100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 16 Days - No. 16 QB Chris Parson and LB Zakari Tillman

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 a couple of young players with exciting potential.     

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 16 Days

No. 16, RFr. QB Chris Parson  

There aren’t many players on the roster that State means more to than Parson.

With maroon and white in his blood, the Nashville native has a mother from Starkville with family members still in the area. His father was an MSU graduate as well and the crew all got a chance to enjoy a special moment a couple of years ago when he committed to State just before his senior season.

Parson is a versatile QB capable of playing in multiple offenses, but he was originally recruited to play for Leach in the Air Raid. It was a step away from Leach’s usual skill set at the position as Parson has the ability to throw the ball and make plays with his legs.

Early offers came in from Florida State, Tennessee, Indiana, Oregon State, Miami, Kentucky, Louisville, Iowa and many others for Parson and he would commit to Florida State in July of his junior season. When the Bulldogs offered a year later, that immediately grabbed the attention of Parson.

Along with the opportunity to play for Leach, the chance to come back to a place that was special to his family was something that interested him. With FSU continuing to recruit other quarterbacks, Parson opened things up and State immediately became a favorite to land him. Almost two years ago today, he would pick State.

Parson actually started his career at Duncanville High School playing 6A ball and he helped his team to the state championship as a freshman. He played at Red Oak High School in Texas as a sophomore and then would make the move to Ravenwood.

After putting up over 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns his junior season, Parson was poised for a huge senior year. He followed up a Elite 11 performance by quickly putting up over 1,500 yards of offense and 10 touchdowns in just four games before an injury would hamper his progress.

When the season concluded, the Bulldogs suddenly lost Leach and Parson’s commitment came into question. Instead, he doubled down on that commitment and text every member of the class to stick with it.

Parson got a chance to show a little bit of his ability last season as a true freshman as he played late in the ball game against Kentucky and then started State’s game on the road at Texas A&M. There were some lumps in those two ball games as he finished the year 11-of-26 for 103 yards and three interceptions, but there was enough shown to like the potential in time.

With the spring and training camp now under his belt, Parson is trying to lock up the backup spot to Blake Shapen at quarterback. Lebby will do what he can to have him ready if his number is called.

No. 16, So. LB Zakari Tillman   

 There were no headlines made when Tillman signed with the Bulldogs in the 2023 class, but he might be the player with the most potential among the group.

The Florence native was the nation’s No. 1,297 player overall and the 27^th best player in the state of Mississippi. Despite that, he was on the field in year one for the Bulldogs.

The 6’2, 225-pounder drew praise from Arnett and his defensive staff for what he was doing in practices dating back to his arrival in the spring. This came after he had 57 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble his senior season.

Tillman got a chance early to cut his teeth on special teams before playing some on the defensive side of the ball. He made five tackles, but was a player that was making waves in scout team work at practice.

With a year under his belt, Tillman now pushes for more defensive reps. The Bulldogs have new starters on the way at linebacker and Tillman will have a chance to get more playing time in the new scheme.