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Johnnie Daniels helping Bulldog backs take next step

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•about 15 hours•

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johnnie daniels6
Mississippi State RB Johnnie Daniels (Photo by Jared Thomas, Maroon and White Daily)

Things are much different for Johnnie Daniels this year as he and Mississippi State are close to wrapping up the spring.

A season ago, there were a lot of unknowns in the Bulldog backfield. Daniels was a bright spot but had not yet proven anything in the SEC and there wasn’t much returned talent from the previous year. Additionally, State’s eventual leading rusher Davon Booth wasn’t even on State’s commit list and wouldn’t arrive until the summer.

This year, it’s a room filled to the brim with talent and experience. Daniels and Booth are back for their second spring and Jeff Lebby landed one of the top transfer portal running backs in Fluff Bothwell to go along with true freshman early enrollee Kolin Wilson as the new faces.

“The running back room is loaded, man,” Daniels stated. “We’ve got Kolin and Fluff as additions to the running back room and Booth is back. Everybody can do everything so it’s a real loaded room and real competitive. I’m looking forward to this year.”

Solid first year gives building block for Daniels as a senior

For Daniels specifically, his day-to-day has been so much easier heading into his senior season. A native of Crystal Springs, Daniels went the junior college route and become one of the leading rushers in the country at Copiah Lincoln after rushing for 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns his sophomore year.

Daniels would become Lebby’s first commitment as the new coach shortly after the head man arrived to campus. While the Bulldogs were the only Power 4 offer, Daniels showed his toughness last year when he rushed for 540 yards and 5.0 yards per carry while scoring four touchdowns. This offseason has been about growth and Daniels believes he’s done that.

“The game is slowing down for me. I’m paying attention to the smaller, little details and just being entuned to my ability and what I’m good or bad at,” Daniels said. “Routes out of the backfield, my hands, pass pro, my eyes in pass protection. You can’t have bad eyes playing running back.”

Daniels and Booth have a bit of a brotherhood at this point. Both players have a JUCO background and have been overlooked and counted out at some point in their careers. They complemented each other well a season ago as they each averaged 5.0 yards per tote and now they get one more season together.

Throughout the last year, Daniels has seen growth in Booth as well. The talented back has become a father and he’s earned the respect of his teammate.

“I’ve seen some amazing things,” Daniels said of Booth. “He’s a great teammate, he’s there when you need him. One call, that’s all – he’s like All State Insurance. He’s a great dude, man.”

For a group of backs that brought question marks to the minds of fans this time last year, it’s a position that’s now a major strength for the Bulldogs. A lot of that is owed to what the duo of Daniels and Booth accomplished by the end of the season and how they’ll carry it over with even more talent in 2025.

After State had three games of less than 80 yards rushing in the first six contests last year, the Bulldogs finished with five-straight 100-yard performances prior to the season finale against Ole Miss. Daniels and Booth helped State get going and they’ve transitioned that into the offseason so it can be a major piece of the Bulldog offense in Lebby’s second season.

“Just carrying on the chemistry,” Daniels said of the offseason goals. “The chemistry that we hold from last year with the returning guys, we’re trying to instill that running game so we can dominate every game and every weekend.”

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