Coming off a dismal 2-10 season, the 2025 Mississippi State football team has nowhere to go but up. Coach Lebby and his staff have quietly built a roster with players who not only want to wear the maroon and white but have come to Starkville to be the change that repositions Mississippi State among the contenders in the Southeastern Conference. A certain level of confidence has been emanating from the program over the spring and heading into fall camp, but will it be enough for Mississippi State to return to the postseason? Or will Mississippi State once again fall to misery as the cowbells go silent once again in the fall?

Let’s take a look and see where reasonable expectations meet the excitement that comes with a new season.

Starting with the schedule, with challenging road games at Florida, Texas A&M, and even Southern Miss in the first game of the Coach Charles Huff era in Hattiesburg, and the home schedule with Texas, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Tennessee, the path to the postseason starts with the four non-conference games against Southern Miss, Northern Illinois, Alcorn State, and Arizona State, if the Bulldogs can manage a clean sweep of the non-conference slate then the race to the postseason comes down to taking two of Ole Miss, Florida, Missouri, and Arkansas with the Egg Bowl and Arkansas being the most likely candidates for the Bulldogs. A 6-6 season in the second year of the Coach Jeff Lebby era would be a massive success and a significant step in the right direction of getting back to the Mississippi State Football standard of competing each year.

Last season, the Bulldogs saw Blake Shapen fall victim to the injury bug that struck with eight games remaining on the schedule. If Shapen stays healthy this season, the offense for Mississippi State would likely represent what Coach Jeff Lebby is trying to build in Starkville. Combine a healthy Blake Shapen with the other six returning starters from last season, including Davon Booth and Jordan Mosley, and the Bulldogs have the pieces in 2025 to score a lot of points, giving Mississippi State a better chance at returning to the postseason.

As it was in 2024, the most significant cause for concern is on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, the Bulldogs finished last in the Southeastern Conference and ranked 125th in total defense nationally. Head Coach Jeff Lebby and Defensive Coordinator Coleman Hutzler have hit the transfer portal and brought in some players who, on paper, will help the Bulldogs improve on that side of the ball. In particular, Mississippi State is hoping the additions of Red Hibbler from NC State and All-SEC Freshman linebacker Jalen Smith from Tennessee added an extra layer of needed talent on that side of the ball to give the Bulldogs a better chance at improving and earning a few more wins.

With just a few weeks until the fall camp of 2025, there’s growing optimism that Mississippi State will show signs of improvement this fall despite the demanding schedule at hand. There’s growing optimism that the Bulldogs have the potential for a breakthrough season, taking a step in the right direction by returning to the postseason with six wins. The College Football Playoffs are the standard, but in year two of the Coach Jeff Lebby era in Starkville, reaching a bowl game is the goal for the Bulldogs this season. Returning to the postseason would give Mississippi State another month of practice and reps to set the tone for a breakout 2026 season.

Mississippi State will open the season on the road on August 30th as they head south to take on Southern Miss.

Photo Credits – Mississippi State Football on X