100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 74 Days - No. 74, OL Jimothy Lewis
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 promising young offensive lineman.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 74 Days – No. 74, Jr. OL Jimothy Lewis
The Bulldog staff shocked many around the Southeast last summer when they got a surprise commitment from Lewis. He visited Starkville twice in during the month of June and would commit to State on that second visit.
The former Madison Ridgeland Academy blocker was no stranger to Starkville. He visited State many times at the start of his recruitment and then things began to blow up. Lewis began to pick up major offers and would transfer to IMG Academy in Florida.
Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss, Michigan, South Carolina, Michigan State and a whole collection of others threw their name in the hat for Lewis. He built a prior relationship with Will Friend when the coach was at Auburn and Friend sold him on coming back home to Mississippi.
Lewis would ultimately finish his high school career just outside of a four-star on the On3 Industry ranking. The ranking had him 418th overall, 28th as an offensive tackle nationally and No. 51 inside the state of Florida. Lewis being on a team with college talent all around him didn’t help his final ranking as his snaps were shared with others looking to impress colleges around the country.
Still, the talented blocker managed to land a spot on the All-American Bowl roster, and he would enroll early with the Bulldogs in January. Since that time, Lewis has done nothing but impress. The Mississippi native has gotten in the college weightroom and begun to stand out among a lot of his teammates and will push for backup reps when practices begin this fall.
It appears the Bulldogs got a good one on their hands and one that should be on the field a whole lot sooner than later.
