Running back room a major strength for Bulldogs this spring
A year after Mississippi State entered spring with a whole lot of questions in the running back room, Jeff Lebby and Anthony Tucker suddenly made it a major strength in 2025.
The Bulldogs had two backs returning heading into the spring a year ago in Keyvone Lee and Jeffery Pittman, but neither were a proven commodity and a new offense had the group wide open. Though Lebby added Johnnie Daniels from the junior college ranks and would later bring in Davon Booth for the summer, it would take a while for the unit to gel.
Pittman was dismissed from the team prior to the first game of the year and Lee would have his season end early due to a shoulder injury. It took time, but Booth and Daniels became a strong backfield and now they come back for another year with reinforcements.
“I feel really good about the room today,” Lebby said after his first spring practice of year two. “We’ve got to do a great job of keeping those guys healthy and giving them a bunch of reps, but we’ve completely flipped it in a calendar year. There’s incredible depth and I’m excited about that room. Great competition.”
Booth, Bothwell and Daniels set to be three-headed monster for State
The Utah State transfer Booth rushed for just 58 yards in the first three games he played but he came on as the year continued. Booth rushed for over 100 yards in back-to-back games against Tennessee and Missouri late in the season and had 152 carries for 759 yards and five scores while also returning 12 kicks for 308 yards.
Daniels was steady all season long in a backup role and rushed for 540 yards on 108 carries and four touchdowns. Fortunately, both are back for a final year as seniors with Booth getting an unexpected extra season due to a temporary ruling on junior college players gaining another year of eligibility.
As if those two experienced runners weren’t enough, the Bulldogs added one of the best running backs in the entire portal in the offseason. State beat out several teams including Ole Miss for the services of South Alabama transfer Fluff Bothwell.
After blowing up as a true freshman with 112 rushes and 834 yards, Bothwell earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors. His 12 touchdowns led the conference and he was seventh in Sun Belt in rushing yards. He is a load to tackle at 5’10, 230 pounds and Lebby has been impressed with his overall game.
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“He’s going to be a big, powerful, fast guy,” Lebby said of Bothwell. “That guy has had success at a different place, not this level. But what I love about Fluff is he’s come in and worked his butt off.
“That entire room. Nobody is on the list, everybody takes care of business and do things the right way. It’s a credit of who is leading the room every single day in coach (Anthony) Tucker and who we’ve signed.”
Additionally, Tucker and Lebby have one of the best pure athletes on the team also fighting for reps in that room. Brookhaven native Xavier Gayten got some run late in ball games last season and rushed eight times for 105 yards and a touchdown on a 72-yard burst. Against UMass.
There’s also the return of scat back Seth Davis still in the list of possibilities, but Lebby said they will be very careful with his return. Davis was wearing a non-contact yellow jersey at practice but was otherwise participating in practices.
It’s an embarrassment of riches for the Bulldogs at a position that has traditionally been a strength of the team. The next few months will be a battle to see who gets the reps.
