Two Mississippi State Defensive Players Enter the Transfer Portal

The Bulldogs lost three players early on Wednesday to the transfer portal, and now Donterry Russell and Mason Clinton have put their names in.

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby during a college football game between Tennessee and Mississippi State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mississippi State lost three players - offensive linemen JaCorey Whitted and Jesse Ramil, along with quarterback Jake Weir - to the transfer portal early after it opened up on Wednesday morning. Now it lost two players from the defensive side.

Donterry Russell has plenty of upside as a 6-4, 225-pound edge rusher who can move around where needed. He still needs to get a little bigger, and there's room on the frame to add at least 15 more pounds of good weight, but as is he's a fast, athletic prospect who saw a little starting time in 2023 making 19 tackles with 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.

👀🧡 pic.twitter.com/ASJeWUrrzC

— donterry russell (@DonterryR) April 16, 2025

Last year, though, he got hurt early on and missed most of the season. That, combined with a knee injury coming out of high school, and stalled things a bit, but the upside is there once he's healthy again to go full bore.

Mason Clinton started out at Louisiana and saw the field once, went the JUCO route last season as a solid interior defensive lineman who could move a bit. He came to Mississippi State, but the Hattiesburg native is out, joining Charles Huff and a great-looking Southern Miss team for 2025.

The 6-6, 310-pounder should be an instant part of the Golden Eagle rotation.

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