Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State's head coach, tells McElroy & Cubelic how the team has improved since spring ball, what Blake Shapen brings to the QB position, and how realignment hasn't changed anything for the mindset of Bulldogs
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Just put that headset on right there. We decided to skip a break for you, Coach, so that's how important you are. So if you could just pay us back on the missed advertising because we're skipping a break right now. You will? Perfect. You got to get the bowl bonus before you help us out with that ad. Got it. Year one. There we go. I had you in the spring. Had you in the spring game.

I know where a lot of your confidence was in the team. Where has your confidence grown in your football team since you ended spring ball? Leadership. You know, watching these guys and how they've operated since we finished up spring and understanding the race for us was, man, how good can we get before we get back on the field together in August? Our guys have done a great job with it. And so, yeah,

Proud of what they've done this summer, how they've gone about their business. Also proud of our guys. It's the first time in school history we had a CUME GPA of over 3.0 in the spring, so the way they finished academically was a huge deal for us and kind of set the bar for where we're going. Looking at kind of establishing an identity, I know everybody, it's so funny, we had this conversation all of last year. It's like, oh, well, it's Air Raid, and they're just moving into the Appalachian State. It's no different. They're in shotgun. How different is that?

But moving from that offense to this offense and just going, I mean, look, they've obviously been pass happy in the past, but how much of a change is it from where Leach was to where they were last year to where they are now under your leadership? Yeah, I think the biggest issue there's been is there has been so much change. You know, and the two systems before are quite a bit different. You know, the pace and the tempo and,

The aggressive style of play, as much as anything for us, is where it is completely different. We're truly trying to dictate how the game is played every single snap. And so that's, for our guys, understanding the urgency piece of it, I think it does help from the standpoint of the portal and being able to bring some guys in that you know are going to be really good fits that have played a bunch of ball at other places and give you a chance to get off the ground the way you want to.

What do people need to know about Blake Chapin? We saw him at Baylor, know about his skill set, what he's about. But what do we not know about him? Yeah, I think the thing, again, I'm most excited about him is being year one, one of the guys that's going to go put it on the line. You're going to watch the guy play, and he's going to play with toughness, edge, attitude, passion, and he's going to inspire his teammates to play better. And so that is –

quarterback that is playing the position that's what it's all about and and he's going to do that for us and for me having that year one huge deal i love that uh cole asked about shape and i'm gonna ask about the o-line uh that's ironic as a kid um you bring in a bunch of new guys there um

Transfer portal, of course, has been a huge, huge asset to you at that position. How do you develop continuity when there are so many new faces? Yeah, I think it being year one and understanding that everybody –

in the room got the install the first time together and I think that's helpful so that they're all hearing the messaging at the exact same time so whether it's Albert Reese who has been here and been through a bunch of changes with me today or it's Leon Bell a offensive tackle that's going to be a have a chance to be a great player for us at right he he's hearing at the same time that

You know, the other guys are hearing it, like Mack Pounders and Ethan Miner. And we're going to be in a good spot at that position just because, again, we've got guys that have played a bunch of ball not for us but at other places. And really you get to know what you're getting.

The experience that some of the transfer guys have in the system, is it close? Did that make it easier? You wanted a guy like Ethan Miner. He comes from North Texas, right? And a guy that played incredibly well there last year. Completely different level of football. Understand all of that. But him being able to lead the way...

and understand that the type of offense that we run was a huge deal. His old line coach at North Texas was John Cooper. Cooper's our tight end coach. So there's great familiarity from a system and a run game standpoint, which for me and for us is huge. Looking at the defensive decisions that you made, bringing in Coleman Hutzler, a guy that knows the league, but doesn't have –

you know, down-in, down-out play-calling experience. I really like the guy. I think he's a good coach. But I'm just curious, what was it about him that made you think, all right, this is my guy and this is the defense that I'm wanting to run on that side of the ball? The first thing was having the understanding of what our league looks like. I wanted a guy that had lived our league and understood what it was going to take, not just week four, but week eight, nine, ten, and understand the grind of it. And then a guy that had had –

maybe not calling it play-calling success, but had had great defensive success. So he's been in the room with some of the best to ever do it, whether it was at Florida, South Carolina,

at Alabama, at Texas. And so for him, just knowing exactly who he was and who I was getting was a huge deal. And then being able to supplement him with a guy like Matt Barnes. It was. It was a great package deal because Matt's got this play-calling experience. He's had a really good career as a play-caller, whether it was at Maryland when he took over there at Ohio State and then at Memphis.

And so being able to put those two in the same room together with Coleman leading the way, man, was a huge deal. And, again, I want guys that are similar to me from the standpoint of toughness, edge, confident, fun, competitive, and creating that culture for our entire building. And knowing that's happening in the defensive room for me was huge. Leon Bell still with the team? Yeah. Yeah.

We talked about it a little bit in spring. Yeah. For folks that don't know, almost averaged a double-double in basketball, 6'8", 330. No, that was the big. That's not Leon Bell? No, sir. The basketball kid's still with you guys? Not with us. Not with you, okay. Not with us. I was interested if he was going to be able to help you out. No, he's not.

Build power forward. I was going to be my right zone guy for it. I like that. Yeah, love it. Looking at the schedule, and I know you don't want to get past Easter Kentucky in week one. I understand that. But everyone seems to talk about, like, how much harder it's going to be for everybody. And I look at a team like Mississippi State, and it's like, it's been freaking hard. Yeah. For as long as I can remember. The SEC West wasn't exactly this dang cakewalk. I mean, goodness gracious alive. So...

Looking at the expectations for your program in particular, do you embrace those? Are you excited about some of the new blood? I know you're new, but...

maybe not being in the division versus being in the division like all the changes that have gone down as far as scheduling is concerned is it a net positive for the league i think it is a positive yeah i do i think it's a positive for our guys and their experiences as we go through college football you know we we're able to save some great rivalries and we're able to kick up some maybe some new ones and so i think it's great for our players it's great for our fan base and

And that's part of this league. You want to do it with the best and against the best if that's what you're about. And that's what we're going to have a chance to go do. Your tight end room I know you're excited about. And it's a position that you've placed an emphasis on. And a lot of people wouldn't know that because they see the spread formations and pushing the ball down the field. Where is that position right now hitting in the fall camp? Yeah, with Sadu and Justin, both of those guys had good springs. Both those guys have had good summers.

and I'm excited about them. I think they're going to give us some real flexibility from a personnel standpoint to find ways to get our best 11 on the field and then to be a little different situationally when we need to, whether it be a short yardage goal line situation or getting into some four-minute stuff. So for us, that's been huge. Had not been this huge point of emphasis, obviously, as we got on campus, but love where we're at.

Looking at, you just referenced the four-minute stuff, and it's kind of had our wheels spinning a little bit the last couple days. It feels like there are more teams that are going to kind of embrace a little more ground and pound, perhaps. Look at the defensive lines across the league, still excellent, but maybe not what they were when you were in the league last time. Yeah.

Do you sense that the league is transitioning to maybe a little bit more line of scrimmage than it had been the last five or six years? Because it was so wide open and so quarterback and weapon dependent, it feels like it might be coming back to what it was 10, 15 years ago. Yeah, as I've looked at it, it's got a little bit of that feel. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out throughout the season. I think we'll get a great idea of what it looks like as we get halfway through and people and create an identity and where –

where people are going to be on that side of that line. But I do, I feel good about where we're going to be, you know, and have an incredible balance. And it's starting with the run game and play action pass and that being who we are with a ton of tempo. How many, are you going to play like five different backs? Because I feel like that was such a –

Woody Marks, like, we know he's going to get his touches. He's now gone. Bring in a couple guys. Like, how do you feel about your running back group, Devin? You know, it's a group that doesn't have this enormous amount of production or experience. Kevon Lee is a guy that is a fifth-year player that was a transfer from Penn State.

I love where he ended up in the spring. He's had a nice summer. We got a transfer from Utah State, Navon Booth, who's got some playmaking ability and is a guy that was over eight yards a carry for Utah State last year and had real production. Johnny Daniels is one that's a junior college player.

So it's going to be by committee. It really is. I think Kevon's going to be a guy that's going to be constant and consistent, but we're going to need help at that position. I'm going to let you run on this one, but you have an interesting perspective on this, something I did yesterday. Made a lot of folks mad. We ranked rivalries in the league.

Don't make him do that. I don't think you have to go far as to what I had number one, but I had the Egg Bowl two ahead of a new rivalry heading into this league. Yeah. Would you be okay with that? I'm okay with that. Okay, cool. Yes, sir. That's all I wanted to know. Would you have said that last year? Absolutely. Jay?

Jeff, we're excited for you, man. Excited for this season. We always love talking football with you. Thanks for stopping by. Awesome, man. Appreciate it. See you, buddy. All right, back with more from Radio Road, McElroy and Kubrick in the morning. Catch up with all things McElroy and Kubrick in the morning by subscribing to the podcast. Mythically, he's grown. He's almost like a little bit bigger than a player, right? Like the myth of Bo Jackson. Like, rate, and download the show from the Jock Tap or wherever you get your podcasts.

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