Mississippi State players were able to enter the transfer portal before the end of the regular season after the Bulldogs fired Zach Arnett on Nov. 13. MSU has since hired Jeff Lebby as head coach, but with the portal now open for all college football players with eligibility remaining, The Commercial Dispatch is tracking Bulldogs players who have opted to enter the portal here.
Jimmy Bell Jr., senior offensive lineman
After playing basketball at four different schools over five years, Bell decided to go out for football following his graduate season with MSU. He previously practiced with the football team at West Virginia but never appeared in a game. Bell did get a little bit of playing time in the Bulldogs’ spring game, but is now seeking to play elsewhere.
Avery Sledge, redshirt freshman safety
Sledge, from Hattiesburg, played in just two games as a true freshman in 2022 but provided a highlight in the 2023 season opener, recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana. As a recruit, Sledge was initially committed to Tulane before flipping to MSU right before the December signing period in 2021.
Jayden Hobson, freshman offensive lineman
Hobson did not play as a true freshman and earned a redshirt. He is from Tuscaloosa, Ala., with West Virginia being his only major conference offer out of high school besides MSU.
Zay Alexander, freshman linebacker
Alexander did not appear in any games in 2023, earning a redshirt and maintaining all four years of eligibility. Originally from Tupelo, he also had offers from Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Texas, among others.
Mike Wright, senior quarterback
Wright transferred to the Bulldogs after spending three years at Vanderbilt, where he started 11 games for the Commodores. In the first half of 2023, he was mainly used as a running quarterback but became the starter midway through the season after Will Rogers injured his shoulder against Western Michigan. Wright started the next three games, finishing the season 48-for-85 passing for 453 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also recorded 324 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.
This spring, Wright joined the MSU track and field team as a sprinter, but his path to playing time at quarterback became more difficult with the additions of Baylor transfer Blake Shapen and freshman Michael Van Buren. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
Khalid Moore, sophomore linebacker
Moore earned a redshirt in 2022 and appeared in five games last fall without registering any statistics. He grew up in Poplarville, Miss., and his only two major conference offers out of high school were from MSU and Ole Miss. Current Bulldogs defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler recruited Moore when he was with the Rebels. Moore will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Justin Robinson, senior wide receiver
Robinson spent the last two years with MSU after playing his first two seasons at Georgia, and turned into one of the Bulldogs’ more reliable receivers. He was the MVP of the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl, catching seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown as MSU defeated Illinois. Robinson appeared in 10 games last season, finishing with 257 receiving yards on 21 catches. He will be a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
Keelan Crimmins, freshman punter
A rugby-style punter from Melbourne, Australia, Crimmins was the Bulldogs’ starting punter in 2023. His 49 punts traveled just under 41 yards on average, with a long of 55 yards against Kentucky. He pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 13 occasions. Crimmins will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Trent Singleton, redshirt freshman safety
Singleton did not appear in any games in 2022 or 2023, leaving him with three years of eligibility remaining. From Edwards, Miss. (between Jackson and Vicksburg), Singleton’s only other power conference offer came from Indiana.
Luke Evans, freshman cornerback
Evans did not see any game action in 2023 and earned a redshirt, leaving all four years of eligibility intact. A product of Hollywood, Fla., Evans flipped to the Bulldogs from Cincinnati and also had offers from Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Kentucky, among others.
Caleb Bryant, freshman defensive lineman
Bryant, the No. 9 ranked prospect in Mississippi for the Class of 2023, did not see any game action for the Bulldogs. The product of Vicksburg High’s first offer came from MSU, and he chose the Bulldogs over the likes of Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and USC. Bryant earned a redshirt in 2023 and has four years of eligibility remaining.
Jonathan Davis, freshman defensive lineman
Davis, the No. 6 prospect in Mississippi for the Class of 2023, had offers from Texas and Ole Miss, among others, out of Lawrence County High. He did not see any action for MSU in 2023.
Percy Lewis, senior offensive lineman
Lewis was to be MSU’s lone returning starter on the offensive line, having started each of the Bulldogs’ last seven games in 2023 at left tackle. Also MSU’s biggest body up front at 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds, Lewis was a consensus four-star prospect out of high school and had four other Southeastern Conference offers.
Jacarius Clayton, redshirt freshman tight end
Clayton, a Tupelo High product, redshirted in 2022 and did not record any statistics in 2023. He had offers out of high school from Ole Miss, Arkansas, Arizona State and Indiana, among others.
Decamerion Richardson, senior cornerback
Richardson started every game for MSU in 2022 and 2023 and was the Bulldogs’ top cover corner this year, finishing with 79 tackles, a sack and seven pass breakups. He had a breakout performance in a 2022 victory over Texas A&M, recovering a fumble and later returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown. Richardson will be a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
Jo’Quavious Marks, senior running back
Marks, a native of Atlanta, started 32 games over four years with MSU, totaling 1,883 rushing yards on 410 carries with 22 touchdowns. He was also used regularly in the passing game during his first three years under Mike Leach and the Air Raid, recording a program-record 214 receptions for 1,225 receiving yards and five scores.
He started his senior season strong, rushing for a combined 250 yards and three touchdowns in his first two games, but later dealt with a series of leg injuries, missing three games during the second half of conference play before returning for the final two contests. Marks will be a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
DeCarlos Nicholson, senior cornerback
Nicholson spent his first two collegiate seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, becoming the No. 2 junior college prospect in the state. He has appeared in all 25 games over the last two years with MSU, starting seven games this season, and finished with 42 tackles (including two for a loss) and two pass breakups. Nicholson has one year of eligibility remaining.
Zavion Thomas, sophomore wide receiver
Thomas, a freshman All-American punt returner in 2022, grew into a starting-caliber receiver in 2023, finishing with 40 catches for 503 yards and a touchdown. He had a career day on Oct. 28 at Auburn, with nine catches for 112 yards and a score, and he also returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown at Texas A&M. The product of Woodmere, La. has two years of eligibility remaining.
Carson Allen, freshman kicker
Allen, from Woodstock, Ga., chose MSU over Vanderbilt, Indiana and Purdue. He did not see any game action for the Bulldogs this season.
Steven Losoya III, redshirt senior offensive lineman
Losoya spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee, but started nine games for MSU in 2022 and all 12 games for the Bulldogs at right guard in 2023. He has one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryland Goede, redshirt senior tight end
Goede played four years at Georgia before transferring to MSU this season, as the Bulldogs were reintegrating the tight end position into their offense after doing away with the Air Raid. He played in 10 games this year, starting seven of them, and was used almost exclusively as a blocker. He made his first collegiate reception in the fourth quarter of the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss, hauling in a pass from Will Rogers for 18 yards.
Will Rogers, senior quarterback
A four-year starter behind center, Rogers guided the Air Raid offense for his first three seasons in Starkville under Mike Leach and started 38 consecutive games before sustaining a shoulder injury on Oct. 7 against Western Michigan. He returned for the final two games against Southern Miss and Ole Miss, finishing the season second all-time in SEC history in passing yards, first in completions and fourth in touchdown passes. Rogers has one more year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will James, freshman safety
MSU was the only SEC offer for James, who is from Grand Bay, Ala. James made his collegiate debut for the Bulldogs on Oct. 28 at Auburn and did not register any statistics.
Nakai Poole, freshman wide receiver
From Norcross, Ga., Poole chose MSU over offers from Auburn, LSU, Missouri and Ole Miss, among others. He did not register any statistics this season.
Simeon Price, redshirt sophomore running back
A product of Pensacola, Fla., Price played in four games without registering any statistics in 2021. Last season, he rushed for 150 yards on 30 carries while catching 13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.
With a more crowded running backs room this year — MSU added freshman Seth Davis and transfers Jeffery Pittman and Keyvone Lee — Price has received just five carries but has managed 41 yards rushing.
Jacoby Bellazar, junior wide receiver
From Baton Rouge, La., Bellazar spent two seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he led his team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in both 2021 and 2022. He caught one pass for 13 yards in a Bulldogs uniform, which came in the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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