Basketball season is nearing the Madness of March, and baseball and softball are just getting underway. But it won't be too much longer until spring football starts, and once that happens, attention will quickly turn towards the 2025 season.
A big talking point each offseason is which true freshman will step into major roles right away. 247 Sports unveiled their 2025 freshman All-Impact Team, highlighting class of 2025 signees from around the country they believe will make immediate impacts at their schools this fall. And one of Mississippi State's best signees made the cut.
247 Sports name Mississippi State's Tyshun Willis to All-Impact Team
Edge Rusher Tyshun Willis is Mississippi State's top-rated defensive signee in the Class of 2025. The Velma Jackson-product was rated as a Top 5 prospect in Mississippi with a 95-overall rating according to 247 Sports. And 247 expects him to be a standout true freshman in Starkville, naming him to their All-Impact Team.
247's Chris Hummer says to expect an adjustment period for Willis as he transitions from small school high school ball (he played in 1A in Mississippi) to SEC but that he projects as an instant impact edge rusher.
And Mississippi State needs him to be one.
The Bulldogs were one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the country last season. As a team, they managed just 10 sacks over the entirety of the season. They failed to record a sack in half of their games.
That's atrocious.
If you can't get after the quarterback, you've got no chance at getting stops on defense. And as anyone who watched Mississippi State last season saw, they had no chance at getting stops. Jeff Lebby and Co. went after a bevy of defensive lineman and pass rushers through the transfer portal to help turn things around, but Willis will have the opportunity to factor in as well.
Willis will immediately step in as one of the most talented pass-rushers on the roster. If he can get up to SEC speed quickly, he's going to make an impact for the Bulldog defense right away.