100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 18 Days - No. 18, TE Seydou Traore and CB Khamauri Rogers

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 players on each side of the ball ready for redemption.    

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 18 Days

 No. 18, Jr. TE Seydou Traore                

Just a few years ago, Traore was playing organized, 11-man football for the first time in his career when he made his way across the pond from England to Florida.

The London native grew up in a country rabid over another sport called football, but his dreams have been to excel at the American version. At Clearwater Academy International, the exposure was there for him to have that opportunity if he put in the work, so he did just that.

As a senior in high school, Traore was learning the game as it is for the first time. It was his only high school season playing the sport and he performed well with 26 catches for 433 yards and three touchdowns.

His freakish athleticism to go along with his 6’4 frame drew attention from Florida State and Iowa State and he had offers from Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana and Arkansas State. The Red Wolves would land the 210-pounder for the class of 2021 and he started to quickly progress.

After a slow start to his freshman season with two catches in the first nine games, Traore hauled in 10 passes the last three ball games of the season and set himself up for what would be a big sophomore year.

Traore became the Red Wolves’ starter his second season at tight end and he led the squad with 655 yards and four touchdowns while ranking fifth in the country for tight ends in yards. That season would draw in several schools from around the country as he entered the transfer portal following his season and Deion Sanders convinced Traore to come to Colorado State for the spring.

After spring practices didn’t work out for the pass catcher, Traore was back in the portal and was one of the most wanted tight ends. State nabbed the four star portal pass catcher though he had to sit out last season.

Now, he enters an offense much more suited to promote his skill set. He has been the standout at the position since Lebby arrived and Traore is set to put the SEC on notice in the high powering attack.

No. 18, So. CB Khamauri Rogers

The Holmes County alum Rogers has been working hard to get on the field after virtually two seasons on the sidelines at Miami and MSU.

A former four-star recruit, Rogers was a priority for the Bulldogs in the 2022 signing class. Dating back to Rogers’ sophomore season, State was on the defensive back hard but he had his sights out of state.

Offers came in from Florida, LSU, Florida State, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas A&M, Penn State, Michigan State and many others within his first two years of recruiting and he would join the LSU class just before his junior season. That commitment came during a season in which Rogers had racked up 46 tackles and four interceptions and was looking like one of the top defensive backs in the country for his class.

With more offers coming in, however, Rogers and his family decided to take a step back and they opened his recruitment back up. Despite the hard push from the homestate team in Starkville, Rogers would commit to Miami in the summer. The Bulldogs made it interesting during his senior season, but he never decommitted from the Hurricanes.

Rogers suffered a setback his senior season as well with the talented corner going down with a torn ACL in his knee. He played in just one game before going down and would have to rehab that going into the next season. He finished his high school career ranked as the nation’s No. 118 player and no. 15 corner while coming in at No. 3 overall in the state of Mississippi.

After one season in Coral Gables, Rogers wanted to come home. He played in just one game in year one while making a tackle so he preserved his year with a redshirt, but he would end up in Starkville after all. Last season was a frustrating year for Rogers as he wasn’t able to see the field, but he’s working to get reps with the Bulldogs this year as a sophomore.