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Cowbell Corner

Everything Jeff Lebby Said After First Spring Practice

Mississippi State held its first practice of the spring offseason and talked about the state of the team and working with new coaches afterwards.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Bank of America Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State kicked off its spring practices Monday morning as it looks to integrate new transfers and freshmen.

Bulldogs' coach Jeff Lebby met with reporters afterwards to talk about the current state of the team, goals for spring practices, Kamario Taylor's health and development and so much more.

Here's everything Lebby said.

On first day of spring practice...

I liked our guys’ energy. When they got back in the building yesterday morning after break, there was great intent. Our leaders have really good juice right now, and I think it’s flowing through the locker room and throughout the building. That’s been great to see.

There’s going to be a ton to clean up, but again, the intent has been really good as we got back and got on the grass today.

On new coaches and staff members...

It’s been great. There are some new faces on both sides of the ball, but at the end of the day, everybody is pulling the rope in the same direction. There’s incredible buy-in and alignment, and that’s been huge for me.

The seven and a half weeks of winter training with Shad and the staff were really productive. You saw guys get comfortable in their position groups, and obviously Zach working with the defense. Communication has been great.

The last thing I did last night was talk with some of the new guys about getting on the field together for the first time. Just making sure they felt good about everything and addressing anything we needed to clean up. Everyone was ready to roll this morning.

On Kamario Taylor's health...

He had a really good day today. He’s moving around great. It’s been really good to see him back fully healthy.

On current group of quarterbacks...

It’s a different group than last spring. Kamario has grown a lot. (Taylor) has done a really good job preparing himself and improving his decision-making.

There’s great competition for the No. 2 spot, which I love. The other four guys are going to get a ton of reps, and we’ll rotate them evenly until someone separates.

You’ve got a wide range in that room—from a true freshman (Brodie McWhorter) who just arrived in January to A.J. (Swann), a fifth-year senior who’s played a lot of football. It’s a competitive group.

On new defensive coordinator Zach Arnett...

I like having him on my staff a lot more than coaching against him. He’s been the same guy every day throughout installation and teaching his system. He’s done a great job putting guys in position to succeed, whether in walkthroughs over the past several weeks or getting ready for day one of practice.

On spring priorities...

There are two things we’re going to emphasize over the next five weeks: creating trust and becoming a team. With new players and staff, we want trust across the board—players trusting each other, and players trusting the staff. That’s how you become a football team. We’re off to a good start, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.

On injuries and rehab...

There are some guys rehabbing postseason surgeries, but nothing out of the ordinary.

On current group of offensive linemen...

These next 15 practices are big for guys like Tyler Miller and others. Tyler had surgery last year, so he’s still developing, but those guys are SEC-caliber linemen. There’s a lot of talent in that room, and it gives us a chance to be the best we’ve been up front.

On competition at left tackle position...

We’ve got real competition there. Myles McVay, Saquon Miles, Jahkeem Shumpert, Isaiah Dent, and others are all in the mix.

Ja'Elyne (Matthews) is back healthy after being banged up in the winter, and he’ll compete too. The depth, size, and strength in that room are where they need to be now.

On Kamario Taylor's development...

There’s a big difference from last spring. A year ago, he didn’t know what he didn’t know. Now he’s learning how to truly play the position. Watching the bowl game and the Egg Bowl helped. He saw both the flashes and the areas to improve. He’s worked extremely hard and will continue to get better.

On possibility of a spring game...

We’ve got some plans in the works and will hopefully announce them later this week, including some fan engagement tied to a major spring scrimmage.

On impressions of early-enrolled freshmen...

We’ve been impressed with a lot of those guys. The two running backs, JJ and Cooper (Crosby), are physically ready, intelligent, and skilled. Leon Noel and Dalton Toothman have been great on the offensive line. Micah Nickerson looks like a fourth-year junior already—he’s up to 255 pounds and looks outstanding. Jaiden Taylor has transformed his body and brings great energy. Overall, it’s been fun to watch those guys develop.

On roster retention this past offseason...

That was goal No. 1 for us. Teams that retain well have a chance to take the next step, and we did a really good job there. There’s belief and trust within the group, and that’s where everything starts. Then we focused on adding pieces the right way.

On transfer portal approach...

I love where we’re at. We’ve got our football team here, and there will only be a few additions. That allows us to focus on development this spring.

On freshmen playing early...

The best player is going to play. Braylon is a guy I should’ve mentioned earlier—he had a great winter and is preparing well. He’ll have a chance to make an impact.

On remaining transfer needs...

We’d like to add one more edge rusher if possible. After that, it’s about depth—linebacker, safety, best available. There are only a few spots left, but if we can add a pass rusher who can help on Saturdays, we’d be excited about that.

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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.

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