Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby said at his national signing day press conference that he hoped to land at least 15 players during the winter transfer portal window.
The Bulldogs reached that number earlier this week with the commitment of former South Alabama running back Fluff Bothwell, but considering MSU has lost 25 players to the portal, Lebby and his staff will likely need to continue to bolster the roster with experienced Division I players.
That said, the Bulldogs have generated some momentum in recent weeks at positions of need. The linebacking corps is beginning to look like it can compete in the Southeastern Conference, and MSU has added much-needed help up front on both sides of the ball.
Lebby retained defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler, and although Hutzler’s unit was among the worst in major college football during the season, Hutzler has attracted some strong linebacking talent to Starkville. The Bulldogs already had a foundation to build on with Stone Blanton, Branden Jennings and Zakari Tillman returning, and MSU has added Derion Gullette from Texas and Jalen Smith from Tennessee.
Smith is the Bulldogs’ highest-impact defensive addition so far, coming off a season in which he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. A former four-star recruit out of high school in Georgia, Smith had 34 tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2024, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Elsewhere on defense, MSU added another former Longhorn in defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe, who had some big moments as a redshirt freshman in 2023 but was limited to three games this season. Malick Sylla, formerly of Texas A&M, should help bolster the Bulldogs’ defensive front after recording a pair of sacks in 2024.
MSU is now up to three impact transfers on the offensive line, starting with Jesse Ramil, who started all 12 regular-season games in 2024 for James Madison. The Bulldogs also added former Kentucky center Koby Keenum, who could be in line to replace Ethan Miner, as well as Carson Lee from Eastern Michigan. Lee became a starter midway through the 2023 season and has made 21 appearances over the last two years with the Eagles.
The addition of Bothwell gives MSU an explosive playmaker at running back in a room that also includes Johnnie Daniels and Seth Davis, who missed all of 2024 with an injury. Bothwell rushed for 834 yards as a true freshman at South Alabama, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, and had 13 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs’ quarterback room is also likely set after Luke Kromenhoek, a former four-star recruit and the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2024 per the 247Sports Composite rankings, transferred to MSU from Florida State. Kromenhoek backed up DJ Uiagalelei as a freshman but played in six games, completing 44 of 84 passes for 502 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Wide receiver, tight end and defensive back remain the Bulldogs’ biggest portal shortcomings. MSU lost a huge chunk of its receiving corps with Kevin Coleman and Mario Craver opting to transfer. Adding Brenen Thompson (Oklahoma) and Jaron Glover (Michigan State) will help, but Lebby and company have more work to do.
In the defensive backfield, the Bulldogs are extremely thin on returners outside of Isaac Smith, who led the SEC in tackles as a sophomore in 2024. Cornerback Brice Pollock transferring out was a major blow, and MSU has added just two secondary players in the portal so far, both from Group of 5 conferences.
Considering the Bulldogs are coming off a 2-10 season and lost every conference game by at least 10 points, MSU has done well to address its many weaknesses with the talent available in the portal. But much more is needed for Lebby and the Bulldogs to likely feel confident about ending their two-year bowl drought in 2025.
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