Mississippi State has finished its second spring practice session under second-year head coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs wrapped up spring with the annual maroon and white scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium. Naturally, State has a lot of new faces as they brought in 32 players from the transfer portal during the winter and spring sessions, with a handful of those guys leaving Starkville already to find a new home. Lebby also brought in a new guy to lead the offensive line, Phil Loadholt, who the former is quite familiar with.
Due to the hire's timing, Loadholt could not probe the portal himself at State during the winter cycle. Instead, former Mississippi State offensive line coach Cody Kennedy handled the recruiting for the Bulldogs, and he brought in a trio of guys, two of whom have already entered the portal again. Also, Lebby was quite transparent when speaking to the media about the need to bring in offensive linemen in the spring portal window. It was a little surprising, but from the limited observation the media got during spring practice, it did seem like the Bulldogs lacked size in the trenches.
Well, the State coaching staff did not waste time hitting the ground and signing transfer linemen because spring practice ended less than two weeks ago, and five new guys are already set to join the Mississippi State roster. Loadholt played seven years in the National Football League, and he certainly stands out among the State coaches due to his size. It is often said that a coach recruits in his own image, and Loadholt has exemplified that by signing not only just bodies but big bodies.
Here is a closer look at the seven new road pavers on the Mississippi State roster.
Koby Keenum
Position: Center
Size: 6-4, 295 pounds
Previous School: Kentucky
Rundown: Keenum was heavily recruited by Mississippi State coming out of Mars Hill Bible School in Florence, Alabama, but ultimately signed with Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats. During his time in Lexington, he earned a redshirt year in 2023, and this past season, he appeared in 11 out of 12 games. He is one of the more inexperienced guys in the room in terms of playing time, but he will be in a battle for the starting center spot, considering he is the only one who went through spring practice. He will likely compete with another guy on this list for that starting spot. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.
Zack Owens
Position: Tackle
Size: 6-6, 345 pounds
Previous School: Clemson/Colorado
Rundown: Owens had prior experience with Loadholt during his time at Boulder, so the new line coach must see some potential in the youngster. He appeared in ten games this past season for the Buffs, mainly in a special teams role, while playing 11 offensive snaps. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, so the talent is there, but he will likely be used for depth this year.
Jayvin James
Position: Tackle/guard
Size: 6-4, 285 pounds
Previous School: Akron/ Maryland
Rundown: James had a productive redshirt freshman season at Akron, making nine starts at offensive tackle before entering the portal and landing at Maryland. After one spring practice, he entered his name again and landed with the Bulldogs. He had experience at tackle but will likely be a guard at State due to his size. He will be a nice depth piece this year. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.
Brennan Smith
Position: Tackle/center
Size: 6-3, 305 pounds
Previous School: Austin Peay/ UTEP
Rundown: State will be the third different school for Smith after making 12 starts in his final season at Austin Peay at right tackle before heading to UTEP where he started every game at center. His versatility speaks to his athletic ability, and he will likely battle for the starting center spot with Keenum.
Blake Steen
Position: Tackle
Size: 6-5, 331 pounds
Previous School: Virginia
Rundown: Perhaps the best pickup for the Bulldog offensive line throughout the portal cycle because of the vast experience. He has experience playing Power Four football with a pair of productive seasons in the ACC at Virginia. Steen has made 17 starts throughout his career, including a dozen in 2024, and only allowed one sack the entire season. State has a pair of talented tackles in Luke Work and Jimothy Lewis Jr., but Steen will likely draw the start at one tackle spot when State takes on Southern Miss to open the season. The Florida native may slide over to left tackle. He was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.
Jaekwon Bouldin
Position:
Size: 6-6, 345 pounds
Previous School: Purdue/ Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Rundown: Bouldin is a Canton, Mississippi native who was heavily recruited by the State coming out of Gulf Coast but ultimately decided to head north and be a Boilermaker. He was a highly regarded recruit coming out of JuCo and was set to get extensive playing time at Purdue in 2024, but he broke his hand, forcing him to miss the entire season. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, and could figure into the starting five when the Bulldogs kick off the 2025 season.
Trevor Mayberry
Position: Guard
Size: 6-3, 310 pounds
Previous School: Penn/ Stanford
Rundown: Mayberry was a late addition for State, but got valuable reps at guard in the Lebby offense. The Florida native started 19 games at left tackle while at Penn and made nine starts in his one season at Stanford at left guard. He did not appear in a game in 2024, and will very much in the mix for a starting spot in maroon and white. He is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.
