Maryland transfer OL Jayvin James commits to Mississippi State

Offensive lineman Jayvin James has committed to Mississippi State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. James played the past two seasons at Akron and then transferred to Maryland this past winter before re-entering the NCAA Transfer Portal during the spring window.

In his two years at Akron, James made 15 appearances and nine starts. In the 2024 campaign, James earned a 98.0 Pass Blocking Efficiency rating according to PFF. He only allowing 10 pressures on the season.

Jayvin James played high school football at Blanche Ely (FL), where he was a three-star recruit. He was the No. 2,062 overall player and No. 148 offensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

James is the 29th player Mississippi State has added via the transfer portal this offseason. In comparison, the Bulldogs have lost 34 players to the portal. They are currently ranked No. 40 in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

Mississippi State is desperate to improve after posting a 2-10 overall record and a 0-8 mark in conference play last season. The 2024 campaign was Jeff Lebby‘s first season at the helm for the Bulldogs.

Lebby was previously the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before taking over at MSU. Last week, Lebby revealed how he’s feeling about Mississippi State’s offseason progress, thus far.

“We have a lot to do on that side of the ball up front, just like every single position group inside the program. I’ve talked where we’re going to attack in the portal. We need to add some pieces up front on the offensive side of the ball,” Lebby said. “That is going to be critical for us. We need to add some pieces of guys that have played and played a high level for us to go do what we want to do.

“We have some talented young players that got here midyear, but maybe aren’t quite ready. That’s the reality of it. I think they have a chance to be special for us, but that’s where they’re at today and it is a process.”

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.