Everything Jeff Lebby said in first appearance after accepting bowl invitation

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby met with reporters to discuss the Bulldogs’ unexpected bowl invitation, staff changes, roster decisions and preparations for their upcoming game.

Lebby addressed the benefits of extra practice time, defensive leadership following recent coaching moves, roster retention amid transfer portal activity, and the evaluation opportunities created by bowl practices.

He also provided updates on injuries, quarterback reps, potential early enrollees, and the team’s scouting of Wake Forest.

On finding out about the chance to go to a bowl game Sunday...

We definitely didn't think we would be playing in a bowl game on Sunday morning, then get a phone call I guess mid-morning talking about the possibility of it and making sure we were in great alignment on what we wanted to be able to go do. For us, a no-brainer for our program to have these practices, to be able to be together, to be able to lift the way we're going to be able to lift the next month and man keeping these guys around us to take advantage of this great opportunity that we're going to have on January 2nd. So our guys in the building are incredibly excited about it, surprised that we get to go do this, but going to take advantage of it. I think it is huge for our program and development.

On benefits of playing in a bowl game...

Getting to coach these guys, being on the grass just like we were this morning, being able to be in meetings, unbelievable opportunity for number one to be able to get all these reps and to be able to go play in another game before we go kick it off next year. So there's a ton of positives. I think more than anything the time that we get to spend together instead of them being gone from finals on Wednesday or Thursday and us not getting them back on campus January 14th and what an unbelievable opportunity for us to be able to continue to grow this thing the way we want. Again, our guys are excited about it just like I am.

On plan for defensive coaching staff undergoing changes...

So the thing that I do love is that again you got Matt Barnes who's called a bunch of defense and been a coordinator. You got Matt who's called a bunch of defense and been a coordinator. Paul Rowe, same thing. So we've done a great job of going and putting the plan together and then as we get closer to game day we'll talk a little more about game day responsibilities.

On benefits of roster retention playing in a bowl game...

Having the guys around, having them engaged with the coaching staff and football rather than being home. I think it's huge. I think that's another huge advantage. You get away from these guys. They have all this time in an idle mind and it's not good and again for our guys to be able to be focused on what's next, have great intent as we're in the building, be able to be together. I think it's a huge advantage.

On conversations with players about the transfer portal...

We've already had a bunch of conversations with guys as guys have decided to move on which is the right thing and I think it gives us some clarity on what we're going to do from a portal standpoint when that hits January 2nd.

On role of newly hired coaches in bowl game preparations...

For Zach (Arnett) it's man being able to go out and watch these guys practice every day. Like the evaluation of our current roster I think is a huge advantage for us. Him having the ability to be in the building and know exactly what and having to watch the game tape and Zach gets to be on the grass with us today. He's out there right in the middle of the scout team and being able to get those guys ready to roll. So not incredibly involved from a game plan standpoint. Again just because I didn't feel like that was fair to the kids to be able to throw all those changes on them but for him and just being able to evaluate our roster right now and create relationships. There's so much familiarity obviously that part has been really natural and really good.

On why Zach Arnett was right choice for defensive coordinator...

I think it says a lot about his time here and how much he loved Mississippi State and I think that shows up right now. In our initial conversation there was main excitement about it and it is outside the box but as I went through the process it was about getting a guy that understood Mississippi State that had the knowledge of how we do what we do, who we are as a university, had incredible experience coaching defense in this conference but not just coaching it having an incredible amount of success coaching it and for me just a ton of excitement because I know what he's going to be able to bring. The experience that he had as the defensive coordinator here is going to show up in a huge way and that's what I wanted as we got into that process.

On process of hiring Zach Arnett...

I contacted him and had our initial conversation and again there was excitement. I coached against that. I had to prepare for it. It was not fun and really tough throughout the week and that's what I want for the other side of the ball and I thought what he did as much as anything is he played to his personnel and he put guys in positions of success. Guys played incredibly free and fast and attacking and that's something that showed up and that's what we wanted.

On Zach Arnett's role in the bowl game...

Won't coach in the position and won't be involved in the game plan part of it but again he's going to be on the grass with us every day while we're here.

On possibility of any early signees participating in bowl game practices...

With the way the rules have changed we have very limited spots to be able to bring a couple guys in. We wish we could bring all of them all these mid-years but we're in the process of making some decisions on that.

On team's schedule for the month...

So we'll meet and lift tomorrow morning on Friday. They're going to be off for graduation Saturday morning. We'll have our second practice and then we'll just go one on one off kind of all the way through until we leave on the 23rd. We'll give them three days off to be able to get home and spend time for Christmas then get back here and have a normal game week.

On newly hired assistant coaches...

Matt (Brock) obviously his time here I think that was another conversation then their initial conversation was there was great excitement for him to come back which is exciting again for me. The guy that's coordinated had good success had a bunch of other opportunities and he chose to come back and be our co-dc and linebacker coach which is a huge gift for us. Kevie Thompson's another guy that we've added to the staff guy that's from our state has incredible recruiting ties has been known as a great recruiter went to Oklahoma State from East Mississippi last year and it comes back home. Another guy that's incredibly excited about being home and being back in this state so he'll bring great value and then Bush (Hamdan) man a guy that's coordinated so many different spots and his coach receivers as coach Kevie had great success in the NFL and so his experience and coordinating and coaching multiple positions at great places brings a ton of value and I think that's a huge gift for us. Bush is excited to be here had a ton of options as well and chose to be with us so that's exciting.

On bowl game practices...

Because of so many guys not being here right from a portal standpoint and just as you get thin towards the end of the season man guys are going to get a ton of reps and with the way we're going to set up practice that will naturally happen want to get a great look at some of these young guys. There's so much to be done and the individual pieces of practice to be able to get these guys on the grass and go coach them and that's kind of how it was set up.

On status of QB Kamario Taylor...

Kamario is doing good he's done a good job taking care of himself he's not back to 100 percent but he will be shortly and he feels good.

On initial reaction to accepting bowl invitation...

At first it was okay where's all these guys at because a bunch of these guys had finals that they had already taken a bunch of the guys were off campus so we didn't get the team meet initially we ended up having to push that all the way to Monday at four we still had plenty of guys traveling back so that was the first piece of it getting all the guys back here but again great excitement and understand man what a great opportunity this is for a program.

On current quarterback situation...

Kamario will go roll and then Luke (Kromenhoek) obviously will be incredibly involved and be the two as we as we get into it.

Blake (Shapen) is at home and he's training getting ready for really at the end of the day getting ready for an all-star game getting ready for for pro day and things like that.

On conversations with players about NFL Draft...

There's a couple of guys obviously that we've addressed that with that are going to have opportunities to go on and get drafted and have opportunities to come back and continue to create value for themselves so those conversations are happening right now.

On possibility of transferring players playing in bowl game...

It's specific to who it is and as we got here got back in the building on Monday we're on the grass this morning there's nobody that was on the grass this morning that had decided to go in and enter the portal or announce that they were planning on doing it so again I think some of those things will come up but it'll be case by case. That's college football right now.

On post-season surgeries...

We've got a few we've got a few that are going to delay we've got a few that are going to go ahead and get it done so but we'll handle all that stuff inside.

On timeline for more coaching additions...

We've got a couple things coming down the pipe here in the next 7-10 days excited about a couple other additions that we're working on right now to finish this thing out and continue to upgrade man every way we can.

On opportunity for new, younger players to get experience...

I think there will be opportunities for those guys as we get back on the field we're going to see how some of these guys handle the install that maybe we're on scout team 90 percent of the year and that will make some decisions for us as we get closer to game day.

On if he likes mayonnaise...

I do not. But I've never been more excited about the opportunity to get a tub of it dumped on me but no I do not not even a little bit.

On early look at Wake Forest...

We've dug in and with the team we started that process this morning. An 8-4 football team that's they have they played well you look at them defensively they've created a ton of negatives been really good against the throw game offensively QB that runs incredibly tough they move the pocket the back's a really good player they play good team football and I think they've really done a nice job of maximizing their personnel.