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.
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.
