Mississippi State’s 2024 recruiting class, the first assembled under head coach Jeff Lebby, entered the season ranked No. 29 in the 247Sports Composite, a modest but promising start for a program seeking to rebuild its talent pipeline.
The class produced only five of its original 18 high‑school signees on the 2026 roster, a reflection of the volatility introduced by the transfer portal. Among those who remain, running back Xavier Gayten stands as the sole four‑star recruit still with the Bulldogs, while wide receiver Sanfrisco Magee is expected to assume a prominent role as the team’s No. 3 receiver.
The Transfer Wave
The departures have been led by several of the class’s top prospects. Mario Craver, originally the No. 4 recruit nationally, opted to transfer to Texas A&M after a freshman season that showed limited snaps. JJ Harrell, the highest‑rated prospect in the group, left for Holmes Community College before landing at Old Dominion, while Michael Van Buren Jr. moved to LSU and later to USF, where he has already logged eight starts at quarterback.
Other notable exits include Stonka Burnside, who never cracked the starting lineup and transferred to Memphis; Jimothy Lewis Jr., an offensive lineman who made four starts before moving to Cal; and Brylan Lanier, whose four interceptions in 2025 tied for the most in the SEC, who also departed the program.
The ripple effect extends beyond individual players. Branden Jennings, a tackling standout with 100 career stops, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, exhausted his eligibility after a prolific career in Starkville, while Ricky Johnson and Elijah Cannon, both junior‑college imports, also concluded their collegiate careers.
Despite the churn, the Bulldogs retain a core that includes linebacker Fatt Forrest, safety Boogie Johnson and offensive lineman TJ Lockhart, alongside Gayten and Magee, who are expected to shoulder the bulk of the offensive load in the upcoming season.
The experience has not been lost on the coaching staff. Jeff Lebby’s subsequent recruiting cycles have already produced ranked classes, with the 2025 group sitting at No. 28 nationally and the 2026 class projected at No. 23, suggesting an upward trajectory despite the recent attrition.
The broader landscape of college football reflects a shifting paradigm, as power‑conference programs such as Texas A&M, LSU, USF, Memphis, Cal, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Washington and Kentucky continue to absorb talent, while institutions like Mississippi State and Holmes Community College navigate the new ecosystem.