Mississippi State football has to load up on offensive lineman in the 2026 Transfer Portal cycle, and they've made their first OL addition to the class with a name that should be familiar to Bulldog fans. Florida State transfer offensive tackle Mario Nash Jr. made his commitment to the Bulldogs on Tuesday. Nash Jr. was at one time committed to Mississippi State has a high school recruit in 2025. The 6-4, 285 lineman is rated as an 86-overall 3-star and the No. 30 offensive tackle in the Portal per 247 Sports and will have four years of eligibility remaining.
| COMMITTED |
— NPGPX Design (@NathanPurvis) January 6, 2026
Mario Nash (@BigNash_77), the transfer portal @247Sports 3⭐️ offensive lineman from Florida State, has committed to Mississippi State. #HailState pic.twitter.com/DqgtOOqD6j
Mario Nash Jr. was a prized recruit in the Class of 2025. The De Kalb, MS native was rated as a 4-star prospect, holding offers from Mississippi State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Clemson, and LSU among others. He committed to his home state Bulldogs in the summer of 2024 before flipping to the Seminoles that October.
He would ultimately choose to sign with FSU as the top OL in their 2025 recruiting class. Nash Jr. would redshirt as a freshman in Tallahassee, not seeing any action. After just one year with the program, he made the decision to transfer. As soon as he hit the Portal, many believed Mississippi State would be the destination, and sure enough, Mario Nash Jr. will be a Bulldog after all.
Mario Nash Jr. gives Mississippi State a high upside addition to OL room
Despite a quick exit from Tallahassee, Mario Nash Jr. still has tremendous upside. He's got great athleticism for a lineman with plenty of length and power and could play multiple spots along the line. The biggest question for him, beyond the normal necessary technique development with young lineman, will be whether or not he can get his weight up to where it needs to be. If he can and continues to refine his skillset, he could be a special player.
As a redshirt freshman that's still developing, however, the Bulldogs will likely want to add more proven commodities up front as well. Mississippi State has no bigger need in the Transfer Portal for 2026 than offensive line. The Bulldogs' deficiencies blocking were disastrous for the offense, and the dire need to fix that problem means State will aggressively pursue more OL transfers in the coming weeks.