Players leaving Mississippi State in transfer portal
Creed Whittemore, redshirt freshman wide receiver
Whittemore, from Gainesville, Florida, played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2023 and burst onto the scene in his collegiate debut with a 33-yard touchdown reception and a 53-yard touchdown run. He never replicated those numbers but did have another touchdown later in the year against Western Michigan, and took an end-around 41 yards for a touchdown in this year’s season opener against Eastern Kentucky. After the Bulldogs’ game against Florida on Sept. 21, Whittemore announced his intention to redshirt the rest of the year.
JJ Harrell, freshman wide receiver
Harrell was one of the top recruits in head coach Jeff Lebby’s first recruiting class and helped hold the class together while the program was going through a coaching transition. A four-star recruit and the No. 6 player in Mississippi for his class per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Harrell chose MSU over Alabama, Ole Miss and seven other Southeastern Conference schools. He played in four games as a true freshman with the Bulldogs, leaving his redshirt year intact, but did not register any statistics. He still has four years of eligibility remaining.
Trent Hudson, senior wide receiver
Hudson joined MSU in the spring portal window last year from New Mexico State after starting his career at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas. He finished with 36 catches for 551 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023 for the Aggies, but did not register any statistics over the first four games this fall with the Bulldogs and did not see the field after that, opting to take a redshirt year.
Chris Parson, redshirt freshman quarterback
Parson was a four-star recruit out of Brentwood, Tennessee according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and saw his first action as a true freshman in 2023 in relief of Mike Wright against Kentucky. He started the following week against Texas A&M but struggled, and Michael Van Buren beat him out for the backup role this year, thus becoming the starter over Parson when Blake Shapen sustained a season-ending shoulder injury. Parson did not throw a pass in 2024, rushing for 31 yards on eight carries across three games. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Jeffery Pittman, junior running back
Pittman joined the Bulldogs before the 2023 season as a junior college transfer and had some big moments in his first year at MSU, catching a touchdown pass in overtime against Arizona and breaking loose for a 59-yard touchdown run against Southern Miss. But he was removed from the roster before the start of the 2024 season and did not play.
TB Hinton, redshirt freshman linebacker
The No. 6 prospect in Mississippi coming out of high school in Hattiesburg, Hinton never saw the field in two seasons with the Bulldogs’ program.
Ty Cooper, redshirt junior linebacker
Cooper has spent the last four seasons at MSU, playing in eight games as a true freshman in 2021 before being limited to three games the following year to earn a redshirt. He came on strong toward the end of the 2023 season, making his first career start against Southern Miss and then recording four tackles and a quarterback hurry against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. This fall, he split time with Branden Jennings at the “Jack” position, earning his first career sack against Massachusetts. Cooper has one year of eligibility remaining.
John Lewis, redshirt junior linebacker
Lewis played in the last four games of the 2021 season, maintaining his redshirt status, then broke out in 2023 with three starts. In that year’s season opener against Southeastern Louisiana, he blocked a punt that teammate Avery Sledge recovered for a touchdown. Lewis represented the Bulldogs at SEC Media Days this year but had a quiet season, setting a career high with six tackles against Toledo.
Gabe Moore, redshirt freshman defensive lineman
A former star at nearby Louisville High School, Moore did not see any playing time in two seasons at MSU. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Brice Pollock, sophomore cornerback
Pollock was the Bulldogs’ best cover corner in 2024, starting 11 games this fall after making three starts as a freshman. He made his first collegiate interception against Georgia, his home state team, and also forced a fumble in that game. Pollock’s nine pass breakups were by far the most on the team — no one else had more than three. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Rayfield Lotten, redshirt freshman tight end
Lotten, from New Orleans, has not played in two seasons at MSU. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Kobi Albert, redshirt sophomore safety
Albert played in 10 games as a true freshman at Kentucky in 2022 before transferring to MSU, where he did not see the field in 2023 and earned a redshirt. This season, he appeared in just four games, all in August and September, recording a tackle for loss against Toledo but just four tackles in total. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Makylan Pounders, redshirt junior offensive lineman
Pounders was initially committed to MSU in high school, then flipped to Ole Miss before ending up with Memphis after the Rebels pulled his scholarship at the last minute. He started 10 games for the Tigers in 2023, then transferred to the Bulldogs, where he was the starting left tackle to begin the year before splitting time with freshman Luke Work later in the season.
Khamauri Rogers, redshirt sophomore cornerback
Rogers spent his first college season at Miami, appearing in just one game before transferring to MSU, where he did not see the field in 2023. This fall, he played in 10 games but did not register any statistics. Rogers has two years of eligibility remaining.
Antonio Harmon, redshirt junior wide receiver
Harmon did not see any playing time in 2024 but had a solid 2023 season, playing in all 12 games and finishing with 14 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. He has spent the last for years with the MSU program and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Javae Gilmore, redshirt sophomore linebacker
Gilmore made just one appearance as a true freshman in 2022, earning a redshirt, then appeared in all 12 games in 2023 exclusively on special teams. He played in 11 games in 2024, making a tackle for loss against Texas and another tackle against Massachusetts. Gilmore has two years of eligibility remaining.
Marcus Ross, junior linebacker
Ross spent his first two seasons at East Mississippi Community College, recording 77 tackles (seven for loss), 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2023. He made his only appearance as a Bulldog in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky, finishing with two tackles.
Raydarious Jones, senior cornerback
Jones has already been on college football rosters for six years — three at LSU and three at MSU. He played in nine games for the Tigers in 2021. Jones was strictly a scout team member for the Bulldogs in 2022, and played in just one game (against his former team) in 2023. He had two tackles in his lone appearance this season against Eastern Kentucky.
Amari Smith, redshirt freshman offensive lineman
Smith hails from Brookhaven and was a three-star prospect coming out of high school. He did not appear in any games for MSU in two seasons with the Bulldogs. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Leon Bell, senior offensive lineman
Bell was dismissed from the team early in the 2024 season after making his first career start against Arizona State. He started his career at Kilgore Community College in Texas, and played in four games in 2023 at MSU.
Mario Craver, freshman wide receiver
Craver, from Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the crown jewels of the Bulldogs’ 2024 recruiting class and had a strong freshman season, with 17 catches for 368 yards (nearly 22 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. His first collegiate catch was a 54-yard touchdown against Eastern Kentucky. Craver missed MSU’s game against Missouri due to a team-issued suspension but returned the following week to play in the Egg Bowl, going without a reception.
Keyvone Lee, senior running back
Lee has spent three years at Penn State and two with the Bulldogs, leading the Nittany Lions in rushing as a true freshman in 2020. He played in eight games in his first year at MSU, finishing with 12 carries for 75 yards. Lee played a bigger role this fall through four games, with 29 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown, but he sustained an injury against Florida that cost him the rest of the season. He earned a redshirt year due to that injury and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Michael Van Buren, freshman quarterback
Van Buren flipped his commitment to MSU from Oregon after Lebby was hired, and following a season-ending shoulder injury to Blake Shapen against Florida, he became the starter for the rest of the year. He finished 14o-for-256 passing with 1,886 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, although sacks and ball security were issues for him. Van Buren showed poise and maturity in some of the toughest environments in college football, and he has outstanding arm strength and good mobility. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Kevin Coleman, junior wide receiver
Coleman was by far the Bulldogs’ leading receiver in 2024, finishing with 74 catches for 932 yards and six touchdowns. He had a season-high 118 yards in the final game of the year against rival Ole Miss and is also dangerous as a punt returner. Prior to MSU, Coleman was the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2022 at Jackson State and spent the 2023 season at Louisville. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Chris Keys, junior safety
Keys spent his freshman season at Indiana and has been with the Bulldogs for the last two years, with 40 career tackles and two pass breakups. His six tackles against Toledo were a career high.
Players joining Mississippi State in transfer portal
Jayven Williams, defensive back, Kennesaw State
Williams, from Mobile, Alabama, has spent the last three seasons with the Owls, who transitioned to the FBS level this year. He finished with 29 tackles, 16 of them solo, to go along with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception that he returned 48 yards for a touchdown.
Jahron Manning, safety, Old Dominion
Manning played at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in 2023 before transferring to Old Dominion, where he was named Third-Team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2024. He finished with 85 tackles, three interceptions, three pass breakups and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Red Hibbler, defensive end, North Carolina State
Hibbler grew up in Louisville, Mississippi and began his post-high school career at Northwest Mississippi Community College, finishing with 16.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2022. He then had 6.5 sacks in 2023, his first season at NC State, before being limited to four games in 2024.
Nevaeh Sanders, defensive end, Northern Illinois
Sanders played two years at junior college powerhouse Iowa Western Community College, then spent the last two seasons with the Huskies, where he had 4.5 sacks in 2024 as well as a forced fumble. MSU will play Northern Illinois at Davis Wade Stadium in September of 2025.
Brenen Thompson, wide receiver, Oklahoma
Thompson played in nine games at Texas as a true freshman in 2022 before transferring to Oklahoma, where he had 26 receptions for 471 yards and four touchdowns over the last two years.
Jaron Glover, wide receiver, Michigan State
Over the last two seasons with the Spartans, Glover had 29 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns, averaging slightly more than 15 yards per reception.
Jesse Ramil, offensive lineman, James Madison
Ramil played for three years at Saint Francis, at the FCS level, before transferring to James Madison last year. He started all 12 games for the Dukes in 2024 and will spend his final season of eligibility in Starkville.
Luke Kromenhoek, quarterback, Florida State
A former four-star recruit and the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2024 per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Kromenhoek played in six games as a true freshman for the Seminoles, completing 44 of 84 passes for 502 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. All three touchdowns came against Charleston Southern in late November. Kromenhoek also rushed for 113 net yards, with a season-long 42-yard carry against Miami. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Derion Gullette, linebacker, Texas
Gullette was a redshirt freshman this past fall with the Longhorns, playing in five games and finishing with two solo tackles. He was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Jalen Smith, linebacker, Tennessee
Smith was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team as a redshirt freshman in 2024, finishing with 34 tackles including 1.5 for a loss. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school east of Atlanta, per the 247Sports Composite rankings, and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Jaray Bledsoe, defensive lineman, Texas
Bledsoe is the second former Longhorn to join the Bulldogs after spending three seasons in Austin, including a redshirt year. He had a tackle for loss against Texas Tech and a fumble recovery against BYU as a redshirt freshman, but made just two tackles in three games in 2024. Bledsoe has two years of eligibility remaining.
Koby Keenum, offensive lineman, Kentucky
Keenum played in 11 games in 2024 as a redshirt freshman with the Wildcats and was the second-ranked center in his class coming out of high school, according to Rivals. He could replace Ethan Miner as MSU’s starting center, with three years of eligibility remaining.
Malick Sylla, defensive lineman, Texas A&M
Sylla has appeared in 33 games over three seasons with the Aggies, with a career-best 14 tackles in 2023. He did have three tackles for loss, including two sacks, this past season. Sylla will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Carson Lee, offensive lineman, Eastern Michigan
Lee spent his first two college seasons at Colorado before playing three years at Eastern Michigan, appearing in 21 games over the last two years. He became a starter midway through the 2023 season and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Fluff Bothwell, running back, South Alabama
Bothwell had a huge true freshman season for the Jaguars, rushing for 834 yards on 112 carries with 13 touchdowns and also catching 12 passes for 90 yards. He topped 100 rushing yards four times and averaged an impressive 7.4 yards per carry in the Sun Belt. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Darron Reed, defensive lineman, Auburn
Reed saw action in two games in 2024 as a redshirt freshman with the Tigers. The former four-star prospect has three years of eligibility remaining.
Rashein Thomas, defensive end, Northern Illinois
Thomas played in just four games in 2024, recording two sacks, but had a huge 2023 season with 75 tackles and 8.5 for loss. He has spent five seasons with the Huskies and now heads to the SEC for his final year of eligibility.
Will Whitson, defensive lineman, Coastal Carolina
Whitson grew up in Cincinnati and played three years of junior college football at Independence Community College in Kansas before transferring to Coastal Carolina, where he played in all 13 games with one start in 2024. He finished the season with 42 tackles including five for a loss, three sacks and five quarterback hurries. Whitson has one year of eligibility remaining.
Cam Thompson, wide receiver, Northern Illinois
Thompson had a strong redshirt sophomore season with the Huskies, catching 28 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 283 yards on kickoff returns, including a 91-yard runback for a touchdown against Western Michigan. Thompson will have two years of eligibility remaining and is the third Northern Illinois transfer to join the Bulldogs.
Markus Allen, wide receiver, Eastern Michigan
Allen led the Eagles with 651 receiving yards in 2024 on 43 receptions, averaging more than 15 yards per catch with three touchdowns. He had a career day late in the season against Buffalo, with 187 yards on nine catches including a 78-yard touchdown. Allen started his college career at Wisconsin, then played at the junior college level in 2023.
Ayden Williams, wide receiver, Ole Miss
Williams was the No. 2 recruit in Mississippi for the class of 2023 and a unanimous four-star. In two years with the Rebels, he caught seven passes for 119 yards, an impressive 17 yards per reception. Williams has two years of eligibility remaining.
Anthony Evans III, wide receiver, Georgia
Evans was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023 per the 247Sports Composite rankings and has 13 career receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in two seasons at Georgia. He had a career day in October against MSU, gaining 52 yards on his lone rushing attempt and catching four passes for 41 yards. Evans is also dangerous as a kick and punt returner and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Trevor Mayberry, offensive lineman, Stanford
Mayberry played two years in the Ivy League at Penn before spending two more seasons with the Cardinal as their primary left tackle. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
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