach Jeff Lebby said. “They spent time in the summer, and we’re so much further ahead than we have been on day one. We’ve got a ton of work to do, I think our leadership is in a much better place, and that, to me, is what helps as much as anything.”
Above all, it was hot.
Dealing with the sun and the heat is part of the job playing football in Mississippi, and it’s what the team will have to look forward to over the next month of practice. The season opener at The Rock in Hattiesburg promises to be sweltering as well.
“I did think guys strained when it got really hard,” head coach Jeff Lebby said after practice. “We’re gonna have to continue to do that. It’s going to be hot on August 30th, I think we’re all aware of that as we go and kick it off. We’ve got a great vision for that day and where we’re going.”
Availability is the best ability
Despite the heat, the team was out in force. Only Blake Steen and Seth Davis were absent as they were attending class, and defensive lineman Kai McClendon was the lone player training on his own.
Lebby confirmed to the media after practice that McClendon had suffered a torn ACL in the spring and will be out “for a while.”
The sophomore was thrust into action early in his MSU career last year, starting five games as a true freshman and appearing in all 12 matchups.
While McClendon’s absence does take some experience from the defensive unit, the Bulldogs are in a much better place this year than last year when they were razor thin on the defensive line.
“We’re in a lot better place than we were,” Lebby said of the unit. “We’ve got a long way to go, but our bodies today compared to where it’s been, us having the ability to go two spot the entire practice, it’s completely different. And that’s gonna help. That’s gonna help us practice the way we need to practice so we can develop and get the depth that we need.”
The depth is there on the offensive line as well, a welcome change after struggling to find success up front last season. There’s an urgency to find the right combination of players, but Lebby is happy with the options and the work ethic he’s seen from the unit so far.
“Body type-wise, we’re where we want to be, but again, we’ve got a ton of work to do,” Lebby said of the other side of the trenches. “These guys understanding how we practice, how we do what we do, the physicality that we have to play with, and what gives us an opportunity to go win, those are real things and they haven’t been with us. We’re excited about that group and the potential. We’ve got to come together in a hurry and make sure we’re dialed in on the best five, or the best six, best seven that can go play winning football for us.”
Offensive versatility
Along with the first practice came the news that running back Davon Booth was named to the Paul Hornung Award watchlist. The trophy goes out annually to the most versatile player in college football, something Booth certainly excels at for the Bulldogs.
Booth earned Third Team All-SEC honors as an all-purpose player in 2024, racking up 1,231 all-purpose yards with an average of 102.6 yards per game. His production came from 759 yards on the ground, 164 receiving, and 308 on kickoff returns.
Booth was granted additional eligibility after the NCAA changed its policies about junior college transfers, and his return bolsters a running back room that is looking strong with power, pace and receiving ability.
“He’s a guy who has the ability to play every snap,” Lebby said of Booth. “He’s a first, second, third down, fourth-down back. A situational guy who can really do it all. I like where he’s at, he’s going to continue to come along. I’ve talked about the running back room and where we’re at there, and I‘m excited about that group.”
Running back isn’t the only versatile position. Despite high roster turnover at wide receiver, the current unit boasts a nice balance of size and speed as well as catch ability. It’s made up of several younger players as well as transfers from programs where their production and opportunities were limited, but Lebby sees the potential for a stronger unit as a whole in 2025.
“We’ve got guys in that room that can play,” Lebby said. “I said this in spring, I’ll say it again, the thing that I love about that room is it’s an unselfish room. It’s a room that is connected, there’s depth to it and a lot of different body types. When they’re all in there fighting together, competing together, you got a chance to be really good.”
QB room
The biggest returning piece from 2024 is quarterback Blake Shapen.
The starting quarterback went down after four games last season, suffering a fractured scapula injury against Florida that caused him to miss the rest of the season. He traded his helmet for a headset as he helped mentor true freshman Michael Van Buren, and now leads two more young talents in sophomore transfer Luke Kromenhoek and true freshman Kamario Taylor.
Shapen’s guidance doesn’t just smooth things over for the young quarterbacks, it’s helped ease the process for the entire offense.
“In Year 2, I think the thing that’s very obvious is having Blake back,” Lebby said. “His leadership, his understanding of what’s being asked of him every single snap, every single day. Again, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where he’s been, and excited about that. That gives us a chance to take the step we need to take offensively and get us where we need to be.”
Shapen is QB1, but Lebby noted that it’s a “constant battle” for the backup job, something he anticipates to see all throughout camp after having to utilize all three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster last year.
Lebby expressed at SEC Media Days that he could be working with what has a chance to be the best quarterback room he’s ever worked with, but it’s still a process bringing the younger guys up to speed. As spring has turned to summer he’s seen more confidence from Taylor and Kromenhoek, and the potential is there for either player to make an impact in the future.
“They’re just a little more sure of what they’re doing and what’s being asked of them,” he said. “There’s a little more confidence and they move around with a little more urgency because again, they’ve done it a little bit now. At that position, it’s not ever going to be good enough. I think that’s the greatest thing about playing it, coaching it. There are so many things to clean up daily, and those guys get that. They’ve taken to it.”
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