The Mississippi State Bulldogs represent the Mississippi State University in NCAA's Division 1-Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football tournament, playing under the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. The humble beginnings of MSU's football program can be traced way back in 1895 when the team was still playing as an independent ballclub. It didn't take long though for the team to find a new home as a year later, the Bulldogs would become a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. After 26 seasons with the SIAA, MSU joined the Southern Conference in 1922 and had some fruitless and so-so years with their second home marked by frequent changes in the head coaching position. In 1933, MSU was one of the 13 teams who left Southern Conference to form their own group, thus becoming a charter member of the then-newly formed Southeastern Conference (SEC). The losing seasons continue to hamper the MSU football program as the team's only significant accomplishment in the early-SEC era was when Ralph Sasse took over as coach. Coach Sasse led the Bulldogs to its first ever postseason bowl game in 1936, a losing cause against Duquesne in the Orange Bowl. The next time the team appeared in a bowl game would be 4 years later, this time under Coach Allyn McKeen in the 1940 Orange Bowl against Georgetown which MSU won. The following year, Coach McKeen would make history for the MSU football program as he led the squad to its first ever conference title. After that momentous season, MSU would experience a dry spell, settling for postseason bowl games in 1963, '74, '80, '81, '91, 92, and 94. In 1998, hope sprung eternal for the underachieving squad as the team, ranked #23 that year would have its first shot at the SEC title against first ranked Tennessee, 57 years after their first SEC championship. The team would eventually lose the game, as well as the Cotton Bowl to Texas. The Bulldogs made up for that the following year as the team beat Clemson for the Peach Bowl and would finish the season with a 12th place ranking (the best record and highest final ranking of any Division 1-Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team in Mississippi in the past 30 years).
MSU somewhat made it to the record books in 2003 when the club hired Sylvester Croom, the first African-American named as head coach in the history of SEC. The Bulldogs' known rivals are the Alabama Crimson Tide (the MSU-Alabama rivalry is dubbed as the 90 Mile Drive) and the Ole Miss Rebels (the MSU-Ole Miss rivalry/match is called the Egg Bowl, with the winner getting The Golden Egg Trophy).
Mississippi State Bulldogs 2008 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Exp. | Hometown (Prev. School)
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| 1 | Keith Fitzhugh | DB | 5-11 | 205 | Sr. | 3L | Hampton, GA (Lovejoy)
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| 2 | Robert Elliott | RB | 6-0 | 192 | RFr. | RS | Okolona, MS (Okolona HS)
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| 3 | Derek Pegues | DB | 5-10 | 190 | Sr. | 3L | Batesville, MS (South Panola HS)
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| 4 | Charles Mitchell | DB | 5-11 | 196 | Fr. | HS | Clarksdale, MS (Clarksdale HS)
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| 5 | Terrance Davis | QB | 5-11 | 180 | Fr. | HS | Conyers, GA (Salem HS)
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| 6 | Brandon McRae | WR | 6-4 | 205 | Jr. | 1L | Chester, VA (Morehead State)
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| 7 | Wade Bonner | RB | 5-10 | 195 | RFr. | RS | Mason, TN (Fayette Ware HS)
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| 8 | De'Mon Glanton | DB | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | 3L | Atlanta, GA (Mays HS)
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| 9 | Delmon Robinson | WR | 5-10 | 170 | Fr. | HS | Vicksburg, MS (Vicksburg HS)
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| 10 | Dominic Douglas | LB | 6-2 | 235 | Sr. | 1L | Clinton, MS (Hinds [MS] CC)
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| 13 | Wesley Carroll | QB | 6-1 | 194 | So. | 1L | Ft. Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
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| 14 | Chris Relf | QB | 6-3 | 232 | RFr. | RS | Montgomery, AL (Carver HS)
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| 15 | Co-Eric Riley | WR | 6-1 | 202 | Sr. | 1L | Lucedale, MS (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC)
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| 16 | Tyson Lee | QB | 5-11 | 190 | Jr. | TR | Columbus, MS (Itawamba [MS} CC)
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| 18 | Marcus Washington | DB | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. | 2L | Missouri City, TX (Fort Bend Marshall HS)
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| 20 | Louis Watson | DB | 5-10 | 170 | Fr. | HS | Mobile, AL (St. Paul's Episcopal HS)
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| 22 | Jamar Chaney | LB | 6-1 | 238 | Sr. | 3L | Fort Pierce, FL (St. Lucie West Centennial HS)
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| 23 | Jasper O'Quinn | DB | 5-10 | 179 | Sr. | 1L | Bude, MS (Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC)
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| 24 | Anthony Dixon | RB | 6-1 | 238 | Jr. | 2L | Jackson, MS (Terry HS)
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| 25 | Corey Broomfield | DB | 5-10 | 155 | Fr. | HS | Palm Bay, FL (Bayside HS)
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| 26 | Damein Anderson | DB | 5-11 | 185 | RFr. | RS | Hazlehurst, MS (Hazlehurst HS)
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| 27 | Jarvis Kyles | DB | 6-0 | 190 | Jr. | 1L | Milledgeville, GA (Baldwin HS)
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| 28 | Tay Bowser | DB | 6-3 | 192 | Jr. | 2L | Gilmer, TX (Gilmer HS)
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| 29 | Christian Ducré | RB | 6-0 | 227 | Jr. | 1L | LaCombe, LA (Fontainbleau HS)
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| 30 | Arnil Stallworth | RB | 5-10 | 201 | Jr. | 2L | Daphne, AL (Daphne HS)
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| 31 | ToJo Patterson | RB | 6-0 | 198 | Fr. | HS | Corinth, MS (Biggersville HS)
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| 32 | Marcus Green | RB | 6-2 | 235 | RFr. | RS | Scooba, MS (Kemper County HS)
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| 33 | Jamie Jones | LB | 6-0 | 232 | RFr. | RS | Springdale, AR (Springdale HS)
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| 34 | K.J. Wright | LB | 6-3 | 226 | So. | 1L | Olive Branch, MS (Olive Branch HS)
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| 35 | Brandon Hart | RB | 5-11 | 232 | Sr. | 3L | LaGrange, GA (Troup County HS)
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| 36 | Nick Bell | DL | 6-4 | 244 | Fr. | HS | Bessemer, AL (Jess Lanier HS)
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| 37 | Adam Carlson | K/P | 6-4 | 185 | Sr. | 3L | Gulfport, MS (Gulfport HS)
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| 38 | Eric Hoskins | FB | 5-11 | 231 | Sr. | 1L | Weir, MS (Holmes [MS] CC)
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| 39 | Tim Bailey | DE | 6-3 | 254 | Sr. | 2L | Glen Allan, MS (Mississippi Delta CC)
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| 40 | Chris Nance | DB | 5-10 | 188 | Sr. | 1L | Tuscumbia, AL (Northeast Mississippi CC)
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| 41 | Arceto Clark | DB | 5-10 | 164 | Fr. | HS | Verona, MS (Shannon HS)
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| 42 | Zach Smith | DB | 6-0 | 196 | So. | 1L | Altoona, AL (Susan Moore HS)
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| 43 | Blake McAdams | P | 5-10 | 192 | Sr. | 3L | Ripley, TN (Ripley HS)
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| 44 | Bo Walters | LB | 6-1 | 232 | Fr. | HS | Wilsonville, AL (Briarwood Christian HS)
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| 45 | Emmanuel Gatling | DB | 6-2 | 208 | So. | SQ | McAllen, TX (Rowe HS)
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| 45 | Michael Hunt | LB | 6-2 | 238 | Fr. | HS | Meadville, MS (Franklin County HS)
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| 46 | Aaron Feld | SN | 6-1 | 215 | So. | 1L | Homewood, AL (Homewood HS)
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| 47 | Anthony Littlejohn | LB | 6-1 | 242 | Sr. | 3L | Jacksonville, FL (Englewood HS)
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| 48 | Addison Lawrence | OL | 6-4 | 282 | RFr. | RS | Coldwater, MS (Magnolia Heights HS)
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| 49 | Terrell Johnson | LB | 6-2 | 212 | RFr. | RS | Cullomburg, AL (Southern Choctaw HS)
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| 50 | Mark Brown | LB | 5-11 | 214 | Jr. | SQ | Madison, MS (Madison Central)
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| 51 | Eric Richards | K/P | 6-4 | 220 | RFr. | RS | Vicksburg, MS (Warren Central HS)
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| 52 | Karlin Brown | LB | 5-9 | 195 | So. | 1L | Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln HS)
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| 53 | Anthony Strauder | OL | 6-3 | 292 | Sr. | 3L | Natchez, MS (Natchez HS)
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| 54 | Trevor Stigers | DL | 6-4 | 225 | Fr. | HS | Ridgeland, MS (Ridgeland HS)
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| 55 | Quinton Saulsberry | OL | 6-3 | 293 | RFr. | RS | Coldwater, MS (Independence HS)
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| 58 | Johnny Carpenter | OL | 6-2 | 293 | Jr. | 1L | Citronelle, AL (Citronelle HS)
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| 60 | Devin Jones | DL | 6-2 | 252 | Fr. | HS | Olive Branch, MS (DeSoto Central HS)
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| 63 | Chris Spencer | OL | 6-3 | 306 | Jr. | SQ | Meridian, MS (Meridian HS)
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| 64 | Mark Lynn | LB | 6-0 | 210 | So. | SQ | Madison, MS (Madison Central HS)
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| 65 | Joshua Jackson | DL | 6-3 | 308 | Fr. | HS | Canton, MS (Canton HS)
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| 66 | D.J. Looney | OL | 6-1 | 295 | RFr. | RS | Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain HS)
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| 67 | Tobias Smith | OL | 6-3 | 328 | Fr. | HS | Columbus, MS (Columbus HS)
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| 68 | Templeton Hardy | OL | 6-3 | 312 | Fr. | HS | Como, MS (Lincoln HS)
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| 69 | Reggie Odom | DL | 6-0 | 300 | So. | SQ | Deland, FL (Deland HS)
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| 70 | J.C. Brignone | OL | 6-1 | 292 | So. | 1L | Pass Christian, MS (St. Stanislaus HS)
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| 72 | John McMillian | OL | 6-2 | 285 | So. | SQ | Paragould, AR (Paragould HS)
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| 73 | Dakota Merritt | OL | 6-5 | 302 | RFr. | RS | Cantonment, FL (West Florida Tech)
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| 74 | Mark Melichar | OL | 6-5 | 294 | So. | 1L | Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain HS)
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| 75 | Craig Jenkins | OL | 6-4 | 313 | Jr. | 2L | Pearl, MS (Pearl HS)
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| 76 | Phillip Freeman | OL | 6-6 | 297 | Jr. | TR | Wesson, MS (Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC)
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| 78 | Michael Gates | OL | 6-4 | 310 | Sr. | 3L | Fairburn, GA (Sandy Creek HS)
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| 79 | Derek Sherrod | OL | 6-5 | 303 | So. | 1L | Columbus, MS (Caledonia HS)
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| 81 | O'Neal Wilder | WR | 6-5 | 200 | Fr. | HS | Carthage, MS (Carthage HS)
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| 82 | Nelson Hurst | TE | 6-4 | 243 | Fr. | HS | Plainfield, IN (Plainfield HS)
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| 83 | Charles Bailey | WR | 6-2 | 169 | Fr. | HS | St. Augustine, FL (Bartram Trail HS)
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| 85 | Brandon Henderson | TE | 6-1 | 247 | So. | SQ | Fayetteville, GA (Fayette County HS)
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| 87 | Aubrey Bell | WR | 6-3 | 216 | Sr. | 3L | Prichard, AL (Blount HS)
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| 88 | Kendrick Cook | TE | 6-3 | 238 | Fr. | HS | Attalla, AL (Etowah HS)
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| 89 | Jamayel Smith | WR | 6-0 | 189 | Sr. | 2L | East Point, GA (Hargrave [VA] Mil. Aca.)
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| 90 | Cortez McCraney | DL | 6-4 | 280 | Sr. | 1L | Southaven, MS (Memphis HS)
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| 92 | Charles Burns | DL | 6-3 | 265 | Sr. | 2L | Hattiesburg, MS (Hattiesburg HS)
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| 93 | Brandon Cooper | DL | 6-3 | 245 | So. | 1L | Missouri City, TX (Fort Bend Marshall HS)
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| 94 | Jessie Bowman | DL | 6-1 | 315 | Sr. | 1L | Brookhaven, MS (Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC)
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| 95 | Kyle Love | DL | 6-1 | 308 | Jr. | 2L | Fairburn, GA (North Clayton HS)
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| 96 | Shane McCardell | DL | 6-5 | 218 | Fr. | HS | Beaumont, TX (West Brook HS)
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| 97 | Jimmie Holmes | DL | 6-3 | 241 | Sr. | 1L | Aiken, SC (Mississippi Delta CC)
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| 98 | LaMarcus Williams | DL | 6-1 | 269 | So. | 1L | Bastrop, LA (Bastrop HS)
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| 99 | Sean Ferguson | DL | 6-4 | 217 | Fr. | HS | Miami, FL (Norland HS)
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| | Wes Almond | FB | 5-11 | 232 | Fr. | HS | Olive Branch, MS (DeSoto Central HS)
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| | Robert Ambers | QB | 5-11 | 181 | Jr. | SQ | Los Angeles, CA (Venice HS)
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| | Tyler Behel | DL | 6-0 | 240 | RFr. | RS | Winfield, AL (Winfield City HS)
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| | Anthony Bowles | SN | 5-11 | 208 | Sr. | SQ | Grenada, MS (Grenada HS)
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| | Renaldo Buck | DE | 6-2 | 230 | Fr. | HS | Sarah, MS (Coldwater HS)
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| | Marvin Bure | DB | 5-10 | 180 | RFr. | RS | Vicksburg, MS (Vicksburg HS)
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| | Chris Cameron | DB | 5-11 | 185 | Fr. | HS | Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Dwyer HS)
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| | Blake Edwards | WR | 5-10 | 185 | Fr. | HS | Rome, GA (Rome HS)
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| | Andrew Ellard | WR | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. | SQ | Natchez, MS (Cathedral HS)
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| | Joseph Gonzalez | DB | 6-2 | 210 | Jr. | TR | Elizabeth, NJ (Bakersfield CC)
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| | Robert Gurley | DB | 6-2 | 190 | RFr. | RS | Dothan, AL (Houston Academy)
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| | Sylvester Hemphill | LB | 5-10 | 237 | Fr. | HS | Olive Branch, MS (Olive Branch HS)
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| | Todd Kilpatrick | QB | 6-3 | 192 | Fr. | HS | Monroeville, AL (Monroe Academy)
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| | Sam Latham | OL | 6-2 | 271 | RFr. | RS | Cordova, TN (Briarcrest HS)
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| | Ryan Lester | FB | 6-0 | 230 | Fr. | HS | Inverness, MS (Indianola Academy)
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| | Taylor McElhenney | SN | 6-4 | 233 | Jr. | TR | Decatur, MS (Itawamba [MS} CC)
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| | Nick Pounder | LB | 6-0 | 221 | Fr. | HS | Memphis, TN (Briarcrest Christian HS)
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| | Cole Richardson | K/P | 5-11 | 180 | RFr. | RS | Hattiesburg, MS (Oak Grove HS)
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| | Andrew Shannon | DB | 6-0 | 210 | Fr. | HS | Trussville, AL (Hewitt-Trussville HS)
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| | Anthony Smith | DL | 5-9 | 278 | Jr. | SQ | Ridgeland, MS (Madison Central HS)
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| | Major Sosebee | WR | 6-1 | 184 | So. | SQ | Warrior, AL (Sumiton Christian HS)
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| | Allen Tolbert | FB | 6-0 | 205 | Fr. | HS | Duluth, GA (Northview HS)
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| | Zac Warden | K | 6-2 | 194 | Fr. | HS | Brandon, MS (Jackson Prep)
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| | Thomas Webb | TE | 6-3 | 230 | Jr. | TR | Starkville, MS (Southern Miss)
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| | Austin Wilbanks | TE | 6-3 | 245 | Jr. | SQ | Forest, MS (Mississippi College)
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| | Jarvis Williams | DB | 5-11 | 178 | Jr. | SQ | Jackson, MS (Provine HS)
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| | Jasper Williams | LB | 6-2 | 215 | Fr. | HS | Suwanee, GA (Air Force Prep)
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| | Taurus Young | RB | 5-8 | 225 | Sr. | SQ | Kilmichael, MS (Montgomery County HS)
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