100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 48 Days - DT Terrance Hibbler and Corey Clark
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 introduce two newcomers on the defensive line.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 48 Days – No. 97, Fr. DT Terrance Hibbler
MSU’s pipeline to Holmes County Central High School continued last year when the Bulldogs were able to land one of the state’s best defensive linemen in Hibbler.
With former teammates Corey Ellington, Khamauri Rogers and Joseph Head Jr. coming before him, Hibbler would become the next from the rich and talented Lexington program to become a Bulldog. Very early in the process, Hibbler began picking up steam on the recruiting trail.
The Bulldog staff was among the first to get on board with Hibbler but he would pick up offers from 11 of the 16 SEC schools including Alabama, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Auburn and Ole Miss. State was always in the back of Hibbler’s mind, however, and he would commit to the Bulldogs last summer.
Despite that commitment, Hibbler didn’t see his interest back away. Texas and Alabama hit up Hibbler especially hard until signing day and he even considered backing off of his commitment when State began to struggle on the football field. After some thought and conversations with his family, coaches and friends, Hibbler stuck to his word and would sign with the Bulldogs.
Over the course of his time in Lexington, Hibbler racked up an impressive 178 tackles, 44.0 tackles for loss and 25.0 sacks. He had an amazing 92 tackles and 21.0 sacks during his senior season and was named to the Dandy Dozen by the Clarion Ledger as well as the US Army All-American game.
Hibbler enrolls as State as a three-star recruit and the No. 526 player in the country by the On3 Industry Rankings. He’s also rated the No. 48 defensive lineman and the No. 18 player in the state of Mississippi.
It won’t be known until the fall what kind of impact Hibbler will make this season. The Bulldogs have some open competition up front and he’s talented enough to compete for playing time right away, but the coming weeks will determine that.
No. 94, Jr. DT Corey Clark
An interesting addition to the football team this summer, Clark was invited to a camp last month by State defensive line coach David Turner and Lebby. After the coaches were able to get eyes on him and work him out, they were sold he could help them.
The 6’4, 310-pound Clark was a full qualifier out of Northeast Mississippi Community College which meant he was eligible to play right away for the Bulldogs instead of spending another year in junior college. It was a solid first year for NEMCC as Clark made 23 tackles, had 5.5 TFL and 3.0 sacks as a defensive tackle.
The Minor (Ala.) product had an incredible senior year with 122 tackles and 11.0 TFL his final year in high school, but the big names overlooked him. After landing at North Alabama in 2022, Clark would play in four ball games as a true freshman and make three tackles before redshirting. He would ultimately his the transfer portal and landed in JUCO inside the Magnolia state.
A three-star recruit, Clark comes into the DL room with a little bit of college experience under his belt which prepares him for what’s ahead. He’s already enrolled and on campus with his teammates and now it’s about moving himself up the ladder.
