Max Reese commits to Mississippi State from NCAA Transfer Portal

Eastern Michigan transfer TE Max Reese has committed to Mississippi State from the NCAA Transfer Portal. He shared that commitment with a post on social media on Friday.

“Flip the script,” Reese tweeted this morning with a Bulldog emoji while tagging both Jeff Lebby and Jon Cooper.

This comes after a visit to Starkville a few days ago before visits to Purdue and FIU. Now, by the end of the week, Reese has chosen them as his next school in the portal.

“I made my decision on Thursday and told the coaches then,” Reese told Maroon & White Daily. “The coaches wanted a guy to come in and make an immediate impact and I told them they got their guy.

“Just the staff, Coach Cooper and Coach Lebby. They are really good guys, personable people. They trust me to come into their program to make an impact and I trust them with my future,” added Reese. “The offense is a good fit. Coach Lebby has a good track record of using the tight ends in his offense. So it is a move that I feel is best for me and the program. Being able to come in and make an immediate impact. We are trying to win and we are trying to win now.”

Reese spent the past three seasons at Eastern Michigan. He appeared in 20 games the past two years for the Eagles, in those outings, caught 29 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. 27 of those receptions for 232 yards and his pair of scores came last season, as the team’s fourth-leading receiver, in Ypsilanti.

Reese, a native of Oak Park, Illinois, played high school football at Fenwick. He was a Top-1,500 recruit there as a three-star in the 2022 cycle. He also rated just outside the Top-200 at the wide receiver position and just outside the Top-30 players out of the state of Illinois. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Now, per the latest update to On3’s Industry Ranking of 2025’s Top Transfer Portal Players, Reese was one of the better tight ends to be available, both in the spring cycle and this offseason. He rated inside the Top-2,000 overall but as the No. 91 player at tight end.

Reese is now the fourth addition during the spring period of the portal, with all four committing since Tuesday, for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State added OT Jaekwon Bouldin (Purdue) on Tuesday before the additions of OT Blake Steen (Virginia) and TE Sam West (Indiana) on Thursday. That brings the program up to 28 pickups this offseason with a Top-40 class per On3’s Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

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.