100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 7 Days - No. 7 LB Stone Blanton and WR Mario Craver

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 two newcomers poised to be a key factor for State this season.  

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 7 Days

No. 7, Jr. LB Stone Blanton    

Blanton was just destined to be a Bulldog.

For the last two years, Blanton tried to carve out a path elsewhere and he was excelling at it, but home kept calling. After two seasons being a big part of South Carolina’s plans on the defensive side of the ball, Blanton decided it was time to enter the transfer portal and come play for the Bulldogs for the next two seasons.

Before football even became an option for Blanton, he was a baseball player with a dream of playing for the Diamond Dawgs. Just before the start of his junior season at Madison Ridgeland Academy, Blanton was scouted by Jake Gautreau and Chris Lemonis to play baseball at State and he committed to the Bulldogs during his sophomore year.

Very quickly, Blanton started to show that his future could be on the gridiron, however, as the 6’2, 230-pound defender made a name for himself on Herbert Davis’ Patriot football squad. After making 61 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks his sophomore season, schools began to take notice.

The spring came after his sophomore year and he picked up offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Baylor, State, Nebraska, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Louisville, Dude, Virginia, Oklahoma State, Kentucky,South Carolina, Texas A&M and the list went on and on for him.

Blanton had 99 tackles, 11.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks as a junior and things really heated up for him on the recruiting trail. After becoming the MAIS Defensive Player of the Year in 6A and helping his team to the state title with 125 tackles, 26.0 TFL and 11.0 sacks his senior year, it was a full-blown fight for the Bulldogs to land him.

By that point, Blanton had a wide-open recruitment and the Bulldogs were in for a fight against South Carolina and Ole Miss. State felt like the leader to keep him home, but Blanton shocked everyone by signing with the Gamecocks on signing day and spurning the home team.

Blanton finished as the No. 304 player nationally and was the No. 30 linebacker in the country while ranked No. 7 in the state of Mississippi. He would make an impact for the Gamecocks very early as he played in 12 of the team’s 13 games and was able to make seven tackles with 1.5 TFL.

The role increased for Blanton last year as he became a team captain on the defensive side of the ball and started in every game. He finished his second year with 52 tackles, 1.0 sack, one interception returned for a touchdown and a forced fumble.

Despite being the new guy in Starkville, Blanton has brought that same leadership in the offseason. He’s prepared to help lead the linebacker room and the defense for the Bulldogs this fall and will be a large part of their plans on that side.

No. 7, Fr. WR Mario Craver  

 If bets are being made on the most impactful Bulldog freshman this year, a good one could be laid down on Craver.

A four-star recruit out of Clay-Chalkville in Alabama, Craver is a truly dynamic playmaker that can help the Bulldogs in multiple ways this year. The On3 Industry Ranking had Craver as the No. 272 player nationally, the No. 46 wide out and the No. 17 player in the state.

He had offers from home state schools Alabama and Auburn, but he also had the majority of the SEC as Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas and a whole lot of other schools across college football offered.

A big reason for the massive interest is the track speed that Craver possesses. Craver ran the 100 meter in 10.74 seconds. He pulled in over 2,500 yards receiving and 34 touchdowns during his three seasons and he helped his team to the Class 6A state championslast year when he went step-for-step with Alabama signee Ryan Williams at Saraland.

The night Craver hoisted the trophy, he would make the trip over to Starkville for his official visit as Chad Bumphis and Lebby were recruiting him as a priority. Craver came in on the visit with fellow four-star standout receiver JJ Harrell and Stonka Burnside as well as Sanfrisco Magee and quarterback Michael Van Buren visited also.

All five of the players would ultimately commit with Craver picking State that weekend.

Since the spring, Craver has been a standout at practice for the Bulldogs. His work and the skill set that comes along with it makes him a breakout candidate right away for State.