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Mississippi State adds some beef to its defensive line with former 4-star prospect

Finally, the Bulldogs got themselves a big boy for the middle of the defense!

ByAndrew Miller|
Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe (94) rushes during the second half against the Rice Owls at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe (94) rushes during the second half against the Rice Owls at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Mississippi State football needs to see an influx of talented transfers to turn the fortunes of the program around. They've done a solid job so far of adding talent to the roster, and now there's some momentum building up on defense. They found even more defensive momentum over the weekend, adding a big body defensive lineman from a SEC program.

Former Texas defensive tackle Jaray Bledsoe commits to Mississippi State Bulldogs out of transfer portal

There's no bigger area of need for Mississippi State out of the transfer portal than defensive line. The Bulldogs badly need to rebuild that position group after fielding a poor unit, both in terms of talent and depth, in 2024. State had already added a few edge rushers, but they were in dire need of some beef in the middle.

They've helped themselves out there with the commitment of former Texas defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe. The 6-4, 290 defensive tackle is rated as an 86-overall transfer prospect.

A native of Marlin, TX, Bledsoe was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school with plenty of big time offers from the SEC and from around the nation. He saw limited action during his three years in Austin. Bledsoe played in 12 total games, totaling seven tackles and one tackle for loss. It's worth keeping in mind though that Texas has been loaded along the defensive interior in recent years. At Mississippi State, Bledsoe immediately becomes one of the top options at that spot. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Jaray Bledsoe is Mississippi State's first true interior defensive line transfer portal commit

Jaray Bledsoe is an important addition in Mississippi State's quest to rebuild an SEC-caliber defensive line, and he's technically the first big body lineman to join the portal class. While Jamil Burroughs is committed to the Bulldogs, he still needs some vetting before joining the program officially.

So for now, Bledsoe leads the way along the defensive interior, and hopefully more big bodies are on the way. The MSU D-Line got bullied throughout the season, and they need players who can actually push back against SEC offensive lines.

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