Bulldogs double down on run game with tight end additions

New tight ends Max Reese and Sam West join veteran Seydou Traore in shaping Mississippi State’s physical offensive approach.

Mississippi State Bulldogs tight end Seydou Traore (18) leaps and hurdles over Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Keith Abney II (1) in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It’s always dangerous to speculate about a football team when you’re on the outside looking in. But there’s a lot of evidence to support something that is becoming more and more obvious.

Mississippi State is going to run the ball. A lot.

Look at the group of running backs the Bulldogs have, especially a dangerous triumvirate of Davon Booth, Fluff Bothwell and Johnnie Daniels. In the preseason, it’s arguably the best position group for Mississippi State.

One of the 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 players in the country resides in StarkVegas.@Vonn_6k ➡️ Paul Hornung Award Watchlist

📰: https://t.co/7zu1uIFrLm#HailState pic.twitter.com/YoXahCLU8u

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) July 31, 2025

So, the Bulldogs will want to take advantage of that. But to a successful rushing attack, you need blockers. In the spring portal, Mississippi State added five linemen that has at least made that group bigger.

The other component to adding blockers was the pair of tight ends Mississippi State signed during the spring transfer portal window. The Bulldogs added Eastern Michigan’s Max Reese and Indiana’s Sam West to a group that returns Seydou Traore and Cameron Ball.

“We want to be able to operate in 11 and 12 personnel and those type of things on a regular basis without just having two guys or three guys or someone coming along,” tight ends coach and run game coordinator Jon Cooper said. “We needed some of that experience that has been put on tape.”

Traore has the most experience. He played in all 12 games last season, catching 34 passes for 361 yards and one touchdown. He’s an athletic tight end, as shown by him jumping over an Arizona State defender.

“He is very internally motivated and he's done a great job whether it was last year, whether it's through the spring, or whether it's with Sam and Max and Skip coming in,” Cooper said. “He's done a great job of always pushing himself, and I've really challenged him to be able to take something from other guys.”

However, both Reese and Ball are bigger players. Reese is 6-foot-3, 250-pounds and Ball is 6-foot-7, 250-pounds. Traore stands at 6-foot-4 but only at 235-pounds.

The speculative part to this is that Reese and Ball were brought in to be the run-blocking tight ends and Traore is going to be the pass-catching tight end. None of them will be used exclusively in those roles, but that’s why it’s hard to predict who will start the season-opening game against Southern Miss.

Ball will also be in the mix after having what Cooper galled an incredible spring.

“We had a great conversation with him and he's really stepped up,” Cooper said. “He understands the challenge in front of him, and he's not shying away from competition at all, and he's done a really good job as well.”

New Opportunities Await - 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐈𝐭. #HailState pic.twitter.com/7R42pd7QcF

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) July 31, 2025

Mississippi State also signed Emka Iloh, a junior college transfer (Coahoma CC), who could also have role in run blocking with a 6-foot-9, 265-pound frame.

“I don't know what it's like being 6'9", 270 and athletic,” Cooper said. “But that's again — you see that and he walks off the bus like, ‘Oh my gosh, who's that?’ And then he’ll flash in the spring. He'll flash in workouts.”

Mississippi State also signed Joseph Skipworth as part of its high school recruiting class to round out the tight end room.