STARKVILLE — A handful of Mississippi State football players have exhausted their eligibility, chose not to spend an extra season in school or are set to declare early for the 2023 NFL draft.
That won’t keep them from suiting up for the Bulldogs one more time, though.
Star cornerback Emmanuel Forbes’ choice to play in Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois in Tampa, Florida, is a boon for MSU’s chances of winning nine games in a season for just the ninth time in program history.
Head coach Zach Arnett said the Bulldogs (8-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) are at “full strength” as they approach the contest at 11 a.m. Monday at Raymond James Stadium — in terms of health as well.
“We expect everyone who is on the trip to be available to play,” Arnett said.
Sure, MSU’s offense will be limited by the transfer-portal exits of several key players. Wide receiver Rara Thomas and running back Dillon Johnson, among others, are no longer with the team.
But that’s life in college football these days, and the Bulldogs have been no harder hit than any other team.
“It’s a reality we’re all dealing with,” Arnett said of the portal.
So are players sitting out bowl games to prepare for the draft, which has taken off of late as athletes see no need to further risk their health and money-making potential.
Illinois was hit hard by a few such decisions, with star running back Chase Brown chief among them. Brown, as well as defensive backs Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon, elected to skip Monday’s game.
It’s a practice derided as “selfish” last year by late Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, in whose memory the Bulldogs will play Monday. Leach died Dec. 12 at age 61, but according to Arnett and MSU, there was no doubt about finishing the season off.
Those who had reason to miss the contest — including Forbes and safety Collin Duncan, who also declared for the draft — apparently made their decisions before Leach’s death.
“I know most of them have expressed they were playing prior to Coach Leach’s obviously unfortunate incident,” Arnett said. “I just think it speaks to the guys we got in our program, guys who like playing football, guys who want to play for each other, the other guys in the locker room. I think it said a lot of those guys individually.
“They’re Mississippi State guys. Line them up, they want to play with their teammates, finish the season off with them. Those are obviously guys you love having in your locker room and you appreciate what they’ve done for your program.”
Now it’s up to those who chose to stay to cap the year the right way.
With a victory, MSU can post its first nine-win season since 2017, and the Bulldogs have no intention of taking Monday’s game lightly.
“Absolutely always better to go in the offseason with a win than a loss, right?” Arnett said. “As much fun as you have on these bowl trips, you always remember how it ends.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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