Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work. After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if […]
Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.
After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.
As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.
Today, we look at two talented new faces, each from the state of Mississippi.
11 Days: No. 11, Jr. Wide Receiver Ayden Williams
Talent has never been an issue for Williams as he’s now just looking to consistently put it together.
A former four-star wide out from Ridgeland, Williams was ranked as the No. 2 player in the state in the 2023 signing class. Rivals thought that Williams was one of the top wide receivers in the country and tabbed him as the No. 8 player at his position and the No. 47 player overall as he pushed five-star status on that network.
The production didn’t lie as Williams had 1,265 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season, a year after hauling in 63 passes for 1,156 yards and another 14 scores as a junior. A member of the Dandy Dozen, the Under Armour All-American Game and the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game, Williams was wanted by big names around college football like LSU, Georgia, Oregon, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and more.
Ole Miss was always the team to watch for Williams with his connection to former players at the school and he committed to the Rebels to play football. In his two years with the Rebels, Williams was a regular eye-catcher due to his route running and his ability to make the spectacular play.
As a true freshman, he was good enough to play in 11 of the team’s 13 games and he had four catches for 80 yards. He played in eight games last year and made three catches for 39 yards. Despite the 19 games played in two seasons, catches and production was hard to come by and he entered the transfer portal in the offseason.
Lebby and receivers coach Chad Bumphis were the first two to call and each had already known Williams well from his high school days. The Bulldog coaching staff believe there’s a lot in the tank for Williams to unleash in Lebby’s offense and he’ll get to show it this season if he rises to the occasion.
No. 11, Fr. Linebacker Tyler Lockhart
Just a few short months ago, Lockhart had a recruitment that will go down in Magnolia State lore.
A lot of crazy recruitments have happened between State and Ole Miss over the years, and Winona’s Lockhart wrote his own story on signing day. After originally being committed to Auburn, Lockhart followed his older brother (redshirt freshman OL TJ Lockhart) in committing to the Bulldogs early in the season last year.
Despite his commitment, Lockhart wasn’t shy in his interest in other schools. He continued to talk to coaches around the SEC including at Auburn and Ole Miss, and the Rebels were especially pesky during the process. By the time signing day rolled around, rumors were heating up that Lockhart was making a possible signing day flip to the archrival and he did just that.
It was a shocking turn for Lockhart and his family showed up to the announcement wearing State gear. By late in the afternoon, there were more rumblings that this decision wasn’t set in stone. That night, while the Bulldogs took the basketball court, State would announce that Lockhart had actually signed with the Bulldogs and it was official. It was a story that sent shockwaves through the state of Mississippi, but it all ended with him wearing maroon and white.
Lockhart helped Winona to the school’s first state championship when he won the Class 3A title in 2023 along with brother TJ and good friend Fred Clark who went on to sign with the Bulldogs. His Winona team finished out their run his senior year by losing to the eventual state champs of Choctaw County. He finished his time with the Tigers with 282 tackles, 18.0 sacks and an interception during his career there.
No matter how it happened, Lockhart was a huge recruiting win for the Bulldogs. They landed a consensus four-star linebacker who was rated No. 144 by the On3 Industry. Those rankings considered him the 13th best linebacker in the country and the No. 6 player inside the state of Mississippi.
Since arriving in Starkville, Lockhart has impressed with his 6’2, 225-pound frame and has had the athleticism to fit in early as well. There are opportunities for him to get on the field and provide some depth right away for the Bulldogs but that will be up to him and how quickly he adjusts to the speed on this level.
Category: General Sports
