JD PicKell: Mississippi State needed to be buyers in transfer portal

Recently On3’s JD PicKell gave his rundown of SEC program transfer portal winners and losers following the closing of the spring window. Unfortunately, Mississippi State made the college football expert’s losers list. But his reason for putting the Bulldogs in that category might not be what you expect it to be. As PicKell explained, Mississippi State needed to be buyers in the transfer portal.

“The thing for me with Mississippi State is they only added nine transfers. And you’re saying, JD, nine transfers, that’s a lot,” said PicKell. “Yeah, it is, but they lost double-digit transfers. And when I look at what Mississippi State is going through right now, your heart breaks for that community. Your heart breaks for what they had to go through at the end of last college football season. And now they shift their focus from an offensive perspective, going from air raid to being pro-style with Kevin Barbet.”

With the tragic and untimely passing of former Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach at the end of the 2022 season, the team and his offense will now be operating much differently. Regarding the air raid offense versus a pro-style, the personnel one would need to conduct the two styles differ. And it is because the Bulldogs did not adjust for their change in offense, PicKell has them on his losers list.

“And the reason why I have them as a loser, in this category in this segment, you needed to be a buyer if you’re Mississippi State. Like you needed to go get new ingredients to fit this new approach offensively. You go from air raid to pro-style. That is not the same kind of player you’re playing with in both those systems. You have to mix and match; you gotta go get better offensive lineman, probably to run-block. You got to go get some running backs that can tote the mail and take it downhill… get some receivers.
I would have loved to see them be more aggressive in the portal. I don’t think they got what they needed, ingredients-wise, to run the system they want to run in 2023.”

Still, just because Mississippi State might have lost in the transfer portal, that does not mean they will lose on the field next season. The Bulldogs have a ton of talent on offense, led by quarterback Will Rogers. While their talent may not look to fit the bill of a pro-style offense on paper, they could still make a ton of noise on the field. And if they can do that, then Mississippi State is likely to enjoy another successful season in the SEC.

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