Mississippi State has been busy in the transfer portal this spring. The Bulldogs desperately needed to upgrade their offensive line, and OL coach Phil Loadholt has worked nonstop, adding more talent and depth to the room. The tight end position was in sneaky need of improvements, so State went out and added a pair of quality transfers at that spot.
But there's one position where State still has a significant need, and unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it's one of the more important positions in football.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are in dire need of a quality cornerback out of the transfer portal
Since the end of last season, Mississippi State has done a nice job of improving the roster at every position except for one: cornerback. The Bulldogs were dealt a tough blow early in December when top corner Brice Pollock made the decision to enter the transfer portal. Pollock wasn't a shutdown corner, but he was a talented player who looked poised to grow into a high-level starter on the outside. He was one of the few players on defense that legitimately hurt to lose.
As soon as Pollock hit the portal, it became necessary that State use the portal to replace him and land a clear, starting-caliber CB. Months later, they've yet to do so.
MSU was in the mix for several corners during the December portal window but failed to land any of them. They recently had high-level Houston transfer Jeremiah Wilson scheduled to take a visit, but he committed to Florida State without ever coming to Starkville.
There's been very little traction at all with corners since the spring portal window opened for State, and if that doesn't change soon, it could spell trouble. The Bulldogs return experienced corners in Kelley Jones and DeAgo Brumfield, both of whom made starts in 2024, but neither has proven to be a No. 1 option outside.
State did add a pair of transfers in Kennesaw State's Jayven Williams and NAIA Marian's Dwight Lewis III. Williams seems like a depth piece. Lewis III is a genuinely intriguing player, but he's making a massive leap in level of competition. Do you really want to throw him into the fire right away?
Even if one out of those four take a big step forward, MSU would still ideally need another quality option in the room to at least challenge for the opposite starting spot. If they can't find that option, they're going to enter the season severely lacking at one of the most important positions on the field.
If offenses can exploit your cornerbacks, your defense is likely going to be in for a long day. There's plenty of reasons to believe Mississippi State's defense will be improved based on the upgrades they've made at other positions, but if they don't upgrade CB, there will be a hard ceiling on that improvement.