Mississippi State football makes its appearance at 2024 SEC Media Days on Wednesday with new HC Jeff Lebby, QB Blake Shapen, OL Albert Reese IV, and LB John Lewis all meeting with the media to preview the upcoming season.
It's a new-look program in Starkville which means we have lots of questions about this team. Here are four questions we hope to see answered on Wednesday...
How is the transition to Jeff Lebby's offense progressing for quarterback Blake Shapen?
Jeff Lebby landed on former Baylor QB Blake Shapen to lead his offense in year one. Shapen has some traits that should fit this system and has played at a high-level previously. But this is a very different style of offense than what he played in at Baylor. How far along is Shapen in transitioning to Lebby's attack? There's no doubt Lebby will shape his system to fit his QB, and Shapen looked comfortable in the spring. But it's a big change to make, and State needs Shapen to hit the ground running this fall to be successful.
Which backup offensive linemen look ready to contribute?
State went heavy in the portal to reload along the offensive line. As many as four OL starters will be transfers this season. The starting group looks like it could end up being solid. But after the first five or six guys, experience is minimal. OL is a spot where depth is critical, and State's depth up front is one of the biggest questions for the offense. So of the guys who don't have the game reps, which ones are SEC-ready contributors?
How have roles changed in the linebacker room?
State is making the shift from the 3-3-5 to Coleman Hutzler's defense. That will likely have some resemblance to the Saban 3-4, but Hutzler hasn't made clear what their base scheme and personnel will be. We do know roles are changing at LB. We know John Lewis has moved from a stand-up edge rusher position to inside LB, but how is the rest of the room taking shape? And how will their responsibilities be different in this defense compared to the last?
Who are the impact players in pass defense?
State's biggest question mark defensively is in the secondary. The second biggest question mark is where will pass rush come from. That combination creates quite a few concerns for how good they'll be at defending the pass. So which players can State rely on to step-up this fall? Will the Russell brothers become consistent threats off the edge? Have Brice Pollock and Isaac Smith taken big steps forward as sophomores? State needs studs to emerge in those groups.