Mississippi State Football Preview 2025: Season Prediction, Top Players, Win Total

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2025 Miss State Football Preview
Offense & Defense Breakdowns 

Mississippi State Bulldogs Key to the Season

Generate a pass rush.
This is everything to the entire season. Mississippi State came up with two sacks against Eastern Kentucky in the opener, two against UMass, and a mere six in the other ten games. Six times the D failed to generate a sack.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Key Player

Dwight Lewis III, CB Sr.
The NAIA star needs to rise up and rock at one corner spot. He has size, experience, and was solid over the last two seasons with seven picks and 58 tackles at Marian University. At the very least, he has to be a top backup option.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Fluff Bothwell, RB Soph.
Florida State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek might have the most talent and biggest upside - he might be the star of the season if things go a certain way. But the 5-10, 219-pound Bothwell should add another dimension with his power.

He averaged 7.5 yards per carry last year for South Alabama with 13 touchdowns, and he can catch, too.

Top Transfer Out: Brice Pollock, QB Jr.
Losing top targets Kevin Coleman (Missouri) and Mario Craver (Texas A&M) is a problem, but not having a corner who came up with a team-leading nine broken up passes with 48 stops really hurts. He’s part of Texas Tech’s huge haul of transfer talent.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Key Game

Arizona State, Sept. 6
Of course there are higher profile games than this for Mississippi State, and of course it wants to get past Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl to end the regular season. But Arizona State is the measuring stick moment.

Last year, before anyone knew what was coming, Cam Skattebo and the Sun Devils powered past the Bulldogs 30-23 in Week 2. Almost exactly a year later, the rematch is in Starkville, and it’s the first of four games against CFP teams from last season.
- 2025 Mississippi State Schedule Breakdown

Mississippi State Bulldogs Top 10 Players

1. Isaac Smith, S Jr.
2. Blake Shapen, QB Sr.
3. Davon Booth, RB Sr.
4. Branden Jennings, EDGE Sr.
5. Fluff Bothwell, RB Soph.
6. Seydou Traore, TE Sr.
7. Jalen Smith, LB Soph.
8. Red Hibbler, EDGE Sr.
9. Luke Kromenhoek, QB Soph.
10. Nic Mitchell, LB Sr.

Mississippi State Bulldogs 2024 Fun Stats

- First Half Points: Opponents 258, Miss State 153

- Time of Possession: Opponents 34:19, Miss State 25:41

- Passing Yards: Opponents 2,874, Miss State 2,871

Mississippi State Bulldogs 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Mississippi State will be better.

There’s far more depth, Jeff Lebby is in his second year of a rebuild, and there’s more talent to work with.

The win total will be better after the 2-10 clunker when nothing went quite right. The Bulldogs will beat Southern Miss, take down Alcorn State, and beat Northern Illinois. They’re also good enough to pull off an SEC win somewhere after getting shut out last year.

But where?

Not only does Mississippi State get Arizona State early on in non-conference play, but the seemingly easiest SEC dates are Arkansas and Florida, and both of those games are on the road.

It’ll take something big to not be double-digit underdogs in at least six of the eight conference games, but it’ll be a step-forward season with double the wins of last year - for what that’s worth.

Set The Mississippi State Bulldogs Win Total At … 4.5

Likely Wins: Alcorn State, Northern Illinois, at Southern Miss

50/50 Games: Arizona State, at Arkansas, at Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee

Likely Losses: Georgia, at Missouri, Texas, at Texas A&M

2025 Miss State Football Preview
Offense & Defense Breakdowns