Honestly, it's surprising, but State is just kinda flirting here. I think the Bulldogs don't think they have a chance, especially with NIL. But surprisingly, it doesn't sound like anyone else has made a serious run here, besides Houston and Ole Miss. I think State can still get in, but it needs to change pretty quick:

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Hey y'all, I caught up with one of State's top targets for the 2026 class, four-star Greene County (Miss.) wide receiver Jase Mathews. He told me he's down to a top 7 of Mississippi State, Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Miami and Colorado.
Login to view embedded media Mathews visited State for the spring game a few weeks ago. That's been his most recent stop in Starkville. He told me it's all about the connections he has with coach Jeff Lebby and Chad Bumphis. Mathews said they've long clicked and he likes how they treat him and talk to him each time.

Specifically, it sounds like Bumphis is the main reason he's interested in the Bulldogs. Mathews told me, "He’s a real electric person. He’s not a real hard, straight-forward person. If he wasn’t a coach, he’d be a comedian. Seeing him coach and get the ball down the field stands out. Me being a receiver looking to call somewhere home, that’s big." I do think there's appeal to stay in-state. And I know State has sold him on that, as well as being a big play receiver.

Where there's some concern for the Bulldogs is that Mathews has official visits set, but none to State. Now, he did just visit and he is in-state, but that's concerning. Right now, he'll be at Ole Miss May 30, Auburn June 6, Texas A&M June 14 and Miami on June 20. He already officially visited Colorado May 3.

Right now, I think Ole Miss is in the lead. Mathews said that was the first team to offer and that usually means something. Auburn and A&M I think have a shot. Those visits could be huge. Obviously, State doesn't have to get him to visit to land him, but it would help. The effort is still there, even on an unofficial. We'll see if he makes it back. Mathews told me he wants to decide by August.

Full story coming.

Bulldogs commit Brodie McWhorter stood out in the pack of quarterbacks as one of the best yesterday at the Atlanta stop of the Rivals Camp Series:

Mississippi State saw four of its wide receivers play 370 or more snaps last season (Kevin Coleman, Kelly Akharaiyi, Jordan Mosley and Mario Craver). Does the rotation expand to five or does it continue to stick at four? Personally, I see it expanding, and if so, here are my five candidates:

WR: Jordan Mosley OR Ayden Williams
WR: Brenen Thompson
SWR: Anthony Evans / Ricky Johnson

Tough to leave off Markus Allen, but these five players make the most sense to me. Evans plays the Kevin Coleman role (over 85% slot snaps). Thompson, Mosley and Williams are the three primary outside options (85-95% outside) with Johnson being a true inside-out option (the primary backup in the slot who will also receive plenty of perimeter snaps).

My three personal favorites in this group are Evans, Williams and Johnson, but I don’t know that they’ll be the top three necessarily. Could see Williams pushing for a starting job over Mosley and maybe even Johnson jumping him for the WR4 role. Should be an interesting fall camp for a WR position that saw a *complete* overhaul this offseason.

More: Evans sees most consistent targets/usage and is viewed as WR1. Thompson and Williams are two of the most explosive downfield playmakers with higher YPC (16-17+ yards). Mosley and Johnson are three-level guys. Should be a much more balanced target share (don’t think Evans exceeds a 30% share like Coleman did last year with the next highest WR only getting an 11.9% share). Don’t know if there will be more 12 or even some 21 personnel looks that cut into the amount of 3WR sets that we see from them though.

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From our friend Sam Spiegelman, State and Baylor are the two that are standing out most, while Arkansas and SMU aren't too far behind:

Two announcements today, both for games on Black Friday. First, the Egg Bowl will be at 11 am on Nov. 28 at Davis Wade Stadium. Later that night, State will host SMU in the Hump in men's basketball:
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Our Kelly Quinlan and I have the latest here on Zeigler. This one looks to be State and Baylor right now, though things can always change. But this one has the feel of the Brodie McWhorter decision. Even though State hasn't been the definitive pick, that's clearly the leader:

Big announcement today from State. New facility on the way, though details not shared on how much the facility costs or what the gift is from Billy Howard. Here's the full release from State:

Howard Industries, a leading manufacturer of electrical and technology products, has provided the lead naming gift for Mississippi State University's new football indoor practice facility. MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon made the announcement today. Pending IHL approval at its June 2025 meeting, the new facility will be named in honor of Billy W. Howard Sr., a beloved alumnus, former student-athlete, and pillar of the MSU community.

This trailblazing philanthropic gift will elevate the Mississippi State football program by providing elite resources and advancing player development within the state-of-the-art indoor practice facility.

Mr. Howard graduated from MSU in just three years with a degree in electrical engineering in 1946. A standout athlete, he excelled in football, basketball and track, lettering in all three sports. Howard made his mark as a football player under head coach Allyn McKeen, where he became the first player in MSU history to play nearly every minute of every game, earning the nickname "Iron Man."

"This donation is a tribute to my family's deep ties to Mississippi State University," Mr. Howard said. "It's an honor to support the football program and to help build a facility that will continue to nurture the next generation of student-athletes. I'm proud to be a part of the Bulldogs' legacy."

"We are so thankful to the Howard Family and Howard Industries for their thoughtful decision to invest in the development of elite talent at Mississippi State," Selmon said. "We know this is a critical time in college football, and we must continue to take steps forward to elevate Mississippi State football. We are thrilled Howard Industries shares this belief with us, but we are even more excited and honored that the new facility will bear the name of Mr. Billy, as he is someone who exemplifies what it means to be a Mississippi State Bulldog. We can't wait to continue to share his story with all who walk through the doors of this facility."

MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum said this gift brings an exciting jolt to the critical reinvestment in Mississippi State football.

"Howard Industries plays an integral part in the economic success of the state of Mississippi and that is something that we know firsthand to be deeply important," Keenum said. "We are grateful for their passion and for the generosity they have shown Mississippi State through this lead gift for the indoor practice facility. This transformative gift from Howard Industries, honoring Billy W. Howard Sr., is certainly exciting and a gleaming example of the reinvestment and focus on elevating our football program. It is more important than ever before that we focus our attention on elevating our football program. There have been studies and data published on the correlation between success of a football program and the positive impacts it can have on the college campus and the community – everything from enrollment to brand recognition on a national scale. We are blessed to have tremendous supporters who are taking steps to help us continue to elevate our entire university through their investment."

The Billy W. Howard Sr. Indoor Practice Facility will include a 110,000 square-foot indoor training facility as well as dedicated areas for sports science for enhanced work in injury prevention and recovery. There will also be renovations and expansions of the sports medicine, nutrition, and locker room areas within the current Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.

The Billy W. Howard Sr. Indoor Practice Facility will be constructed adjacent to the current Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.

"Words cannot truly express how incredibly grateful we are to Howard Industries and the entire Howard family for making this vision a reality," head football coach Jeff Lebby said. "This new indoor facility will allow us to train more effectively as we compete against the best in the country week in and week out. The development of players, the injury prevention and recovery components and the ability to prepare for Saturdays regardless of the elements outdoors is going to have tremendous impacts on our program. We are grateful for the investment in Mississippi State football and are working tirelessly to make all Bulldog fans proud."

The estimated cost for the indoor practice facility and enhanced support spaces is approximately $60 million. Architects, CDFL and HOK, and facility planners are completing design concepts, with groundbreaking anticipated in 2027. It is expected that the indoor training facility will open in the summer of 2028, with interior renovations to the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex completing in 2029.

Miami commit
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Colin Coates is a Dawg. More depth for Mississippi State along the interior with this addition. He played 312 snaps for the 49ers last season (and has 413 in his career), but he only has one start, which came versus USF in 2023.

He finished last season with five pressures over his last seven games and has 27 career tackles to go with three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Stands 6-foot-2, 320 pounds with a couple of years of eligibility remaining. Not sure what type of role he’ll play for MSU in 2025, but adding more bodies to your defensive front never hurts.
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Guys, this should come as no surprise. I put my FutureCast in over a month ago. But just became official in the last few months, four-star QB Brodie McWhorter has committed to the Bulldogs:

Hey y'all, just wanted to address the news that came out today. Yes, it's true, Rivals was acquired by On3 and the group led by former Rivals CEO Shannon Terry. We're still waiting to see exactly what this will mean for each individual part, including this site. We've been told it should be business as usual over the next few months. By Aug. 1, the sides should be fully integrated. Shannon's post this afternoon suggests he plans to keep both brands, but make Rivals exclusively high school recruiting coverage and rankings, while making On3 the brand that covers college teams, NIL and the transfer portal.

Whatever happens, I want yo thank you for spending time with us. And again, in the immediate future, don't expect any changes. Clint, Aidan and I will still provide coverage for BulldogBlitz. And if you have questions, please email me at jason.stamm@rocketmail.com.

Our friend Sam Spiegelman has made a prediction for State. It follows the one I made about a month ago, with four-star QB Brodie McWhorter. This one has had the Bulldogs in the lead for a while, based on what I've heard. And the coaches have made him their top priority.

Another OL addition:

Just spent the spring at Maryland. The previous two seasons at Akron:

Here’s where we’ll keep track of all the portal movement on Mississippi State’s roster. Not a lot as far as incoming talent yet, but that’ll start soon, I’m sure.

Last update: April 28 at 3:26 p.m. CT

INCOMING (8)
OL Jaekwon Bouldin (Purdue)
OL Blake Steen (Virginia)
TE Sam West (Indiana)
LS Ethan Myers (Chattanooga)
TE Max Reese (Eastern Michigan)
OL Brennan Smith (UTEP)
OL Jayvin James (Maryland/Akron)
OL Zack Owens (Colorado)

DEPARTURES (8)
QB Jake Weir (walk-on)
OL/TE Jacorey Whitted
OL Jesse Ramil
EDGE Donterry Russell
DL Mason Clinton
OL Malik Ellis
EDGE Josaiah Knight
OL Carson Lee
CB Traveon Wright

Putting together a scholarship tracker so everyone knows where the roster stands. I'll be updating this as more guys are added or removed.

Last update: May 1 at 3:27 p.m. CT

ROSTER BREAKDOWN​

Quarterbacks (3)
-Blake Shapen, Gr.
-Luke Kromenhoek, So. (T) - Florida State
-KaMario Taylor, Fr. (EE)

Running Backs (7)
-Davon Booth, Gr.
-Johnnie Daniels, Sr.
-Seth Davis, R-So.
-Xavier Gayten, So.
-Fluff Bothwell, So. (T) - South Alabama
-Kolin Wilson, Fr. (EE)
-Geron Johnson, Fr.

Wide Receivers (13)
-Markus Allen, R-Sr. (T) - Eastern Michigan
-Jordan Mosley, Sr.
-Brenen Thompson, Sr. (T) - Oklahoma
-Jaron Glover, R-Jr. (T) - Michigan State
-Cam Thompson, R-Jr. (T) - Northern Illinois
-Ayden Williams, Jr. (T) - Ole Miss
-Anthony Evans, Jr. (T) - Georgia
-Ricky Johnson, R-Fr.
-Sanfrisco Magee, R-Fr.
-Gracen Harris, Fr. (EE)
-Anson "AJ" Lewis, Fr. (EE)
-Davian Jackson, Fr.
-Isaiah Mitchell, Fr.

Tight Ends (6)
-Seydou Traore, R-Sr.
-Cameron Ball, Jr.
-Max Reese, Jr. (T) - Eastern Michigan
-Emeka Iloh, Jr. (JC)
-Sam West, R-So. (T) - Indiana
-Joeseph Skipworth, Fr.

Offensive Tackles (9)
-Blake Steen, R-Jr. (T) - Virginia
-Jaekwon Bouldin, R-Jr. (T) - Purdue
-Saquon Miles, Jr. (JC)
-Jakheem Shumpert, Jr. (JC)
-Jayvin James, R-So. (T) - Maryland/Akron
-Luke Work, So.
-Jimothy Lewis, R-Fr.
-Spencer Dowland, Fr. (EE)
-Breyden Turnage, Fr.

Interior Offensive Line (9)
-Trevor Mayberry, Gr. (T) - Stanford
-Brennan Smith, R-Sr. (T) - UTEP
-Albert Reese IV, Sr.
-Jacoby Jackson, Sr.
-Canon Boone, Sr.
-Matthew Lefeau, Jr. (JC)
-Koby Keenum, R-So. (T) - Kentucky
-Zack Owens, R-So. (T) - Colorado
-TJ Lockhart, R-Fr.

Defensive Line (16)
-Will Whitson, Gr. (T) - Coastal Carolina
-Red Hibbler, Gr. (T) - NC State
-Raishein Thomas, Gr. (T) - Northern Illinois
-Kendrick Bingley-Jones, Sr.
-Deonte Anderson, Sr.
-Corey Clark, Sr.
-Ashun Sheppard, Sr.
-Jaray Bledsoe, R-Jr. (T) - Texas
-Kalvin Dinkins, Jr.
-Colin Coates, Jr. (T) - Charlotte
-Jamarcus Moye, Jr. (JC)
-Trevion Williams, R-So.
-Darron Reed, R-So. (T) - Auburn
-Joseph Head, R-So.
-Kai McClendon, So.
-Terrance Hibbler, R-Fr.
-Jamil Burroughs, R-Jr. (T/WO) - Miami

Edge Players (5)
-Nevaeh Sanders, Gr. (T) - Northern Illinois
-Branden Jennings, Sr.
-Malick Sylla, Sr. (T) - Texas A&M
-LaKendrick James, Jr. (JC)
-Tyshun Willis, Fr.

Off-Ball Linebackers (8)
-Nic Mitchell, Sr.
-Zakari Tillman, Jr.
-Montrell Chapman, Jr. (JC)
-Jalen Smith, R-So. (T) - Tennessee
-Derion Gullette, R-So. (T) - Texas
-Fatt Forrest, R-Fr.
-Tyler Lockhart, Fr. (EE)
-AJ Rice, Fr. (EE)

Cornerbacks (7)
-DeAgo Brumfield, R-Sr.
-Dwight Lewis III, R-Sr. (T) - Marian College
-Jayven Williams, R-Jr. (T) - Kennesaw State
-Amarien Jefferson, Jr. (JC)
-Kelley Jones, R-So.
-Elijah Cannon, R-Fr.
-Kyle Johnson, Fr.

Safeties (13)
-Hunter Washington, Sr.
-Brylan Lanier, Sr.
-Jahron Manning, Sr. (T) - Old Dominion
-Tyler Woodard, R-Jr.
-Isaac Smith, Jr.
-Tanner Dukes Johnson, Jr.
-Tony Mitchell, Jr. (JC)
-Ja'Bryis Stewart, Jr. (JC)
-Cyrus Reyes, R-So.
-Stonka Burnside, So.
-Jatavious Johnson, R-Fr.
-Sekou Smith, Fr. (EE)
-Lo'Kavion Jackson, Fr.

SCHOLARSHIP BREAKDOWN​

Offense: 47
Defense: 49
TOTAL SCHOLARSHIPS: 96

*Note: WO means walk-on, which includes transfer Jamil Burroughs. The scholarship number is likely a lot closer to 85, but we don’t know which players are on partials that don’t count towards the 85. Anyone that is confirmed as a walk-on will be given the WO tag and will not count towards the “total scholarships” number.

Third OL addition this spring. Smith is a center, converted from guard:

Guys, my apologies. I thought we'd already posted about it, but Friday, State got a transfer from TE Max Reese, from Eastern Michigan. Here's the story:

BIG time get here for Chris Jans. Bit of a down season this past one, but averaged 18.5 points per game two seasons ago at Georgetown. This will undoubtedly be the guy Jans gives the keys to at point guard:

One of the emerging EDGE prospects in Florida is high on the Bulldogs and has already been on campus