Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work. After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if […]
Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.
After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them.
As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.
Today, we look at a breakout candidate at wide receiver and a returning safety looking to have a good senior season
3 Days: No. 3, Jr. Wide Receiver Anthony Evans
A wide out with tremendous potential enters his third season of college football looking to have his breakthrough.
Evans was ranked as Rivals’ No. 158 player overall and the No. 29 wide out and 29th player in the state of Texas. He was a consensus four-star by the recruiting services after showing out at Judson High School in Texas.
In his three seasons with Judson, Evans had 111 catches for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns. At 5’10, 155 pounds in high school, colleges saw the long term potential in Evans’ game and the quickness that he had in the arsenal. A large offer sheet featured, Georgia, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Florida State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oregon and many others.
Evans got to play in eight games as a true freshman in 2023 when he was a part of a top-5 UGA team and had four catches for 35 yards including a touchdown reception in the bowl blowout against Florida State. Last season, Evans remained a reserve but played in 11 of the games with nine catches for 88 yards and three rushes for 50 yards.
With a logjam at his spot, Evans decided to look for new life in the transfer portal and he would land with the other Bulldogs in the conference. Since his arrival, Evans has steadily climbed and solidified his spot as a starter at the slot position. He’s added nearly 30 pounds of muscle since high school and looks the part of a player that could have a big impact this season.
Playing in the spot occupied by most of Lebby’s highest producing wide outs, look out for him to be State’s top target in the passing game.
No. 3, Sr. Safety Brylan Lanier
A return to the SEC had some good moments and some bad for Lanier last season.
The former Alabama defensive back worked his way back into the SEC for the Bulldogs and had 10 starts out of his 12 games played with 53 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, an interception and a pass deflection. The Bulldogs moved him around on defense with him playing both safety and cornerback.
Prior to his arrival at State, Lanier got the opportunity of his lifetime as the Alabama native was picked up late in the 2021 class by Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Lanier was a Tuscaloosa native who played his high school football at Paul W. Bryant and was originally set to go to Georgia State for his college career.
After redshirting his first year on campus, Lanier would transfer to Indiana. He played in 12 games and had 13 tackles with a sack, but would leave the school and enter the transfer portal again. This time, Lanier stepped down to the Junior College level and landed in Scooba at East Mississippi Community College.
Lanier put together a strong sophomore campaign when he had 60 tackles with 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He earned Second-Team All-MACCC as he helped the team to the state championship and a trip to the National Title game.
After working his way into being one of the top JUCO defensive backs in the country, Georgia, Arkansas, NC State and MSU began to offer. On New Year’s Day of 2024, he signed with Lebby and the Bulldogs and he was enrolled in school a couple of weeks later.
Lanier looks to build on a solid junior season and finish strong with the Bulldogs as he’s now settled at a school in year two for the first time in his career. He was listed as a starter on the depth chart this week and should be sharing reps with Jahron Manning and others this year.
Category: General Sports
