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 couple of talented freshmen.
14 Days: No. 14, Fr. Safety Lo’Kavion Jackson
One of the most underrated players in the Bulldog signing class this year, Jackson turned down an opportunity to stay close to home and play for Florida State and Miami.
The Bulldogs sealed the deal thanks, in large part, to the relationships that Jackson built in the recruiting process with Lebby and the staff. State got Jackson on the board in the summer after he visited officially and he stayed firmly under the radar for the first part of his senior season at Mosley High School.
Jackson would put up some big numbers as a senior playing both sides of the ball. He had 46 carries for 670 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing and had nine catches for 118 yards. On defense, Jackson racked up 60 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two pass deflections. His season had him gaining steam with the instate schools and Florida State was especially a threat to the Bulldogs.
After earning an offer from the Seminoles late in the process and taking a visit, it looked like FSU was surging. In addition, Louisville was coming into the picture and the Bulldogs were holding on for dear life. In the end, his relationships with the staff would win and he signed with State on signing day.
Jackson enrolled in the summer and has started his work with the Bulldogs in the last couple of months. The 6’1, 200-pounder is a player that still could find his way getting some playing time at some point this year due to his stature and feel for the game.
No. 14,, Fr. Wide Receiver Gracen Harris
After a year and a half being committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, Harris found himself with a change of plans last December.
Harris first committed to the Sooners back in May heading into his junior season. The speedy wide out had already started for his high school team his freshman and sophomore season and was becoming a hot commodity on the recruiting scene.
The Ennis (Texas) standout began to get interest from around the country. Texas schools Baylor, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech offered along with Nebraska, West Virginia and many others. As a junior, Harris would have a breakout season with over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns playing multiple positions on offense. He would hit the 1,000-yard mark in receiving alone his senior season when he pulled in 64 catches for 1,065 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 395 yards rushing, 236 yards passing and eight more touchdowns.
Harris was all set to enroll at Oklahoma last December until circumstances changed and he decommitted right before signing day. There to scoop him up was a familiar face as Lebby would bring him to Starkville. Just a week after his initial decommitment, Harris was signed with State and he enrolled in January.
The Bulldogs get a great athlete in Harris as he brings experience as a track star to the team. He’s expected to play in the slot for the Bulldogs as time goes on and we’ll see how quickly he can make an impact with the Bulldogs.
Category: General Sports
