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Mississippi State defensive lineman Will Whitson recognized for huge game vs USM

A new face to the Bulldog defense shined on Saturday, and his performance stood out within the SEC and nationally.
ByAndrew Miller|
Southern Miss Golden Eagles wide receiver Chuck Montgomery (3) is stopped by members of the Mississippi State Bulldogs defense during the fourth quarter at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Aug. 30, 2025.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles wide receiver Chuck Montgomery (3) is stopped by members of the Mississippi State Bulldogs defense during the fourth quarter at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Aug. 30, 2025. | Matt Bush/Special to Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mississippi State's defense had a nice showing in their season-opening win over Southern Miss on Saturday. They held the Golden Eagles to just 4.07 yards per play and 17 points. Three of those points came off a drive that started deep in Bulldog territory, and one TD came late in the fourth quarter with backups in.

It was a great start to the season for a unit that had a rough go of things in 2024, and one of the players that led the way in them getting off on the right foot was recognized for a great performance.

Will Whitson was named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week. The Coastal Carolina transfer recorded four tackles with and SEC-leading 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Southern Miss. He also had five pressures in the game. All of these production happened while playing just 25 total snaps, making it all the more impressive.

Whitson is the first player from the Mississippi State defense to earn SEC weekly honors since 2023. His impact earned him an 89.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest of any Bulldog defender. His performance landed him on PFF's Week 1 "National Team of the Week." It's safe to say it was a stellar debut for one of State's most coveted transfer portal additions of the offseason. He made it clear right away why landing him was such a big deal.

Will Whitson should significantly raise the ceiling of the Mississippi State defense

Far and away the biggest issue for the Mississippi State defense in 2024 was their defensive line. The unit was simply not SEC-caliber, lacking talent, size, and depth. Just having one high-level player would have helped that group out quite a bit, but they had none.

Now in 2025, Will Whitson can be that high-level, impact-making player up front. His production at Coastal Carolina spoke for itself, and he showed in his Mississippi State debut that he's still that type of player.

If Whitson can consistently be a disruptor up front, getting in the backfield and pressuring QBs, that's going to make life so much easier for every other player on that side of the ball. He's going to be huge for the Bulldogs this season.

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