STARKVILLE — The spring game has been a tradition for most major college football programs for many decades, giving fans a chance to see their favorite team play an intrasquad scrimmage, usually for free, months before the season officially begins in late August or early September.
But many programs have opted to cancel their spring games in recent years, or provide alternative programming. Ole Miss opted to instead hold the Grove Bowl Games starting last year, which included 7-on-7 action and various skills competitions. The Southeastern Conference’s two newest members, Oklahoma and Texas, are not hosting spring games this year, and neither is Nebraska, which drew more than 60,000 fans to its spring game in 2024.
Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule said his program canceling the spring game was due to the spring transfer portal window, which will be open from Apr. 16-25. Other coaches could get a look at players during the spring game and then entice them to transfer.
At Mississippi State, however, the spring game is not going anywhere. The Bulldogs will hold their scrimmage at the conclusion of spring practice on Apr. 19, and for head coach Jeff Lebby, the reasoning is simple — there are a lot of new faces on the roster.
“Our guys need to play. We have such a new roster, a different roster. There’s been so much turnover. Our guys need to be in competitive situations and go play,” Lebby said. “We need to be able to evaluate that for 15 true practices. The more game-type situations we can be in, the better for us.”
New faces everywhere
Tuesday was the first of those 15 practice days for MSU this spring, and as Lebby said, it will be a very different-looking team than the group that last took the field in Oxford for last November’s Egg Bowl loss that wrapped up a 2-10 campaign. The Bulldogs added 24 players in the winter portal window, plus 11 junior college recruits and eight true freshmen.
The coaching staff also has some new faces, with Phil Loadholt replacing Cody Kennedy as the offensive line coach and Vincent Dancy coaching the defensive ends and outside linebackers. Defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler will continue to coach the inside linebackers, with David Turner in charge of the interior defensive line.
“There’s just a lot more one-on-one, which I love and is really good for us,” Lebby said. “Both (Loadholt and Dancy) have great energy, they have great toughness, they have great knowledge of the game. I’m excited about where we’re going with them.”
After fielding by far the SEC’s worst defense in Lebby and Hutzler’s first year in Starkville, MSU brought in two former head coaches in Paul Rhoads and Mike McIntyre as senior defensive analysts. Lebby said McIntyre will help Dancy with the defensive ends and outside linebackers, while Rhoads will work with the cornerbacks.
The secondary should get a boost with rising sophomore Braylon “Stonka” Burnside, a former Starkville High standout, switching sides of the ball from wide receiver to safety.
“On the defensive side of the ball, he gives us something we haven’t had from a playmaking ability standpoint,” Lebby said. “He’s a guy who has great instincts for the football; he has great physicality. Proud of that dude for buying into it and wanting to do it and being excited about it.”
Shapen ‘healthiest and biggest and strongest he’s ever been’
The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen to a season-ending shoulder injury after just four games last season, but the Baylor transfer was able to earn an additional year of eligibility. He has the inside track to start in 2025 in a room that includes Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek and highly-regarded freshman Kamario Taylor.
Shapen, listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, was participating in practice Tuesday without restrictions, and Lebby said he was taking repetitions with the first team. His familiarity with Lebby’s offense gives him the edge over newcomers Kromenhoek and Taylor.
“Blake is light years ahead of where the other guys are at because of the reps he’s gotten and the work he’s had and the experience he has,” Lebby said. “He’s a guy who has great command of what we want. He’s the healthiest and the biggest and the strongest he’s ever been in his career. Being at 210 pounds, that was key for us and key for him.”
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