The countdown to this year’s college football season has begun in earnest with less than five weeks until Mississippi State opens the season on Aug. 31 against Eastern Kentucky at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, opened fall camp on Thursday.
As camp progresses, The Dispatch will be taking a look at each position group on MSU’s roster, noting who could be the potential starters, backups and impact players to look out for on the gridiron.
After getting very little production from their tight ends last year, the Bulldogs are excited about what the room can contribute this fall. London native Seydou Traore sat out last season after transferring twice in the same year but is eligible to play now, and brothers Justin and Cameron Ball should make an impact after arriving via the transfer portal.
Here is all you need to know about MSU’s tight ends heading into the 2024 campaign.
The Starter
Seydou Traore
6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt junior from London, England
Traore grew up across the pond and had never competed in 11-man gridiron football before playing one high school season in Florida. He played two years at Arkansas State, leading the Red Wolves in 2022 with 655 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Traore then transferred to Colorado for the spring of 2023 but decided the Buffaloes were not the right fit, so he transferred again to MSU prior to the 2023 season.
Transferring twice in the same year meant he had to sit out last season, but Traore is ready to make up for lost time in an offense that should be well-suited to his skill set. In the spring game in April, Traore hauled in four catches for 33 yards, 22 of which came after the catch.
The Backups
Justin Ball
6-foot-6, 250-pound redshirt senior from Glenn Dale, Maryland
Ball spent the last five years at Vanderbilt, starting all 12 games last year for the Commodores. He caught 15 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, all career bests, and is spending his final season of eligibility with the Bulldogs. Ball racked up 76 receiving yards on just two catches in the spring game.
Cameron Ball
6-foot-6, 250-pound redshirt sophomore from Glenn Dale, Maryland
Justin’s younger brother also comes to Starkville out of the portal, having spent the last two years at Buffalo. He redshirted in 2022 but played in 10 games with six starts last year, finishing with eight receptions for 82 yards.
The Rest
Rayfield Lotten
6-foot-6, 240-pound redshirt freshman from New Orleans, Louisiana
Lotten chose the Bulldogs over an offer from Florida State, but remained on the bench throughout all 12 games last year.
Nick Lauderdale
6-foot-3, 225-pound senior from Jackson, Mississippi
Lauderdale played at Belhaven University, a Division III program in Jackson, as a freshman in 2019, making five receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns. He played for Hinds Community College in 2021, playing mostly on special teams, and played in three games for MSU last year after sitting out the 2022 season.
Jacorey Whitted
6-foot-6, 265-pound freshman from McCalia, Alabama
Whitted had an outstanding senior season in high school, finishing with 31 receptions for 678 yards and nine touchdowns. He committed to MSU before the coaching change, choosing the Bulldogs over offers from Auburn, Tennessee and Michigan State, among others.
Josh Washington
6-foot-5, 260-pound redshirt freshman from Harvey, Louisiana
Washington did not see any playing time last year as a true freshman.
Samuel Paxton
6-foot-3, 240-pound junior from Newellton, Louisiana
Paxton has not entered a game in his two years in the MSU program.
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