After a 2-10 season, Mississippi State football is in need of major changes. Most notably, they need to improve the talent across the board on the roster. The 2024 Bulldog roster was one of the least talented we've seen in Starkville in a very long time, particularly along the lines of scrimmage and defense as a whole.
Coming off his first season in Starkville, head coach Jeff Lebby knows he and his staff are going to need an incredible effort working the transfer portal if his program is going to show considerable improvement in 2025. Following a season-ending Egg Bowl loss, Lebby told media that the MSU coaches are ready to go to work improving the roster.
"We're going to need to do a really good job of going and getting the guys that we need to get...Our staff and myself are ready to work incredibly hard to go do it and get it done."Miss State HC Jeff Lebby
And while there are some obvious position groups, such as the defensive line, that are in the most dire need of upgrading, Lebby says he isn't focusing on any one spot when it comes to improving the roster. He believes they can get better everywhere and is confident that they will.
"There's going to be guys at every single position to me that have the ability to come in here and make an impact, and we are looking to constantly upgrade. We want to make our roster as good as we possibly can as fast as we possibly can. We have the ability to go and do that. "Jeff Lebby
Part of Lebby's confidence comes from experience. With a season under their belts, Lebby feels he and his staff are much better equipped to attack the transfer portal and land the talent necessary to turn things around, saying there is a "night and day" difference compared to last year and they're excited for the opportunity ahead of them.
"It's night and day...So again, excited to get back to Starkville and get back to work. There won't be anybody that works harder than we will that is excited about having the opportunity to go get it flipped and go get it done. We've got plenty of needs, and we're ready to go address them."Jeff Lebby
There's undoubtedly a lot of work necessary to get Mississippi State's roster back to being SEC caliber. We'll see what type of talent they're able to attract over the next month as the build for the 2025 season.