The run game can, at times, be an overlooked feature of the Jeff Lebby offense, but it's key to what Lebby wants to do on that side of the ball. That run game was hit or miss for Mississippi State football last season, but the expectation entering 2025 is that it will be a strength.
A big reason for that optimism is the return of Davon Booth, who was granted an extra year of eligibility thanks to a JUCO waiver. Booth got off to a slow start to the season, but once he got rolling he became a consistent play-maker for State. He led the Bulldogs with 759 rushing yards and five touchdowns and added four receiving scores. His 102.6 all-purpose yards per game is leads all returning SEC players.
Booth's an explosive player that Jeff Lebby is going to assure sees plenty of touches, both as a rusher and receiver. His running mates in the backfield are players Lebby will want to get involved too, including one of State's top transfer additions in Fluff Bothwell.
Bothwell burst onto the college football scene as a true freshman at South Alabama in 2024. He led the Jaguars with 832 yards and 13 touchdowns on an impressive 7.5 yards per carry. At 5-10, 230, he's a bruiser with a knack for getting downhill with physicality, breaking through tacklers.
That makes him an ideal compliment for the shiftier and speedier Booth, and he should help MSU in the short-yardage and goal-line situations they struggled with at times last year. But the Bulldogs have more than just a dynamic duo at RB. Senior Johnnie Daniels had 540 yards and four TDs last season with nice games against SEC opponents, and sophomore Xavier Gayten seemingly produced a big play each time he touched the ball in 2024.
Mississippi State has one of the SEC's best running back rooms
There are many questions about the talent at various positions on the Mississippi State roster, but there's no questioning that they've got a darn good group of tailbacks. Davon Booth is genuinely one of the more underrated skill players in the SEC, Fluff Bothwell is another big-time talent who brings great physicality, and both Daniels and Gayten are more than capable of carrying the load if necessary.
Quite literally, any of those four are good enough to start, and while there's plenty of RB talent across the SEC, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest top to bottom rooms in the conference. That's exciting for the Bulldog offense, as it gives Jeff Lebby a group to build around in 2025.
Expect Booth to see the most touches of the four, but this will be a "by committee" approach overall with a steady rotation at RB. That's primarily how Lebby's RB rooms have operated throughout his career as a play-caller, and given the talent and depth available to him, that will certainly continue. The ultimate ceiling for State's backs will likely be determined by how much the OL has improved, but even if blocking remains as lackluster as last season, this will be a dynamic and productive position.