If Saturday’s spring game was any indication, the play clock will not be much of an issue for Mississippi State this fall.
The Bulldogs’ offense hustled to the line of scrimmage without huddling after almost every play, using tempo to keep the defense on its heels. But in addition to tiring out opposing defenses, playing fast also means a lot of running around for MSU’s offensive line, a group that does not resemble last year’s unit in the slightest.
None of the six offensive linemen to start a game for the Bulldogs in 2023 are still around, all leaving for either the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. MSU has retooled under new head coach Jeff Lebby and offensive line coach Cody Kennedy, and if the starting five up front looks like it did Saturday, the Bulldogs will be using a mix of transfer additions and holdovers from last season who saw limited playing time.
“We’ve meshed very well,” said junior Albert Reese IV, who appeared in every game last year as a reserve and started at left guard in the spring game. “I feel like I’ve known (the transfers) since I’ve been here. It doesn’t really feel new even though it is.”
Reese was one of two returners on the first-team offensive line along with redshirt junior Leon Bell at right tackle. Bell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Kilgore (Texas) Community College and appeared in four games last year, his first season at MSU, without allowing a sack or committing a penalty.
Joining them in the starting lineup were three transfers — left tackle Makylan Pounders (Memphis), center Ethan Miner (North Texas) and right guard Marlon Martinez (LSU). The Bulldogs also added Jacoby Jackson from Texas Tech, who started 14 games for the Red Raiders over the last two years and had offers from both MSU and Ole Miss out of high school.
“There’s so much work to be done, but when you look at those five (starters), they’ve played a lot of football,” Lebby said. “Whether it’s Mak Pounders, Albert Reese, Ethan Miner, those guys have played a bunch. Marlon has done a good job this spring and then Leon has done a nice job at right tackle, so those first five guys, they’ve gotten better every single day. We’ve got guys behind them that have to continue to get better just like they do. I like where that unit is at.”
Miner has started at center for both Arkansas State and North Texas and became the first transfer to join the Bulldogs’ new-look offensive line. Pro Football Focus graded him as the third-best center in the country last year. Pounders came on board a short time later after a stellar year at Memphis in which he allowed just one sack in 400 snaps. Martinez had seven SEC offers out of high school, choosing LSU, where he appeared in 12 games last season.
It’s a unit that will have to move around a lot, and not just because the Bulldogs are looking to play fast. Presumptive starting quarterback Blake Shapen showed off an ability to move around in the pocket and scramble when necessary, and both sophomore Chris Parson and freshman Michael Van Buren can do the same.
“It was definitely tough,” Reese said. “But the more we go through that tempo, the better shape we’re going to be in, especially when that fall camp heat gets in. It’s really going to get us used to it when the season comes.”
The offensive line held up well in pass protection Saturday and allowed just two sacks, one of which came on a play blown dead early to prevent a high-impact collision. Shapen, Parson and Van Buren all usually had plenty of time to scan the field and look for an open receiver, and that time will be critical come the fall considering how much MSU has emphasized stretching the field and making explosive plays.
“Our culture has improved a lot, especially on the o-line,” Reese said. “The transfers, we’re all kind of on the same page. Even though people are new, it doesn’t feel new. It feels like we’ve known each other for all these years. The chemistry is very good, and I feel like it’s going to be one of our best attributes.”
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