Mississippi State’s final full SEC availability report before Saturday night in Austin brought more bad news than relief, and the Bulldogs are now staring at a thinner roster on both sides of the ball.
The biggest blow came on defense, where safety Isaac Smith and linebacker Tyler Lockhart were both downgraded to doubtful. Smith’s absence would sting especially hard.
The senior from Fulton, Mississippi, led the SEC with 127 tackles in 2024, good for seventh nationally, and added 64 more the year before while working in a hybrid safety-linebacker role. He also did not play against Oklahoma, and Mississippi State still has not said what injury is keeping him out.
Lockhart’s status took a hit after he opened the week as questionable on Thursday. The sophomore from Kilmichael earned Freshman All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches in 2025 and has carved out an important role in the linebacker rotation.
That leaves Mississippi State leaning even more on depth that was already being tested. Fatt Forrest and Zakari Tillman are expected to take on more at linebacker, while Duke Johnson and five-star freshman Bralan Womack could see their snap counts rise at safety.
The Bulldogs also lost a key piece on offense Thursday when left guard DJ Chester was ruled out. Chester started all seven games this season and, according to Pro Football Focus, gave up five quarterback pressures and one sack, making him one of the more reliable pieces on the line.
Now Mississippi State has to shuffle around him. Left tackle Miles McVay, center Cannon Boone, right guard LJ Pruitt and right tackle Jakeheem Shumpert-Perkins will all be working with a new teammate next to them, a less-than-ideal setup for a quarterback who will be making his first or second start of the season. Jeff Lebby still has not named that starter between Billy Puckett and AJ Swann, and that decision will wait until game night.
Texas has its own injury issues, though. Edge rusher Colin Simmons was ruled out Friday with an ankle injury after spending the week moving from questionable to doubtful to out.
Simmons leads the FBS with 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, so his absence is a major break for a Mississippi State offensive line already dealing with Chester’s loss. The Longhorns will also be without left tackle Trevor Goosby and edge rusher Richard Wesley.
There was better news for the Texas offense. Receiver Cam Coleman and running back Hollywood Smothers were removed from the report on Thursday, and receiver Kaliq Lockett was listed as probable.
For Mississippi State, the picture is clear enough: Saturday night is going to be about the players who have been waiting for their chance all season.
In Other News...
Jeffery Simmons Just Landed In A Massive Mississippi State NFL Spotlight
Jeffery Simmons is suddenly at the center of one of the biggest NFL moves involving a former Mississippi State star, with Tennessee sending the standout defensive tackle and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Chicago for a package built around 2027 and 2028 first-rounders plus a 2027 fourth-round pick. Simmons had been one of the Titans most reliable defensive pieces and had recently signed a three-year extension, which made the deal all the more striking for a player who had remained a cornerstone in Tennessee.
For Bulldogs fans, the most interesting wrinkle is the reunion waiting in Chicago, where Simmons will line up again with former Mississippi State teammate Montez Sweat. The Bears are also watching the injury situation in Seattle, where left tackle Charles Cross is dealing with a high ankle sprain and could miss one to two weeks, a development that could shape the next matchup on Chicagos schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Just Turned Its Final Five Games Into A QB Audition
Mississippi States quarterback picture has shifted again, and the timing makes the final stretch of the season feel a lot bigger than just wins and losses. With Kamario Taylor out after season-ending surgery, the Bulldogs have had to rework the depth chart on the fly, and the remaining games now carry extra weight for a room that is suddenly short on certainty.
Jaden Rashada and Marquis Johnson are among the names whose roles could be shaped by what happens next, while freshman Brodie McWhorter adds another layer to the evaluation. He has yet to play, but the staff still has room to get a look at him without burning a year of eligibility, which gives Mississippi State a chance to learn something useful before the transfer portal starts to reshape the roster again. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Can Already Start Thinking About The 2026 Egg Bowl
The next chapter in the Magnolia State rivalry is already on the calendar, and for fans on both sides, the 2026 Egg Bowl has a familiar kind of pull. Ole Miss and Mississippi State will meet again in a game that always carries more than just bragging rights, with the matchup landing in Oxford and sitting as one of the marquee dates on both teams football slates.
For Mississippi State supporters, it is the kind of game that gets circled early, especially with the full 2026 schedules now in hand for both programs. The buildup will come fast enough once the season gets going, but for now the rivalry has already started to take shape on the calendar, with tickets available and plenty of time for the usual Egg Bowl anticipation to build. [Read more 🡒]