Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Preview: Three Players to Watch

Here's a few players Texas A&M Aggies fans should keep an eye on ahead of the Week 6 showdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen (2) makes a pass against the Toledo Rockets during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

The Texas A&M Aggies have plenty of exciting SEC games on their 2025 schedule, but their matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs has flown completely under the radar.

It's not hard to see why, as the Bulldogs went 2-10 last season and finished winless in SEC play. However, they still have the Aggies a good fight last season, with A&M eventually walking out of Starkville with a 34-24 victory. These two teams have also enjoyed a pretty entertaining rivalry over the past decade or so.

Now, the two maroon and white teams will meet again at Kyle Field on Oct. 4., and it could be another entertaining matchup. So, here are three Bulldogs players to keep an eye on ahead of this matchup.

Blake Shapen, QB

After transferring from Baylor to Mississippi State last offseason, Shapen started the first four games of the season and played fairly well, completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 974 yards and eight touchdowns to only one interception. He also added two more scores on the ground.

Unfortunately, Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder in Week 4 against Florida, and the Bulldogs' offense suffered dearly as a result. Backup Michael Van Buren did what he could, and even had a solid game against the Aggies with three passing touchdowns, but the impact of Shapen's absence was clear to see.

Now, the sixth-year veteran returns to lead the offense, and he should be able to elevate the unit as a whole.

Red Hibbler, DL

The Bulldogs' pass rush was simply awful last season, as they only had 10 sacks all year. That's not only the fewest in the SEC by a country mile, Kentucky was the closest team with 24 sacks, but it's the second fewest of any team in the country, only beating out Oregon State with seven.

Jeff Lebby and co. definitely needed to fix the pass rush this offseason, and perhaps their biggest addition up front comes in Hibbler. The former NC State standout only played in four games last season, but had an impressive 6.5 sacks in 13 games back in 2023. Look for him to take charge of the Bulldogs' pass rush this season.

Isaac Smith, S

The only player on this list who actually played against A&M last year, Smith was probably Mississippi State's best player in 2024. The junior burst onto the scene with a team-high 127 tackles, and also broke up three passes and forced a fumble.

Mississippi State has some clear talent in the secondary, including Hunter Washington and Alabama transfer Tony Mitchell. However, Smith is still the clear leader of the unit, and he should be all over the field once again.