Cowbell Corner

40 in 40: How Diego Pavia’s lawsuit helped Mississippi State land an impact player

Mississippi State’s defensive line overhaul includes Will Whitson, a JUCO product whose extra year of eligibility could pay big dividends.
Taylor Hodges|
San Jose State Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (2) scrambles away from Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defensive lineman Will Whitson (44) during the third quarter of the Easypost Hawaii Bowl at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
San Jose State Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (2) scrambles away from Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defensive lineman Will Whitson (44) during the third quarter of the Easypost Hawaii Bowl at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. | Steven Erler-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

If Mississippi State is significantly better in 2025 than in 2024, it may need to send a thank you card to Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia.

Pavia won a lawsuit against the NCAA for another year of eligibility, arguing junior college years shouldn’t count against NCAA eligibility because of potential earnings losses from NIL deals. The victory gave the Commodores their quarterback for one more year.

But the lawsuit victory didn’t just apply to Pavia; it applies to all former JUCO players including two Bulldogs who will be important players for Mississippi State: Davon Booth and Will Whitson.

Booth has already his appearance as one of the 40 most important Bulldogs in 2025. Now, it’s Whitson’s turn.

Who is Will Whitson?

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitson began his collegiate career in the JUCO ranks at Independence Community College in Kansas. There he’d play in 21 games in three seasons and collected 63 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. He was also named to Kansas Jayhawk All-Conference teams in 2021 and 2022.

Whitson transferred to Coastal Carolina for his senior season as a three-star JUCO prospect and chose Coastal Carolina over Tennessee, Buffalo, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech. Whitson was a dominant wrecking force that season. He played in 13 games with nine starts and recorded 42 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks and five QB hurries.

A great 2023 season set Whitson up for an even better 2024 season as a graduate student. But the universe had other plans.

What happened in 2024?

Whitson played in just four games last season because of injuries. In those four games, though, Whitson had 21 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, one forced fumble and two QB hurries. In December, when Pavia’s lawsuit was won, Whitson entered the transfer portal for one more season and wound coming to Starkville.

Why will he be important in 2025?

Whitson was well on his way to having a dominant 2024 season until he suffered an injury. If he picks up this season where he left off, opposing offensive coordinators will have nightmares.

It’s no secret Mississippi State wasn’t very good on the defensive line last season. Injuries played a role in that, but there were also size and overall talent issues. The Bulldogs spent much of the offseason trying to fix that, and Whitson could end up being one of the best and most important transfer additions.

Previous 40 in 40 Coaches and Players:

Coaches

Jeff Lebby, Head Coach
Coleman Hutzler, Defensive Coordinator
Phil Loadholt, Offensive line coach

Players

Kedrick Bingley-Jones, DL
Davon Booth, RB
Fluff Bothwell, RB
DeAgo Brumfield, DB
Jamil Burroughs, DL
Kalvin Dinkins, DL
Antony Evans III, WR
Kyle Ferrie, K
Branden Jennings, DL
Kelley Jones, DB
Brylan Lanier, S
Jahron Manning, DB
Nic Mitchell, LB
Jordan Mosley, WR
Albert Reese IV, OL
Isaac Smith, S
Blake Steen, OL
Brenen Thompson, WR
Zakari Tillman, Edge
Seydou Traore, TE

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.