Offensive line was a major problem for Mississippi State football last season, and in order for the Bulldogs to take a step forward in 2025, that unit is going to need to be vastly improved. Hitting the transfer portal for linemen was a necessity, but the December window didn't yield the the needed haul.
At the start of spring, Jeff Lebby expressed that State would look to improve the position through the portal. Now that spring practices have come to a close, words have turned into action. At the forefront of the OL overhaul is OL coach Phil Loadholt, and State fans have to love what they've seen out of Loadholt to this point.
Phil Loadholt's transfer portal aggressiveness a welcome sight for Mississippi State
Phil Loadholt was hired as State's new OL coach at the end of December. Since that time, he's added six offensive lineman to the portal. Five of those additions have happened within the last week at the conclusion of spring practices.
There hasn't been any desire to take a methodical approach to roster building. There hasn't been any concern about making anyone already committed or on the roster shy away from competition. Loadholt is simply looking to add as many quality lineman to the roster as he can.
And he's done that. Blake Steen will be one of the favorites to start at right tackle this fall. Brennan Smith will be in the running to start at center. Jayvin James and Zack Owens are younger players who will most likely provide depth, but each has high-level athletic upside that's intriguing.
The other side to this is that Loadholt hasn't been shy to move on from players either. Carson Lee and Jesse Ramil transferred-in to MSU in December. It was widely expected that they would each have a great chance to start up front for the Bulldogs this season.
However, neither were signed by Loadholt, who was hired afterwards. And after the spring, both are back in the portal. It's quite clear those moves are happening because Loadholt didn't see what he needed to and had other players in mind to step in. Obviously it's easier to move on from guys you didn't recruit, but having the confidence to know you can improve and willingness to make those changes is the sign of a good coach.
Phil Loadholt's job is to make Mississippi State's offensive line as strong as it can possibly be, and he's clearly doing everything he can to assure the Bulldogs run out a quality unit this fall. Should we expect a Joe Moore Award-winning line? Of course not. There's still a lot of development necessary to get State's OL to where they need to be long-term. But you can be confident they'll be improved, and you should be confident that the right man is leading them.