100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 13 Days – No. 13, WR Sanfrisco Magee and SAF Jahron Manning

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 over the course of the next few months.

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 couple of players who could make some plays for the Bulldogs this year.  

13 Days: No. 13, RFr. Wide Receiver Sanfrisco Magee    

Go to X and turn on a highlight from State’s training camp and you’re likely to find Magee making a big catch.

The 6’2, 200-pound athlete has plenty of potential to do big things in Lebby’s offense over the next few years and that potential was evident when he was in high school. A first-team All-State wide out for McComb, Magee had 48 catches for 1,229 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Magee started got into a heated recruitment with State and Ole Miss during the summer heading into his senior year. The Bulldogs felt they had the leg up on him with Chad Bumphis but the Rebels would swoop in and grab a commitment.

Despite that, State stayed locked in on Magee. He would ultimately decommit from Ole Miss and take his official visit to Starkville after Lebby was hired with the Bulldogs getting a commitment from him late in the process.

Magee was brought in as the No. 21 player in the state of Mississippi and the No. 119 wide receiver nationally. He’s got a chance to overcome that ranking before his career is finished. He played in two games a season ago and made a catch, but should be primed to get into the rotation this season.

No. 13, Sr. Safety Jahron Manning

If State is to take a step forward this season, the Bulldog defense will have to be significantly better than the putrid season that it had a season ago.

Much of the issues came from up front, but the Bulldogs also didn’t have what they needed in the back end of the defense, either. Manning is a player that the coaching staff believes helps improve that group this season.

A native of New Orleans, Manning didn’t have many options coming out of Brother Martin High School. He began his career at Tyler Junior College in Texas where he made seven tackles in five games in 2022. After the minimal production as a freshman, Manning tried his hand at Copiah Lincoln Community College in Mississippi.

It was a breakthrough season for Manning with the Wolfpack as he exploded with 71 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble on the way to First-Team All-American honors. It also opened some doors for him on the next level as he would land at Old Dominion.

Manning had hit his stride by that point and would step in with the Monarchs to become a starting safety for all 11 games that he played. Manning finished second on the squad with 85 tackles, he had 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and added a team-leading three interceptions.

Having taken the Sun Belt by storm, Manning is now challenging himself in the SEC. He entered the transfer portal and immediately was one of the top defensive backs available. On3 had him ranked as the No. 4 safety in the portal and handed him a four-star ranking while labeling him the No. 83 player in the portal.

Manning would commit to the Bulldogs and has since come to work every day. Since the spring, Manning has been a player fighting at the top of the depth chart. There is competition among the group, but he will have his shot to start for the Bulldogs under the leadership of Matt Barnes.