Will Whitson’s 2025 season flashed fast, then stopped just as quickly.
The Mississippi State linebacker opened the year with a breakout performance against Southern Miss, piling up four tackles and a sack in the Bulldogs’ season-opening win. That effort earned him SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors. He backed it up the next Saturday against Arizona State with four more tackles and another sack, but that game ended with an injury in the second quarter.
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Now, nearly a full calendar year later, Whitson is back at work and preparing for what he hopes is his first full season in Starkville with a pressure sleeve on his arm.
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A lot has changed around him since that injury. Mississippi State has welcomed a wave of newcomers, including edge rusher Amaree Williams and safety Jardyn Gilbert, and added a new coordinator in Zach Arnett.
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Through camp, Mississippi State coaches have wanted more than just one-on-one wins. They’ve emphasized “playing winning football” on both sides of the ball, and Whitson says the answer on defense starts with simple, relentless habits.
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One more honor is already in the books for the Bulldogs this preseason. Kelley Jones was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to college football’s best defensive back, while Ethan Pulliam landed on the Ray Guy Award watch list for the nation’s top punter. Kamerio Taylor also was named by 247Sports as one of the Top 100 Most Exclusive Players in College Football.
Scrimmage is coming up next. Mississippi State will hold a closed scrimmage on Sunday afternoon at Davis Wade Stadium, with head coach Jeff Lebby available afterward.