Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work. After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if […]
Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.
After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.
As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.
Today, we look at a new face on the defensive line.
25 Days: No. 25, Sr. Defensive Lineman Ray Thomas
Part of State’s run to “fix it” on the defensive line is Northern Illinois’ Thomas. A 6’4, 300 pound pass rusher from Wisconsin, Thomas has amassed nearly 200 tackles in his career while racking up 22.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.
Thomas was a lifer for NIU as he played for the Huskies for five seasons before deciding to try and a new spot. It began in 2020 when he would play in six games and make 20 tackles with a TFL. Over the next three seasons, Thomas was a regular for the Huskies as he played in all 38 games. He got his first sack as second year player and then followed that up with 9.0 TFL and 2.5 sacks during the 2022 season.
The breakthrough year came as a junior in 2023 when Thomas stacked 75 tackles and had 8.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks and a pass deflection. It was setting up what was expected to be his best season yet last year, but an injury took out Thomas after just four games as he had already collected 2.0 sacks.
The silver lining of it was that he would get one more season of eligibility. Thomas entered the transfer portal and would have his list of suitors, but he’d choose the Bulldogs over North Carolina and others.
After being a two-star recruit out of Washington Park High School in Wisconsin, Thomas earned himself a high three-star ranking by On3 during the transfer portal window.
State adds a very experienced defensive player to the mix now as they head into the 2025 season and experience is exactly what Lebby was looking for. The Bulldogs had one of the worst pass rushes in school history as the unit combined to have just 10.0 sacks as a team last year.
Thomas was recruited as a defensive end or an Edge player, but his size and unique ability to move at that size could make him a dangerous defender on the interior. In recent weeks, he’s been spending time playing on the inside for David Turner at defensive tackle and should add something to that group as State hopes to bring the defensive line back to prominence.
Category: General Sports
