Mississippi State football didn't have the season it wanted to in 2025, going 5-7. But while the overall team results were undesirable, there were some individuals on the roster who put together outstanding seasons. Two Bulldogs were recognized on CBS Sports' list of the Top 150 players in college football for 2025.
CBS Sports names wide receiver Brenen Thompson nation's 101st-best player
Few transfer portal additions, if any, proved to be more impactful to Mississippi State than Brenen Thompson. The Oklahoma transfer brought with him system experience, having played for Jeff Lebby while in Norman, and, more importantly, truly elite speed to the wide receiver room. Thompson considers himself the fastest man in college football, and that may very well be accurate.
The CBS Sports team named Thompson the No. 101 player in the country, saying he "brings true track speed and consistently separates against press coverage while tracking the ball well downfield...Thompson creates separation on comebacks and deep posts and remains reliable when catching the ball in traffic."
The track star caught 53 passes for 948 yards and six TDs. His nine catches of at least 40 yards led the SEC. He currently has the fifth-most receiving yards in a single season in Mississippi State history and will look to become the program's fourth-ever 1000-yard receiver in the Bulldogs' bowl game.
CBS Sports names cornerback Kelley Jones nation's 147th-best player
There was no bigger breakout star in Starkville than cornerback Kelley Jones. At 6-4, 195 with legitimate 4.4 speed, the RS sophomore always had the athleticism and physical tools to be an elite cornerback. But prior to this season, he hadn't yet put it all together.
He certainly put it together in 2025. Kelley Jones became a true lockdown corner, regularly shutting out his side of the field. He posted 30 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and two picks for an SEC-leading 13 passes defended. CBS Sports ranked him No. 147, saying, "Jones is a long cornerback with excellent range and a bright future at the next level. He excels in press coverage and shows the quickness to run with receivers on in-breaking routes."
Truthfully, having Kelley Jones just barely inside the Top 150 feels to be severely underrating him. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes he's one of the very best corners in the sport, worthy of a 1st round pick. The CBS Sports team had 10 other CBs ahead of Jones, which seems, frankly, absurd. Still, he's begun to garner deserved national attention.