hey y'all, here are the videos from after practice yesterday. Linebacker John Lewis and offensive lineman Albert Reese IV:
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Release from State:

Six Mississippi State Bulldogs were named to the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist, the organization announced on Wednesday. The six players on the watchlist are Eric Taylor, Trent Hudson, Ethan Miner, Blake Shapen, Kelly Akharaiyi, and Corey Ellington.

Taylor, a draft-eligible junior, enters the second season at Mississippi State in 2024. Last season, Taylor appeared in all 12 games and recorded 15 tackles and one tackle-for-loss. He had his best game against Southern Miss, where he registered three tackles. In November of 2023, the NFL decided to allow juniors who declare for the draft to participate in all three of the major college all-star games (East-West Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl and HBCU Legacy Bowl).

Hudson, a 2022 NJCAA All-American at Trinity Valley CC, had a big season at New Mexico State in 2023. Hudson played in 14 of the team's 15 games and helped guide the Aggies to a 10-win season, the second-most wins in program history, and a berth in the C-USA title game, a program first. In his lone season in Las Cruces, Hudson hauled in 36 receptions for 551 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was one of just 25 FBS players with double-digit receiving touchdowns last season. In the C-USA title game, he posted a career-best seven receptions, with 112 yards and two touchdowns. He had two 100+ yard games in 2023 and three two-touchdown performances during the 2023 campaign.

Akharaiyi comes to Starkville after two impressive seasons at UTEP. In 2023, Akharaiyi began to turn heads with an outstanding junior campaign. He started all 12 games for the Miners and was one of just two C-USA players to tally over 1,000 receiving yards (1,033). On 48 receptions, he averaged 86.1 yards per game while hauling in seven touchdowns. He led C-USA and ranked fifth in the FBS in yards per catch (21.5) and 17th in college football in total receiving yards and yards per game. He was a big play threat all season, earning a pair of 80+ yard touchdown receptions, the most 80+ yard receptions for a UTEP receiver since 1999. Akharaiyi was named to the 2024 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Fourth Team after earning First Team All-Conference USA last season.

A 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Shapen begins his lone season at Mississippi State with an impressive resume. In three seasons at Baylor, Shapen threw for 5,574 yards and 36 touchdowns with a career completion percentage of 63%. In 2021, he played in just six games with two starts but led Baylor to a Big 12 Championship while earning the Big 12 Championships Most Outstanding Performer award. He earned that honor after setting a Big 12 Championship game and AT&T Stadium (college games only) record with 17 straight completions and 180 yards and three touchdowns. In each of the next two seasons, Shapen was Baylor's full-time starting QB. He passed for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and had 13+ touchdowns in each season as well.

Miner, who was the second-best offensive lineman in The American by PFF last season (81.5), spent one year at North Texas before his time at Arkansas State. In his career, Miner has played in 44 career games with 36 starts, including a streak of 35 straight starts dating back to Sept. 4, 2021. While being one of the best offensive linemen in The American, he was also an elite center, earning the third-best PFF grade in America for a center (81.2), while his 85.9 passing grade by PFF was the fifth-best grade nationally as well. While at UNT, he blocked for an offense that averaged 495.8 yards per game and 304.7 passing yards per contest. Following last season's stellar campaign, Miner was named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Fourth Team while also earning 2024 National Football Honor Society honors for his hard work in the classroom.

Ellington enters his fourth season wearing the Maroon and White in 2024. The senior from Lexington, Miss., has appeared in 31 career games with nine starts. He has racked up 92 career tackles, two career sacks and two pass breakups. He set a career-high for tackles (12) against Ole Miss in 2023. Ellington had his best season as a Bulldog in 2023, earning seven starts while recording a career-high 66 tackles. He earned his first career sack that same season at Arkansas.

Here's our social media post. Incoming transfer from UTEP, who could be Bulldogs' No. 1 receiver this season:
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Full schedule now out. Release from State athletics is below:

The Southeastern Conference announced games dates for the 2024-25 Mississippi State men's basketball season on Tuesday.

In 76 days, the Bulldogs will face West Georgia (Nov. 4) in their 2024-25 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embark on the program's third season under Chris Jans, who has guided State to consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.

Humphrey Coliseum was one of the nation's most electric environments featuring seven sellouts in 2023-24 – the most on record for a season dating back to 2008-09 highlighted by four in a row.

Fans can purchase season tickets through Mississippi State's Athletic Ticket Office starting as low as $225 at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 / (888) 463-2947 (GO DAWGS).

As previously announced, State's 18-game SEC schedule features at least one matchup with all 15 league opponents. The Bulldogs have drawn home-and-home matchups with fellow 2024 NCAA Tournament participants Alabama and South Carolina along with Ole Miss.

The SEC and its television partners will finalize midweek game dates in addition to announcing tip times and TV network assignments at a later date.

State will begin SEC action versus South Carolina (Jan. 4) for the second straight season. The matchup with the Gamecocks starts a run of three consecutive Saturday home dates which include tilts with Kentucky (Jan. 11) and Ole Miss (Jan. 18) at Humphrey Coliseum.

State concludes its January slate at Alabama (Jan. 28/29), who made a run to the 2024 NCAA Final Four. The Bulldogs also will make first-half SEC road stops at Vanderbilt (Jan. 7/8), 2024 SEC Tournament champion Auburn (Jan. 14/15), 2024 SEC regular season champion Tennessee (Jan. 21) and play a return game at South Carolina (Jan. 25).

After taking on Missouri (Feb. 1) at Humphrey Coliseum, the Bulldogs will play four of their next six on the road during February. State will host Florida (Feb. 11/12) and Texas A&M (Feb. 18/19) in midweek meetings sandwiched between road games at Georgia (Feb. 8), Ole Miss (Feb. 15), Oklahoma (Feb. 22) and Alabama (Feb. 25/26).

State heads into March facing off with LSU (March 1) and Texas (March 4/5) at Humphrey Coliseum before finishing up the regular season at Arkansas (March 8).

The SEC Tournament will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville from March 12-16 where the Bulldogs made the semifinals at last year's event.

State has secured back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances fueled by a pair of 21-win campaigns with Coach Jans at the helm. The last time the Bulldogs collected back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids was during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

Last season, the Bulldogs captured three victories over Associated Press Top 10 opponents for the first time since 2001-02. State knocked off No. 5 Tennessee during the regular season and at the SEC Tournament in addition to defeating No. 8 Auburn.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Tristen Keys mentioned again, but just so you're all aware of the new rankings, here's our friend Adam Gorney's analysis of the new Rivals250:

One of State's offers in the 2026 class, four-star WR Tristen Keys from Hattiesburg (Miss.) was one of the biggest risers in the new release:

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Guys, I talked with another State target for 2026, four-star Xavier McDonald. He's No. 65 in the latest Rivals100 for the class.
Login to view embedded media McDonald was just at Mississippi State a few weeks ago to catch a fall practice. He also visited practices at Ole Miss, Florida State, Auburn, LSU and UCF. With the Bulldogs, McDonald said he likes the direction the program is headed, specifically the offense. He also likes the proximity to home and his family. Coach-wise, McDonald said he talks mostly with assistant coach Chad Bumphis, though he does talk some with coach Jeff Lebby. McDonald said he really just likes the bond he has with both coaches and he feels like it's come quickly with Lebby. "Every time they see me they call my name. I like how that bond is there."

McDonald did have some good things to say about Ole Miss. And he particularly likes coach Lane Kiffin. But the school that to me is the clear leader here is Florida State. McDonald seems pretty enamored with the Noles. He likes the vibe and told me, "they’re different from most of these colleges." By that, he means the energy, excitement and just how he feels when he visits. McDonald also said his own coaches have told him to look for the coach that's different, that he gets a feel for. He told me about Florida State cpach Mike Norvell, "That's the coach."

No dates set, but this fall, McDonald said he wants to visit Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU and Mizzou. I'd be shocked if he wasn't back at Florida State, too. So honestly (and I'll always be honest), I think the Bulldogs are running third here. Still time, and kids can always change their minds. But I think FSU is in the lead, followed by Ole Miss, then State.

Full story coming.

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Guys, I caught up last night with 2026 four-star receiver O'Mari Johnson, now No. 78 in the new Rivals100 for his class. He remains one of State's top targets in the 2026 class.
Login to view embedded media Johnson told me he's up to 12 offers, but no one has offered him in months. Not sure why, because this kid is a stud. I can't imagine that will continue, but it only works in the Bulldogs' favor. He visited State a few times last spring, including in June for camp where the new staff re-offered him.

One of the first things Johnson told me he likes about State is that they have such a good agriculture program. His first choice in what he wants to do outside of football is being a veterinarian and he loves what State has to offer there. Business and physical therapy are also in play. But Johnson lives on a horse farm, so he's always loved animals.

Johnson said he's talked a little bit with Jeff Lebby, but named almost everyone on the Bulldogs' coaching staff. He talks most with assistant coach Chad Bumphis. Johnson said "It feels like home every time I go up there. They welcome me with open arms every time." He told me he loves being around the players and the staff.

The other school he's talked a lot with and visited recently was Tulane, but that was back in June. So, that might be overlooked, but he likes the Wave and how the staff has connected with him. The other one to watch is LSU, which Johnson told me, "As a kid, LSU was always my dream college."

When I asked where Johnson wanted to visit this season, he told me Tennessee, Mississippi State, Tulane, LSU, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Louisville. The only one set is Ole Miss for the Tennessee game. I'd expect him to be at one of State's first games though. I think the Bulldogs are the clear favorites right now and I thought about putting in a FutureCast for State. But I'm not quite there. Let's see when he gets to State and then follow up and if it's still where it is now, THEN I'd say the Bulldogs will be the pick. But still heavy favorites.

Full story coming.

Another post I made last week was on the Bulldogs' uniform drop. Thoughts?
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Guys, lost in the technical difficulties were posts I made about MSU commit Mario Nash, 2026 target JaReylan McCoy and 2025 target Kevin Oatis.

I posted an INside on Oatis, which was lost. But the main things to know here are that he's down to four: Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M. He officially visited Arkansas May 31, MSU June 21, but is now setting official visits to LSU and A&M, likely for October. I really think the Bulldogs are the favorites, but LSU is right there. Oatis called the Tigers "one of his dream schools" and I think there's some pull there. But MSU is close to home and I think his family would prefer him go there. I'll keep updates coming here when available.

Full video from Lebby talking with members of the media.

Hey y'all, we've had some technical difficulties with the board, for which we apologize. I made some posts Thursday, but they were deleted as we fixed the issues.

So...My name is Jason Stamm and as of Thursday, I'm the new editor of BulldogBlitz.com! I've written/published content for Rivals all but one year since 2008. I've spent the past almost seven and a half years as the editor of BearcatReport.com, covering the University of Cincinnati. Prior to that, I covered Virginia Tech from 2012 to 2017, the first four for Rivals and the last for the now defunct Scout. And from 2008 to 2012, I helped launch and was the editor of InsideHilltopperSports, covering Western Kentucky University. During that time covering WKU, because it wasn't full time, I also was the sports editor of a weekly newspaper outside of Louisville, Ky for a year and the editor for a prep sports magazine in Bowling Green, Ky.

My goal here is to deliver you some of the BEST coverage of Hail State you'll find anywhere. Recruiting has always been and continues to be Rivals' bread and butter. So, I plan to keep that up, with regular men's basketball and football recruiting updates on all the targets the Bulldogs are pursuing. Aidan Locker will also continue with us and will be on the ground in Starkville to help with our team coverage.

I want to be as transparent as possible, but know there will be times where I can't divulge any info or specifics to not burn sources. But I will post regular updates, including what I call "INsider" posts to help give you the most for your subscriptions. For instance, when I call a recruit, I'll rundown the important takeaways here first, in an INsider post. A day or two later, I'll post a full story for everyone in the Rivals network to see.

Please feel free to follow me on X (@JasonStammSaid) or email me at jason.stamm@rocketmail.com. I'll also be manning the site's X page (@msubulldogblitz) for updates as well. I look forward to interacting with you and bringing you lots of coverage! Have a great rest of your weekend!

Updated 2025 Rivals250

Five-Star Countdown: Rankings Week for 2025 class kicks off

Meet the seven new five-stars

Tuesdays with Gorney: Position by position

Rivals Rankings Week: Ten biggest risers in the Rivals250

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He is scheduled to be in Tally this weekend to visit the Noles.

The latest on some major names especially in 2026:

JEFF LEBBY: Commissioner, thank you, and you were spot on there. Kane has already stole the show. He'll continue to steal the show as he will terrorize Starkville, Mississippi, for many, many years to come.

I'll piggyback off the commissioner and his opening statement as we started here I guess a couple of days ago, but couldn't be more proud to be able to be here representing Mississippi State in Dallas, Texas, Dak city, obviously one of the greatest to ever do it, one that absolutely loves his university, so Dak, thank you.

But it is, it's great to be here. It's great to be in Dallas. You look at it, seven months, I've been here seven months, and as we got boots on the ground, we said, hey, what are the things that are going to be most important to us to make sure we go have a successful year one, but also find a way to create this great foundation so we have the ability to go sustain?

For us, it was the guys knowing exactly what we expected of them as they walked in the building. Our guys knowing what they were going to get into, the expectation, the culture, and I could not be more proud as we look up seven months in, getting ready to start fall camp inside of two weeks, and our guys have taken to it. They've taken to it, and they've ran with it and our culture and who we are every single day.

We talk about four things nonstop inside the program. We talk about having fun, being tough, being competitive, and then being accountable, and we break those things down in different ways, but for me having fun in the doing, that matters.

We've got 18 to 22-year-old kids that need to have an incredible college experience. These guys need to have a great experience while at State.

It's going to be incredibly hard doing what we do. We understand that. We get to do it with the best and against the best every single day. Nobody understands that more than I do. But I want our people inside our building to have fun in the doing.

So when they walk through those double doors every day, they are able to pour into it just a little bit more because they enjoy the people they're around. They know it's going to be incredibly hard, it's going to be incredibly tough, it's going to be difficult to go do what we're going to do, but having fun in the doing to me and for us as a culture is incredibly important.

Toughness, toughness travels. This is a league that is built on toughness. Always has been, always will be. I love that fact of being able to lead our program in a way that creates opportunities for guys to be tough. Mississippi State, built on toughness and edge, and those are things that I'm incredibly proud of.

Competitive. The most competitive league in all of college football. So how many different ways can we create a competitive situation, a competitive scenario so when we get to Saturday afternoon on national television you don't get surprised by a result? So having competitive situations inside of everything that we're doing is a huge part of our program and our culture.

Then a culture of accountability, being accountable to the guy next to you. From a staffing standpoint, being accountable to the guy that you're sharing an office with or sharing a wall with every single day and doing right by the people inside the building.

I think when you talk about fun and tough and competitive and accountable, then you immediately think about the three guys that I was able to bring with me today, starting with two guys that have been at Mississippi State. They've been through a lot over the last three years.

They come in together the same class, offensive lineman who earned a starting job, played in all 12 games last year, but here's a guy that earned a starting job through spring, through toughness and through this competitive spirit of just getting better every single day. Albert is a guy who embodies exactly what we want in offensive line play and leadership inside that unit.

Here's a guy that's a college graduate, he's from Alberta, heads to Tampa, now he's made his way to Starkville, Mississippi, and he's creating this great life for himself because he invests in himself every single day.

Our in-state guy that grew up a Bulldog, John Lewis, again, a guy that played 12 ball games for us last year, has some experience, but has earned this starting role through spring football, and he's done it through consistency and toughness and leadership and accountability.

And J-Lew is a guy very similar. We get to town, create a position change for him, not playing on the line of scrimmage anymore, stacking back, playing as a second level player, and this is a guy that has taken it and run with it and has accepted the change and been a guy that's going to play at a really high level but be a huge part of our program as we move this thing forward.

I think for all of us, we understand, being a QB guy, calling the plays, getting the right quarterback was something we had to get done, and we've got our guy. I could not be more proud of how Blake has gone about his business, how he does what he does every single day.

I think when you talk about what we're going to look like from a team standpoint, it's real similar to what we're going to look like at that position: Toughness, physicality, edge, being able to go inspire your teammates to go play better every single day, and that's what Blake has done. He's put us in a position to get off the ground the way we need to. When I watched him play, I said that's our kind of guy, that's my kind of guy, so having him year one has been huge.

Could not be more thankful to be here, could not be more grateful to our administration to have the opportunity to represent Mississippi State at SEC Media Days, and with that, we'll open it up.

Q. Jeff, I think I read this right, no returning starters on offense, only two on defense. I know it's a new staff, but how daunting is that? I saw this on social media so it must be true, that Nick Saban said he tried to hire you at Alabama when he was at OU. Could you take us through that?

JEFF LEBBY: Yeah, part 1 of the question, I've talked about it a lot today already, but the climate of college football, where we're at, the portal cycle that ended in December was a huge part for us having a chance to have success year one. We're talking about our starting quarterback, three of the five starting O-linemen, two receivers, starting running back, and on the defensive side we'll have three starters from the portal, as well.

Being able to get off the ground was a huge part of it. That's not who we want to be. We're going to create edge, and we're going to be able to sustain as a program because we've got great proximity to players. We're going to be a developmental program. We've got great junior colleges inside our state which is advantage us. So those are things, as we move forward, it will look a little bit different, but for year one, we've got guys that will go out there week one that have played a lot of ball, just not a lot of ball at Davis Wade.

Part 2, Coach Saban, just an honor to have conversations with him as we went through some things. Could not be more thankful for opportunity, and at the time it was something where I felt like needed to be exactly where my feet were, and he did pretty good. He did pretty good.

Q. John Lewis is going to be filling a big void at linebacker with Bookie Watson and Jett Johnson gone. I know you weren't there with those guys, but he's got a lot on his shoulders this year. How confident are you he can step up as a leader on and off the field for this program?

JEFF LEBBY: Yeah, J-Lew has done that, that's why he's here today representing us. A guy that he's going to play alongside with -- there's multiple guys inside that room that are going to give us a chance to create depth, but a guy that, again, comes to us from another SEC school, Stone Blanton, has played at a really high level, has played inside this league, knows what it's supposed to look like. He's another guy, along with some others, that will help us fill that void.

Q. How did your time under Brent Venables the last two years help you prepare for this job, both under Brent but also just your time at Oklahoma? Secondly, what can people expect from Jackson Arnold?

JEFF LEBBY: Yeah, getting an opportunity to work for Coach V the last two years, he created an opportunity for me to go back to my alma mater and be able to get that thing off the ground with him. A great experience for me is being able to see him do it from year one to year two and being this great coordinator who had an incredible amount of success and being able to get into that head coaching chair and find ways to keep getting better.

It was all about what's best for the program, it's all about what's best for the people inside our room, as consistent of a leader and a man as there is, I believe that, in all of college football. Indebted to him forever for giving me that experience.

Part 2 to the question, obviously Jackson, I think everybody understands who knows that scenario and relationship knows how I feel about him and him having the ability to continue great quarterback play at that university.

John Lewis​

Press Conference​

THE MODERATOR: John Lewis is ready for your questions.

JOHN LEWIS: How you doing?

Q. John, what's your favorite part of playing linebacker? I see you have quite a few sacks. Where did y'all get those arm bands?

JOHN LEWIS: That's Adidas. It's great playing linebacker at Mississippi State. I learned a lot from the previous guys from the past years so it's been great.

Q. What have been the biggest challenges of this off-season with a new head coach and holding the team together amid the transition?

JOHN LEWIS: I mean, it's always a challenge when you come in with different coaches and have to learn new schemes. So I mean, it's been great bonding with the guys and being able to come together and learn everything and being able to, you know, be a family. Everybody is being closer so it's been better.

Q. Going off of that, with this transition, what have been the biggest differences you've seen in Jeff Lebby and his philosophy with the team?

JOHN LEWIS: Energy. It's been great that he came in, because I feel like we have more energy, and it's more of a family, more than just football. We all are like closer together than we've ever been and our locker room environment is great.

Q. I wanted to ask Coach Drinkwitz yesterday a campaign for Coach Leach to be in the football Hall of Fame. Which I think is a worthwhile cause. Your memories of Coach Leach, when folks ask you about him?

JOHN LEWIS: He was very funny. He was the smartest guy I ever met, ever. Leach was a great guy, he was very funny. So I mean, he -- he's definitely an offensive guy though, but he was fun to be around but, yea.

Q. Is this your third head coach since you've been there?

JOHN LEWIS: Fourth.

Q. So you're getting kind of --

JOHN LEWIS: It was Knox first, then Arnett. So it was Leach, Knox, Arnett, now Lebby so yeah.

Q. Does that help in any way when you get a new coach? You're used to the routine of turnover and getting things resettled.

JOHN LEWIS: I feel like where I'm at right now is great, because we're not looking forward to another coach right now. So far it's been great with Lebby coming in and being able to change the environment and being able to bring us in and have a bond with all of our teammates. It's been a challenge, honestly. It's been a big challenge, but everybody likes it and it's very -- it's chill now because once Lebby came in we all knew he was in it for us.

Q. You said they stress the family idea or the closeness, what is different? It's bringing a team together, I understand that. How do they do that without forcing it on you guys?

JOHN LEWIS: Just being ourselves, having a personality, having fun with the guys. We're not always literally about football. Outside of football we have like a life. So we all have fun outside of football. We all have like get-togethers, we will go to a teammate's house, go out to eat, do little things outside of football, just bond, get to know each other better.

Q. I think back to the LSU game, and if I remember correctly the defense did their part but the offense was off the field wearing you guys out. Do you have a complimentary offense now, maybe helps you guys keep your wind longer in the game?

JOHN LEWIS: Of course I got a lot of faith in this offense. We had faith in them last year, too. It wasn't never a "we don't like the offense". It's just they had their struggles, you know, bits and pieces. So I feel like this year it's going to be way better, way -- it's going to be fun this year.

Q. So you guys aren't going to the state of Alabama this year but in your experience which stadium, Bryant-Denny or Jordan-Hare, has the more difficult atmosphere to play in?

JOHN LEWIS: On our schedule now? Everybody is saying Texas but I don't know because I never been there.

Q. Between Jordan-Hare or Bryant-Denny?

JOHN LEWIS: Auburn most definitely.

Q. Why?

JOHN LEWIS: I haven't been there since my freshman year but it's -- I apologize, we was there last year, right? Last year. It's fun but it's the fans, they're crazy.

Q. Is there a particular game on your schedule that you have circled more than others?

JOHN LEWIS: No, not really because everybody counting us out, so we just play every game like a normal game. Every week we focus on that one opponent. It's going to be great this year. We just worry about the first opponent, our first game coming up.

Q. Do you embrace that? You said everyone is counting you out. Do you embrace that everyone is sleeping on you, the underdog?

JOHN LEWIS: We love it. We can't wait to prove everyone wrong and shock everybody.

Q. I want to ask you, Athletic Directors, I don't know if they have ties to football players but you have a good one in Zac Selmon, are you familiar with him at all?

JOHN LEWIS: Of course. There's probably a picture on Twitter. He was on our shoulder when he first came. Yeah.

Q. (Away from mic.) Football program?

JOHN LEWIS: He brought in a lot of pieces we need that helped us to become a better person off the field and it's like he's done so much that has helped us. I feel like he's done more than enough. We all appreciate him a lot.

Q. Rivalries, OU and Texas bringing a rivalry to the SEC, and I asked another teammate about the Egg Bowl. Tell me about the Egg Bowl, how much it means to the school, the community, the state?

JOHN LEWIS: It means a lot, it's like winning the lottery. Like that goes for both sides, though. That's for Ole Miss, if they win, it's like winning the lottery, but same goes for us, if we win, it's like winning the lottery. So it means a lot, but we're definitely bringing it back to Starkville this year.

Q. What's it been lake to practice across from the pace that the offense is using right now? What do you think that tempo is going to look like on Saturdays in the SEC?

JOHN LEWIS: I mean, it helps us a lot, because we have faced a lot of tempo teams with some of the guys that are on defense right now from the previous years. I feel like it helps us so much to a point where I feel like we're going to be -- we're going to be ready for tempo teams this year.

Q. I will pass along your complements to the Auburn fans with what you had to say about Jordan-Hare, and your former teammate Percy has made a jump to Auburn. What is Auburn getting in Percy Lewis?

JOHN LEWIS: I like Percy, that's my dog. You know his last name is Lewis? Calling each other cousins. That's my guy though I like him a lot. He's a great guy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Good luck.

Mississippi State Bulldogs​

Blake Shapen​

Press Conference​

THE MODERATOR: Okay, we have Blake Shapen with us.

Q. When you went into the portal what was it about Mississippi State that made them the right fit?

BLAKE SHAPEN: I think it starts with Coach Lebby, got to watch him coach at OU, got to see that offense in person. It was kind of a no-brainer when he got the job at Mississippi State and he contacted me, obviously I wanted to play in the SEC and I heard Mississippi State is a great place so it was a no-brainer.

Q. How would you describe kind of Jeff Lebby and his coaching style so far, what he ads to your game?

BLAKE SHAPEN: No, he's a great dude, he's energetic. He's got a lot of swagger about him. He's a cool dude but he's very knowledgeable about football and offense and having an explosive offense. A lot of people gravitate toward him just by the way he is, his personality. He's a great guy.

Q. Obviously a lot of veteran experience from you. How do you feel like in these early days you've been able to impart your leadership on this program?

BLAKE SHAPEN: I think at first it was tough because I was at Baylor for four years and it's just a new place, new relationships and being able to build relationships outside of the facility. So when we get inside the facility these guys trust me and they know who I am.

Q. We've seen transfer quarterbacks in the past who have missed spring practice, shown up afterwards and it's a learning process. How beneficial is it that you got to go through spring practice with the team and you got those reps in?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Very beneficial for sure. Knowing that I get a whole spring, a whole, what, five, six weeks of training and going through the offense, the footwork and everything that goes into it. Reps are everything, and so I got to have a lot of reps in the spring.

Q. Blake, I have two questions. A lot of guys on this team are from Mississippi. You're from Louisiana, the south culture and football here. What is it about high school football in the south that prepares you guys to do so well in the big-time stage at the DI level? And could you tell me about your shoes? I wanted to ask about the creativity there.

BLAKE SHAPEN: Football in the south, I feel like we don't have as much nice stuff as Texas and different areas like that. But there is a lot of good football being played in Louisiana all around. I know in our area there is a lot of good football, a lot of good players and I feel like that goes under the rug a little bit of how many great players have came through my high school, the high schools in my area. There's great coaches in the area, too.

But my shoes, I got, Shreveport, and my number, and Romans 12:12 on the left and then I got a baby picture of myself on the right with all my family members' names on it.

Q. You mentioned seeing that offense in person. Do you remember that 2022 game, Dillon Gabriel winning up in Norman when you were at Baylor, and did you get a chance to talk to former quarterbacks of Coach Lebby when you were making that decision to go to Mississippi State or do you know Dillon at all?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Yeah, seeing that in person was a big deal for me. The offense is so fast, it's explosive and I got to watch that in person. No, I didn't speak to any other quarterbacks that have played under him until recently I met Dillon at the Manning camp and we spent a great deal of time together. He's a great guy, he talked about the offense and Coach Lebby and it's good having somebody like that in your corner, too.

Q. Blake, when you look around the league, how would you rate the level of quarterback play in the SEC right now?

BLAKE SHAPEN: I mean, obviously there's a lot of great quarterbacks in this league. This is why it's the best conference. I feel like it's led by good quarterback play. There are good quarterbacks everywhere, though, so, but it's a blessing to be a part of the SEC.

Q. What did you learn at the Manning camp? What can you say about the defenses in the SEC as opposed to the league you transferred from, the Big 12?

BLAKE SHAPEN: The Manning camp was a blessing. I actually went to the camp as a kid so being able to be a counselor and get to experience that was a blessing. Obviously listened to Ely, Peyton and Archie and those guys, was awesome.

The difference between defense in the SEC and Big 12, I feel like SEC they're going to test your talent and play a lot more pressman and test your athleticism more than the Big 12. In the Big 12 there are zone coverages. You're going to see the zone coverage in the SEC, too, but in the SEC they will test you a little bit more.

Q. Coach Lebby talked about the closeness and the camaraderie and the importance of having it for this group. How have you and your teammates been able to accomplish that this season?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Like I said earlier, hanging out outside of the facility, it's a big deal. You have to build these relationships before the season. You can't just go on to the field and play with somebody you really don't know. So just hanging out, doing regular things like regular dudes do, I guess, and just building those relationships.

Q. Blake, you were a big-time baseball player coming out of high school. You chose football. Are you finished with baseball and how do you make the decision to focus on football?

BLAKE SHAPEN: I would like to say I am finished. It's hard to be like I'm done with baseball, but, yeah, I'm probably done.

What was the next?

Q. How did you make the decision to focus on football rather than baseball? What factors led to that?

BLAKE SHAPEN: After my first year at Baylor I went over to play baseball after the football season, and the quarterback coaches blew me up every single day, like, come compete for the job, and next thing, you know, I was over baseball for three weeks and then decided to go back and compete for the job.

Q. Amazed at the weight the Manning name carries in football particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Everybody knows who the Mannings are and like I said, to be able to meet those guys, meet Peyton, Ely and Archie, it was a blessing for me. You get to learn a lot of different things from them. Number of Super Bowls in that room combined through three of them. So it was a lot of good experience I could take in.

Q. One of the things Peyton has always been very proud of, it's a no-nonsense camp, not a lot of falderal. Was it really just football?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Yeah, it was. They told us no autographs when we got there too. And Peyton was my favorite player growing up, so I could have easily been that one that asked, but, yeah, it's strictly football.

Q. Going into the season, your teammates said Mississippi State is kind of overlooked and not a lot of high expectations. Do you embrace that underdog role going into the season?

BLAKE SHAPEN: Yeah, for sure. I think we all use that as fuel. We're looked at -- there is not a lot of expectations at the end of the day for us. So I feel like that fuels us in a way that makes us want to go out there and prove a lot of people wrong, and I'm excited. We're going to use that as fuel for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks very much, Blake.