100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 26 Days - No. 26, Sr. LB JP Purvis
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 one of the Bulldogs’ most veteran defenders.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 26 Days – No. 26, Sr. LB JP Purvis
Year six is here for Purvis and the veteran linebacker is looking to make this one his best.
After flashes of big things in years prior, Purvis looks to be one of the leaders of the Bulldog linebacker crew this year. While he hasn’t been a fulltime starter, he’s the most experienced State backer and has learned under some great players along the way.
Purvis came to Starkville all the way back in 2019 after a highly productive career with Pelahatchie. It was there where Purvis did it all for the Chiefs. Purvis played quarterback and was on defense for his team and the production was through the roof. Over the course of his career, the talented athlete had 5,269 passing yards and 4.832 rushing yards with an incredible 124 touchdowns over four years. He added 181 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions.
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At 6’2, 195 pounds, Purvis was already built well in high school and the projection was for the defensive side of the ball at safety. Offers came in from Oregon and Ole Miss, but Purvis would choose the Bulldogs during the spring ahead of his senior season.
Purvis showed up at State to play for Joe Moorhead and he would play in four games as a true freshman before redshirting. In 2020, Mike Leach came along, and Arnett played Purvis in five ball games with two tackles. The same production came in 2021 and many began to wonder if Purvis was going to be able to crack into the lineup and have a productive career at State.
The Mississippi native has kept the foot down and worked hard each year and his production has grown. In 2022, he played in all 13 games and would make 22 tackles with 1.5 sacks. He played in 12 games last year and had a career-high 39 tackles and 0.5 TFL.
Purvis is working on locking down a starting spot at the MIKE linebacker spot this fall as the picture is becoming clearer for State’s defense. He comes into the year having dropped nearly 20 pounds as he’s down to 245. This should be the best season yet for the talented defender and it’s his chance to leave a mark.
