Jeff Lebby didn’t need much convincing when it came to Zach Arnett.
Lebby had already spent two seasons trying to solve Arnett’s defense from the opposite sideline, and that experience left an impression. At SEC Media Days on Thursday, the Mississippi State coach said facing Arnett while he was Ole Miss’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 was enough to tell him what kind of defensive coordinator he was getting when he brought him back to Starkville.
“(I) didn’t enjoy going against him. He made it really, really hard. And that, for me, was just another great stamp and a check-the-box situation where I knew what I was getting,” Lebby said at SEC Media Days on Thursday.
Arnett’s return to Mississippi State comes with plenty of baggage and plenty of responsibility. He first arrived in Starkville as Mike Leach’s defensive coordinator in 2020, then was elevated to head coach after Leach’s death in Dec.
- That run ended after 10 games in the 2023 season, when he was fired following a 4-6 start.
Now he’s back in the same building, this time running the Bulldogs’ defense again under Lebby.
The job in front of him is obvious. Mississippi State’s defense struggled badly in 2025, finishing second-to-last in the SEC in points allowed per game at 30.2 and total yardage allowed at 409.3. The run defense was even tougher to stomach, with the Bulldogs giving up 186.3 rushing yards per game, worst in the conference.
Lebby believes Arnett is the right person to clean that up.
“I’ve talked a ton about being the aggressor, being able to affect the quarterback, creating negative plays. He’s done that,” Lebby said. “And he has been awesome in the building.
“He’s been great from a leadership standpoint on that side of the ball for us. I feel like it does free me up in a great way, which has been awesome.”
For Lebby, the hire was about more than familiarity. It was about trust, and about knowing exactly what Arnett brings after having to scheme against him. Now, with Mississippi State trying to turn the page defensively, Lebby is counting on that same challenge to become the solution.
In Other News...
Jeff Lebby Just Gave Bulldogs Fans An Unexpected 2026 Answer
Mississippi State spent much of SEC Media Days talking about the usual offseason priorities, but Jeff Lebby pointed the conversation somewhere a little less obvious for 2026. The Bulldogs offensive coordinator said the biggest expected step forward should come along the offensive line and in the secondary, two spots that will shape how steady this team can be once the new season arrives.
There is real work to do in both areas, especially with departures at safety and the need to keep building depth up front. Mississippi State has already added transfers and a highly regarded freshman to help on the back end, while Kelley Jones is expected to anchor the cornerback group and new safeties coach Evan Harvey will be tasked with blending the newcomers into place. For a program trying to turn offseason planning into actual progress, those are the kinds of details that can matter long before the first snap. [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 🡒]