100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 19 Days - No. 19, Fr. S Cyrus Reyes
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 young defensive back.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 19 Days – No. 19, Fr. S Cyrus Reyes
New safeties coach Matt Barnes used his connections to a few players to get some additions to the 2024 defensive back roster.
Barnes brought in two defensive backs from Memphis in DeAgo Brumfield and Tre Wright, but he also got a promising young safety from the Tigers signing class. The Katy, Texas native played his ball at Taylor High School and had a highly productive senior season.
Reyes nearly hit triple digits in tackles with his 91 stops and had three interceptions along the way. He racked up 121 tackles, five interceptions and five pass deflections over his final two years as he earned Team Captain honors as a junior and a senior.
Still, Reyes offer sheet wasn’t extensive as he had verbals from Memphis and Arkansas State before the Bulldogs came calling right before signing day.
The lack of recognition from other schools only fueled him when he arrived to Starkville. He’s competed well with the fellow safeties in the spring and in summer workouts and had some impressive moments already. It will be a challenge to get on the field right away, but Reyes will look to take a step forward as a freshman this season.
