100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 20 Days - No. 20, CB Montre Miller and RB Johnnie Daniels
Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.
The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.
While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.
Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.
Today, we look at two newcomers poised to help the Bulldogs this year.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 20 Days
No. 20, Sr. CB Montre Miller
In an offseason where adding defensive back talent was so crucial, a player like Miller was a big addition.
State’s new secondary coaches Matt Barnes and Corey Bell were desperately in search of defenders that could fill the depth chart and help the Bulldogs in the SEC. Miller was one of the final additions of the transfer portal class back in May.
A former Kent State and West Virginia player, Miller is a veteran in the college game, but is coming off of a season that ended prematurely due to injury. In the only game that Miller was able to play, he had three tackles against Penn State.
Prior to his stop in Morgantown, Miller had a solid final two seasons with Kent State. His first three seasons saw him have just 16 tackles and two pass deflections, but he came through his final two seasons. Miller would put together 99 tackles over his last two seasons in 25 games with six interceptions, 23 pass deflections, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
A former wide receiver, Miller had 125 catches in is high school career at Westwood High School in South Carolina. He finished with 1,652 yards and 18 touchdowns before signing with Kent State and being converted to the defensive side of the ball.
Miller has a wide open cornerback room to contend with this fall as the Bulldogs will be breaking in several new faces at that position.
No. 20, Jr. RB Johnnie Daniels
When Lebby was hired to bring in his high-powering offense, one of the first tasks on the docket was building his running backs room.
Daniels was a player out of the Mississippi Junior College system who was already on State’s radar. He had been offered a couple of weeks before Lebby had even taken over his post in Starkville and the coach confirmed he was a good fit for the Bulldog offense.
A native of Crystal Springs, Daniels was looked over out of high school. Despite being on the same team as four-star defensive lineman Trevion Williams, many teams somehow passed over the talented running back. Memphis and Samford were a couple of teams that offered after he had over 4,400 yards rushing and 56 touchdowns during his career, but he would head to Copiah Lincoln CC to play his first two seasons of college ball.
As a true freshman in Wesson, Daniels had 485 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but that was just the beginning. He burst onto the scene last season as he earned First Team All-MACCC honors and the South Offensive Player of the Year as he rushed for 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns as the state’s top rusher.
Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State were a couple of offers that came through for him before the Bulldogs offered. When that big one came through, it was a no-brainer and Daniels would sign with Lebby and State.
Daniels is a player that is pushing for reps in a crowded backfield. The next few weeks will determine just how far up the depth chart he can climb.
