Fall camp is underway for Mississippi State football's 2025 season. Despite a rough overall outlook for the Bulldogs coming off a 2-10 season, there's quite a bit of optimism about them fielding an exciting offense this year. Still, not everything is settled on that side of the ball. What are the biggest questions for the Mississippi State offense at the start of fall camp?
How do the the new additions to the offensive line gel together?
Jeff Lebby said at the start of spring practices that the offensive line wasn't where it needed to be, and State would be aggressive in the spring portal window to add pieces to that room. They did just that, adding five transfers post-spring. Lebby said at Media Days he feels better about that group now, but how well and how quickly will the newcomers mesh together with the guys already in the room? Tackle Blake Steen, guard Zack Owens, and center Brennan Smith are all new faces that have the chance to start. Can they get up to speed before the season?
What's the rotation look like at wide receiver?
Mississippi State completely reloaded its wide receiver room in the offseason, bringing in six transfers. They're confident in the talent and depth available to them, but it's still somewhat of a question as to how they'll rotate bodies there. Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III seem highly likely to start, but between Jordan Mosley, Ayden Williams, Ricky Johnson, Markus Allen, Jaron Glover, and even a few others, there's several ways the rotation could ultimately shakeout. There's no doubt State wants to play more guys than they did last year, but at the same time, you ideally would like a few WRs to emerge as your go-to playmakers.
Who is QB2 behind Blake Shapen?
We know sixth-year QB Blake Shapen is the Bulldogs' starter. That's been set ever since he was granted an extra year of eligibility. But the reality with Shapen is that injuries have been a repeated issue for him, and it's not exactly out of the question that State will need to see a backup play meaningful snaps in 2025. And what we don't know is who would have that role. Sophomore transfer Luke Kromenhoek would seemingly be the guy, as that's presumably why MSU added him in the offseason. But there's never been hype around a Bulldog QB like there is for freshman Kamario Taylor. The highly-rated signee shined in the spring and undoubtedly looks to be the future in Starkville. If Shapen goes down, do they go with a more experienced Kromenhoek who made starts for FSU last season, or do they go ahead and turn the reins over to Taylor?