Jeff Lebby didn’t reach for the obvious answer when asked where Mississippi State football can make its biggest leap in 2026.
Sure, Kamario Taylor is the name everyone circles. He’s the new starting quarterback, the one who could raise the Bulldogs’ ceiling in his first year as the full-time starter. But at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Lebby pointed somewhere else entirely: the trenches on offense and the back end of the defense.
“I do think, without a doubt, offensively, it's at the line of scrimmage,” Lebby said on July 23. “We're going to take a huge jump there. Having the ability to protect Kamario and be able to run the football the way we want to run the football will be a huge point of emphasis.
“And then I think defensively, just our depth in the secondary and our safety position. Obviously, Kelley (Jones) is at corner, but what we're going to be able to do opposite of him is exciting.”
That offensive line has been a problem area for Lebby across his first two seasons in Starkville. Cody Kennedy was fired after the 2024 season, and while Phil Loadholt took over, the results in 2025 didn’t show much improvement. Loadholt is back for this season, and Mississippi State has only one returning starter in center Canon Boone.
The Bulldogs tried to patch things up through the portal, bringing in DJ Chester, Miles McVay and LJ Prudhomme, all of whom are expected to matter. Lebby sounded encouraged by what that group can become.
“What we were able to do in the portal, I'm really excited about it,” Lebby said. “I think our top six guys are guys that can go win a bunch of football games and play at a really high level.”
Still, Mississippi State knows six isn’t enough. Building out the rest of the rotation will be a major focus once preseason practices start Aug. 6.
“We've got to continue to develop the depth in spots seven, eight, nine and 10 and figure out those best 10 guys,” Lebby said. “I feel as good as I felt since being here about our top six.”
The secondary is also in transition. Isaac Smith is back for his third starting season in that hybrid safety/linebacker role, but the Bulldogs lost several key pieces.
Jahron Manning, Hunter Washington and Brylan Lanier are all gone. Manning led the team in tackles in 2025, while Lanier led Mississippi State with four interceptions and also spent time at cornerback.
Evan Harvey is now in charge of the safeties, and much of the spotlight there falls on transfers Marcus Williams, Jardin Gilbert and Kendel Dolby. Then there’s Bralan Womack, the four-star from Hartfield Academy and Mississippi State’s highest-rated signee in the 2026 class. If the freshman is ready, he could force his way into the picture quickly.
“He's come in and has worked incredibly hard,” Lebby said. “He's incredibly talented.
He's still an 18-year-old kid. He's got a lot to figure out to able to live and go experience, but he has a chance to be an elite player.”
At cornerback, Kelley Jones gives Mississippi State a proven answer on one side. Some outlets project him as a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and teams largely stopped testing him last season.
That makes the other corner spot especially important, and Jett Jefferson is a name to watch after injury limited him to four games a year ago. Wide receiver Anthony Evans III said Jefferson looks ready to go.
“He's better,” Evans said. “I was actually just talking about this with him yesterday. He feels 100% and is ready to get going.”
In Other News...
Jeff Lebby Opens Up About A Surprising Mississippi State Gamble
Mississippi State spent much of last season searching for answers on defense, and the results were hard to ignore. The Bulldogs finished near the bottom of the SEC in points allowed and total yardage allowed, a stretch that only sharpened the scrutiny on Jeff Lebby as he heads into another pivotal year in Starkville.
At SEC Media Days, Lebby made clear he believes the fix starts with the people he trusts most, and he spent time praising Zach Arnetts leadership and defensive acumen. Lebby said he had seen enough of Arnett from the other sideline to know how difficult his defenses can be to handle, which helps explain why this move feels less like a gamble and more like a calculated attempt to steady a unit that badly needs it. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Lebby Just Made A Wild Kamario Taylor Comparison
Kamario Taylors first season in Starkville gave Mississippi State enough to believe it may have something worth building around. The quarterback showed flashes as both a passer and runner, finishing with 629 yards through the air and 5 touchdowns while adding 458 yards and 8 scores on the ground, a dual-threat profile that fits the kind of offense Jeff Lebby wants to push forward as the Bulldogs try to get moving in the SEC.
At SEC Media Days, Lebby made it clear he sees Taylors ceiling as much higher than a typical young quarterbacks, pointing to the kind of athleticism and arm talent that can change how defenses have to play him. The comparison was eye-catching, but for Mississippi State the larger point is simpler: if Taylor keeps developing, he could become the kind of difference-maker this program needs after a difficult season and a long climb back toward conference relevance. [Read more 🡒]