The early signing period begins Wednesday, then the transfer portal opens on Dec. 9. MSU already has one transfer commit from Kennesaw State cornerback Jayven Williams and two wide receiver departures . Lebby said MSU is looking to upgrade everywhere, but here are three positions that must be of focus.

Jeff Lebby still remembers sitting in an office grinding tape with Josh Heupel 20 years ago for Oklahoma football. Lebby, now a first-time head coach at Mississippi

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby had some high praise for the Ole Miss Rebels ahead of his return to Oxford on Friday.

At Oklahoma, where Lebby was the offensive coordinator in 2023 before being hired by the Bulldogs, the Sooners didn’t have an issue with slow starts. Oklahoma scored seven opening-drive touchdowns in 12 regular season games, punted four times and had one turnover. In those seven touchdowns, Oklahoma had five drives with a play of at least 30 yards.

Mississippi State football is set to lose a key player to the transfer portal after a tough first season under head coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs beat the spread against No. 14 Ole Miss but lost the Egg Bowl to finish off a 2-10 season.

They'll look to the transfer portal to fill holes on the roster. The portal opens Dec. 9 and closes on Dec. 28. Last season, MSU acquired 19 transfers including quarterback Blake Shapen, running back Davon Booth,