COLUMN: Clock begins on Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State in crucial offseason

As Jeff Lebby closed the book on his first season as a head coach on Friday night, his frustrating year one ended with a glimmer of positivity.

Yes, the Bulldogs had the absolute worse season in the last 22 years with a 2-10 finish and a winless conference slate. For the fourth time in five tries against Lane Kiffin, they watch the Rebels hoist the Egg Bowl trophy.

As tumultuous and frustrating as the year became, there was still some signs of life for State along the way. The Bulldogs had some good moments from freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren after he was thrust into the starting lineup. State also had some big moments from its skill players showcasing the abilities inside Lebby’s offense.

Even in the middle of the worst defensive season in school history, the Bulldogs put the team in position to beat Ole Miss on Friday night. In the end, State never could find a way to put it all together in every facet in SEC play.

A lot of it falls on the lack of execution on a roster that was full of first-time starters at State. Some more of it falls on the fact the Bulldogs had a first-time head coach and a first-time play caller on defense. In the end, State finished without a victory in a league that was full of chaos all season long.

If there was one major takeaway on the positive side of things it’s that State players seem to stay in the fight all year. A lot of teams mail things in when the going gets tough, but the Bulldogs stayed consistent in their effort and their approach each day.

I give a lot of credit to Lebby for force-feeding belief into his team. The coach has remained consistent in his message that the best is yet to come for the Bulldogs. It’s not showing on the field to this point, but he believes and the people inside the building believes.

Talent acquisition and retention the most important part of the offseason

That now turns the page to what is the most important offseason in State history. It’s an offseason that will likely define Bulldog football under Lebby and one that will either continue to send State down on the trajectory line or heading way up.

For the first time in the NIL era, State fans have gone all in on making the roster better. Donations of $8 million and $3 million have gone into State’s revenue sharing fund along with countless donations from across the fanbase. For a 2-10 team, digging themselves out of a hole will take all of that and maybe more, but Lebby and his staff have plans to try to turn that roster over in a big way.

It’s going to start up front for Lebby. The Bulldogs were at their weakest this season on the offensive and defensive lines. On paper, Cody Kennedy’s offensive line haul was a good one last year as he pulled in four starters who had some name recognition. The unit had some good moments and ultimately improved, but it wasn’t enough for the offense to flourish.

The defensive line was an entirely different story. State added Power 4 reserves and the lack of depth and talent up front created issues for the entire defense all season long. It’s a group that needs as much of an influx of talent as any on this State team.

On top of the players that will be needed at other positions, there’s also the possibility that players transfer out for the Bulldogs. Tampering is taking place all over college football and State’s roster will be ripe for the picking with the players that did show promise. Locking up the ones that Lebby needs to retain will be just as big of a priority as bringing in talent as Lebby needs continuity as well.

The elephant in the room is also the future of the Bulldog staff. Obviously, Coleman Hutzler’s future has been the topic of conversation within the fanbase all season long. The questions as to whether the defense’s struggles were because of the coaching or the players remains, but he certainly can’t be better without the talent.

If Hutzler is indeed back with the Bulldogs in 2025, his offseason recruiting will be the difference in State’s improvement. There’s no denying that his gameplan and his team’s execution on Friday was strong, but was it fool’s gold?

All of these questions will have to be answered swiftly. We’ll know a lot in the coming weeks whether or not things are headed north for Lebby or if the Bulldogs have a major problem on their hands. And that clock starts now.