We're now officially in the offseason for Mississippi State football, following their season finale loss to rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Now looking to the future, we're starting to see changes to the Bulldog roster through the transfer portal.
Early Saturday morning, news broke that sophomore WR Creed Whittemore was entering the portal. And now, a fellow young wideout is joining him.
True freshman wide receiver JJ Harrell transferring from Mississippi State
Bulldogs wide receiver JJ Harrell is entering the transfer portal. The true freshman from Sardis, MS was one of three 4-star WR signees in Mississippi State's 2024 recruiting class.
Mississippi State true freshman WR JJ Harrell is expected to enter the portal, per a source.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) November 30, 2024
Harrell ranked as a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. https://t.co/oKuZIjccHA pic.twitter.com/fjvhGteVSL
A coveted prospect out of high school, Harrell owned offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. He was originally committed to the Volunteers before flipping to Mississippi State in the summer of 2023. Harrell was a big piece of the 2024 class, rallying other players to enter the class amidst the turmoil of the brief Zach Arnett tenure.
While fellow freshman wideout Mario Craver was an impact player this season and other freshman receivers saw opportunities, Harrell battled injuries ahead of the season that kept him sidelined throughout the year. He took a redshirt as a result.
JJ Harrell is another unfortunate loss from the Bulldog roster
State has now lost two wide receivers to the transfer portal, and neither are players they're happy to see go. While Creed Whittemore didn't see regular opportunities in either of his first two seasons, he was an explosive talent that made the most of the touches he did get and could fill a specific role in the offense.
JJ Harrell obviously didn't see the field as a true freshman, but he's clearly an impressive young talent given his offer sheet. Next year he would have had the chance to become an impact player. On paper, State will return three of their top four WRs next season, but you need depth behind them. And of course there's no guarantees they'll return all of their top players. Harrell is someone who would likely have been an important part of the offense.