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Bulldog freshmen making spring impression on Jeff Lebby

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•04/09/25•

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Jeff Lebby (Photo by Mississippi State Athletic)

In today’s college football landscape, the spring brings even more new faces than ever before.

Early high school enrollees are up, and the transfer portal is changing the landscape of the roster year-to-year. Mississippi State is seeing an influx this spring as well.

While the junior college and other transfers are making up the bulk of those new faces in Starkville, there are some exciting freshman on Jeff Lebby’s roster for 2025. The coach brought in several players that the coach hopes can change the culture, and the results for the Bulldogs.  

“We’ve got a pretty good group. Offensively, (wide receiver) Gracen (Harris) has had a really good spring and is a guy that has a chance to be a really good player for us and do some good things in the slot. (Running back) Kolin Wilson has had a really good spring. Those two guys are ahead of where most guys are as true freshmen. That’s been really good to see.

“On the defensive side, Tyler (Lockhart) has done a good job continuing to grow inside the scheme understanding what the expectation is. Just an incredible athlete that has a chance to be a great player. Excited about where he’s at and where he’s going.”

Taylor making waves with quarterbacks

Of course, Lebby didn’t have to mention the biggest standout of the group because he’s a known commodity at this point. Noxubee County quarterback KaMario Taylor was the get of the class for Lebby as the coach beat out Georgia and others to keep the Bulldog legacy home.

Taylor put together an amazing career with the Tigers and wanted to follow in his uncle Omarr Conner’s footsteps and do special things with the Bulldogs. At 6’4, 215 pounds, Taylor has already fit in physically with his teammates and has been making noise in spring practice early.

“Just understanding the speed of everything. That’s going to be the biggest thing for him,” Lebby said earlier this spring of Taylor. “He’s done an unbelievable job of working his butt off to get himself to this point. I’m talking about in the film room and meeting room. It’s a huge credit to Blake and Luke (Kromenhoek). That room right now is really strong. It’s very competitive and we have guys that understand what it takes to be a quarterback. From a time standpoint and an expectation of how you have to operate. He has a great future ahead of him.”

A total of eight freshmen enrolled early from the class this year with the aforementioned players being joined by safety Sekou Smith Jr., linebacker AJ Rice, offensive lineman Spencer Dowland and WR AJ Lewis Jr. While opportunities could arise for that group to get some playing time in year one, it’s one day at a time for now.

Lebby has been taking it slow with the players and teaching them their expectations from day to day. So far, so good.

“I’ve tried to continue to talk to those guys about not having any freshman lull. They were incredibly excited day one for spring ball and day one of winter workouts,” Lebby said of the freshmen. “Now that we’re into it a little bit, making sure there’s not this lull and their energy and attitude matches what it was day one. Day one excitement should carry us all the way through. That’s the biggest thing for them as we’ve gotten into it and been a little bit of a grind for them.”

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