The narrative surrounding Mississippi State in the offseason was about a team that returned a majority of it's starters, and while the Bulldogs have been led by some familiar faces to a 5-1 record, some new names have made their presence felt.
Mike Leach didn't need to go into the transfer portal to overhaul his roster, but he did a nice job filling in some holes with nine Division-1 transfers they did bring in. On top of that, Mississippi State had the 16th-ranked recruiting class in the country for 2022, and while a majority of this group is behind some veteran talent, there is one player who has stood out.
Here's a deep dive on how each of the Bulldogs' new faces have done this season.
Jackie Matthews, Safety, West Virginia
Packed with starting experience from his days at West Virginia, graduate transfer Jackie Matthews has immediately impacted the Bulldog defense, starting all six games. Matthews has totaled 21 tackles on the season and has featured some hard hits over the middle.
The 6'0" safety has really started to pick up his performance over the past two weeks. He tied his season high of six tackles against Texas A&M and was in on a goal-line stand, making a 4th down tackle at the one-yard line while also snagging his first interception against Arkansas.
"Jackie's fast. He came here fast, provided he's running in the right direction," said Head Coach Mike Leach. "He's a pretty dynamic guy. He's also physical. He's not afraid to hit. I've always liked that. He is definitely a runner and a hitter."
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Steven Losoya, Offensive Line, Middle Tennessee State
Steven Losoya started at right tackle for the Blue Raiders but came to Mississippi State for a step up in competition. The 6'4" 310-pound lineman was used in a variety of roles throughout fall camp and ultimately ended up as the backup to LaQuinston Sharp at center.
An injury to Kwatrivous Johnson against Bowling Green kicked Nick Jones out to left tackle, allowing Losoya to see starting action at left guard. Losoya has taken advantage of his opportunity over the past two games, as he's helped anchor a Bulldog offensive line that surrendered zero sacks to Texas A&M and Arkansas. Losoya has a PFF pass-blocking grade of 87.8, the best of any guard in the SEC and the ninth-best in the country.
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Justin Robinson, Wide Receiver, Georgia
A former Rivals250 prospect, Justin Robinson battled injuries during his two seasons in Athens and was never able to live up to his potential there, but the Bulldogs were willing to bet on the 6'4" 220-pound receiver.
Robinson spent most of the offseason working at X behind Rara Thomas and Tulu Griffin, and caught a touchdown in the Bulldogs' season opener against Memphis, but didn't see a whole lot of action after that. The redshirt sophomore recently made the switch to Z, and has emerged as a very solid backup to Caleb Ducking, picking up seven receptions over the past two weeks, bringing his season total to 10 catches for 104 yards and one touchdown.
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Jordan Mosley, Wide Receiver, Northwestern
Jordan Mosley took a redshirt year as a freshman at Northwestern before transferring to Mississippi State, and the speedster's been buried behind some talented receivers on the depth chart.
Mosley spent most of the offseason battling Antonio Harmon for the 2nd Z-receiver spot and spent the early portion of the season sidelined with an injury. He made his season debut against Bowling Green but did not see a target, and saw some action at X on the final drive against Arkansas catching two passes from Will Rogers for 43 yards.
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Marcus Banks, Cornerback, Alabama
Marcus Banks didn't see much action behind some very talented corners in his three year's at Alabama, but he was still a hot commodity in the transfer portal as Mississippi State beat out Miami and Maryland for the former four-star.
Mississippi State has a pair of talented cornerbacks of their own in Emmanuel Forbes and Decamerion Richardson, but Banks has been effective when he's gotten opportunities. In 66 snaps, Banks has received a 77.6 defensive grade by Pro Football Focus, and an 80.6 coverage grade. The senior has posted eight tackles, 1 TFL, and one pass breakup, and has been one of the Bulldogs' best players in punt coverage.
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Jordan Morant, Safety, Michigan
Jordan Morant mostly played special teams as a redshirt freshman at Michigan last season before entering the transfer portal. He initially committed to Duke, but eventually ended up flipping to Mississippi State.
This season Morant has appeared in all six games on special teams, totaling two tackles.
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Hunter Washington, Cornerback, Florida State
Hunter Washington redshirted as a freshman for Florida State before transferring to Mississippi State.
Washington has seen action as a reserve in two games playing 34 snaps while playing special teams in five and totaling one tackle.
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Massimo Biscardi, Kicker, Coastal Carolina
Massimo Biscardi transferred to Mississippi State after four years as a starter for Coastal Carolina where he made 46 of his 57 field goal attempts and was a 2-time All-Sun Belt selection.
The graduate transfer began the season as Mississippi State's starter. He has not attempted a field goal and missed two of his nine extra point attempts. Mississippi State has started Ben Raybon in favor of Biscardi over the past several weeks.
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Ben Raybon, Kicker, Northern Colorado
Ben Raybon spent three seasons at Northern Colorado after transferring from Garden City (KS) Community College and made 13 of his 21 field goal attempts.
Raybon has been the Bulldogs' starter for the past four games and has made 20 of 22 extra points and four of six field goal attempts, including making one from 53 yards out against Bowling Green. He has also served as Mississippi State's kickoff specialist, forcing 19 touchbacks in 28 attempts.
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George Georgopoulos, Punter, UMass
George Georgopoulos was a four year starter at UMass and averaged 41.3 yards per punt in 39 games before transferring to Mississippi State.
This season Georgopoulos has split time with Archer Trafford but has done with his opportunities, averaging 43.3 yards per punt on ten attempts, while pinning the opponent inside the 20 yard line six times.
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Zavion Thomas, Wide Receiver, John Ehret (LA) High School
Zavion Thomas is the lone freshman that has seen significant playing time for Mississippi State this season, and while the speedy receiver has yet to make his first college reception, he's been a dynamic player in the return game.
Thomas saw his first action against Arizona where he returned a punt for 20 yards, and he followed it up next week against LSU with another impressive return of 26 yards. On the season, Thomas has returned eight punts for 91 yards, and one kick for 21 yards.
