Mississippi State Football’s 2026 Roster Rebuilding Efforts

Starkville — The college football transfer portal opens on January 2, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are actively seeking to revamp their roster for the 2026 season. After a 5-7 regular season under coach Jeff Lebby in his second year, the team is focusing on strengthening its lineup through strategic additions via the transfer portal.

The 2026 season brings a new 15-day transfer window, from January 2 to January 16. Notably, the first day of the transfer portal coincides with Mississippi State’s game against Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. This timing highlights the urgency and importance of the transfer process for the Bulldogs as they prepare for the upcoming season.

New Additions to the Roster

Mississippi State has already made several key additions to its 2026 roster through the transfer portal:

• Syracuse DB Kaylib Singleton – Singleton committed to MSU on January 6. He played in eight games this season as a freshman, recording 16 tackles.
• Iowa State DB Quentin Taylor Jr. – Taylor committed to MSU on January 6. He made six starts this season as a redshirt freshman, tallying 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, and five pass breakups.
• Florida State OL Mario Nash Jr. – Nash committed to MSU on January 6. A four-star freshman in the 2025 recruiting class, he flipped from MSU to Florida State but will now return.
• Appalachian State QB AJ Swann – Swann committed to MSU on January 5. With 18 career starts across Vanderbilt, LSU, and App State, he is expected to serve as the backup quarterback to Kamario Taylor.
• Florida State DL Jayson Jenkins – Jenkins committed to MSU on January 5. He had 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack this season.
• Missouri WR Marquis Johnson – Johnson committed to MSU on January 4. He was third on Missouri with 340 receiving yards as a junior and has accumulated 1,075 yards and six touchdowns in his career.

Transfers Visiting Mississippi State

Several players have also visited Mississippi State as part of the recruitment process:

• Appalachian State QB AJ Swann – Swann visited MSU from January 3 to 4. He has 18 career starts and is considering other schools as well.
• Iowa State CB Quentin Taylor Jr. – Taylor is visiting MSU and is also scheduled to visit Cincinnati and Kentucky.
• Houston Christian CB Tyran Chappell – Chappell will visit MSU on January 5 and is also set to visit Michigan State.
• Florida State OL Mario Nash Jr. – Nash is visiting MSU after previously flipping to Florida State.
• Florida State OT Lucas Simmons – Simmons is visiting MSU and plans to also visit Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Georgia, and James Madison.
• UNLV DE Tunmise Adeleye – Adeleye will visit MSU on January 5-6 and is also planning to visit Syracuse.
• Tennessee State OT Veguer Jean-Jumeau – Jean-Jumeau will visit MSU on January 6 and is also scheduled to visit Oklahoma State.
• LSU OL DJ Chester – Chester is visiting MSU and will also check out Georgia Tech, Baylor, and South Carolina.
• Florida State DL Jayson Jenkins – Jenkins plans to visit MSU and is also considering Clemson, Arkansas, and Georgia Tech.
• Florida DT Tarvorise Brown – Brown is visiting MSU and was previously a walk-on at Florida.
• Mississippi State football players who’ve entered the transfer portal

Several Mississippi State players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal:

• LB Montrell Chapman – Chapman entered the portal on January 6 after playing in five games this season.
• OL Koby Keenum – Keenum entered the portal on January 5 after transferring from Kentucky.
• RB Seth Davis – Davis entered the portal on January 4 after suffering a knee injury in the Egg Bowl.
• OL Luke Work – Work entered the portal on January 4 after making seven starts as a freshman in 2024.
• DL Kai McClendon – McClendon plans to enter the portal after missing all of 2025 due to an injury.
• CB Elijah Cannon – Cannon entered the portal on January 3 after playing in 10 games this season.
• S Cyrus Reyes – Reyes entered the portal on January 3 after playing in all 13 games this season.
• WR Davian Jackson – Jackson is entering the portal after not playing in any games this season.
• CB Dwight Lewis III – Lewis announced on Instagram that he’ll be entering the portal, hoping for an extra year of eligibility.
• S Tyler Woodard – Woodard left the program in September and plans to enter the portal.
• DL Ashun Shepphard – Shepphard plans to enter the portal after playing in two games this season.
• RB Johnnie Daniels – Daniels plans to enter the portal after falling behind in the running back depth chart.
• QB Luke Kromenhoek – Kromenhoek entered the portal after transferring from Florida State.
• TE Cam Ball – Ball plans to enter the portal after only two catches this season.
• TE Emeka Iloh – Iloh entered the portal after not appearing in any games this season.
• S Lo’Kavion Jackson – Jackson plans to enter the portal after not playing in any games this season.
• WR Ferzell Shepard – Shepard entered the portal after not appearing in any games in 2025.
• OL Jimothy Lewis Jr. – Lewis plans to enter the portal after starting five games this season.
• TE Max Reese – Reese entered the portal after transferring from Eastern Michigan.
• LB Joseph Head Jr. – Head plans to enter the portal after playing in 11 games this season.
• LB Fatt Forrest – Forrest entered the portal after playing in 11 games on special teams.
• WR Markus Allen – Allen announced on December 9 that he’s entering the portal.
• S Tony Mitchell – Mitchell will be entering the portal after making 25 tackles this season.
• OL Brennan Smith – Smith announced on December 9 that he’s entering the portal.
• K Marlon Hauck – Hauck entered the portal after not attempting any kicks this season.
• OL Alex Lopez – Lopez announced on December 5 that he’s entering the portal.
• DL Corey Clark – Clark plans to enter the portal after making four tackles in three games.
• WR Jaron Glover – Glover announced on December 4 that he’s entering the portal.
• OL Jaekwon Bouldin – Bouldin plans to enter the portal after only appearing in one game this season.
• DL Terrance Hibbler Jr. – Hibbler plans to enter the portal after playing in one game this season.
• WR AJ Lewis Jr. – Lewis announced on December 3 that he will be entering the portal.
• WR Cam Thompson – Thompson announced on December 1 that he’s entering the portal.
• S Stonka Burnside – Burnside announced on November 30 that he’s entering the portal.
• WR Jordan Mosley – Mosley announced on November 30 that he’s entering the portal.

Players Returning for 2026

While many players have entered the transfer portal, some have confirmed their return for the 2026 season:

• LB Jalen Smith
• LB Derion Gullette
• LB Zakari Tillman
• DL Trevion Williams
• CB Kelley Jones
• K Kyle Ferrie
• DL DJ Reed
• QB Kamario Taylor
• RB Fluff Bothwell
• LB Tyler Lockhart
• RB Xavier Gayten
• DL Will Whitson (pending NCAA eligibility waiver)

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_