STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State football and Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons each have a similar goal for this week: get healthy.

Simmons is recovering for a torn ligament in his left elbow and Mississippi State’s list of injured players is filled with key players hoping the extra week gets them back on the field.

Safety Isaac Smith missed last week’s game against Texas, but is third in the nation in total tackles. He’s one of the most impactful players listed on last week’s availability report (outside of quarterback Blake Shapen, of course).

But other names such as  Chris Keys Jr. (safety), Kalvin Dinkins (defensive line), Kedrick Bingley-Jones (defensive line), Traveon Wright (cornerback) and DeAgo Brumfield (cornerback) all missed last week’s game.

One of the goals for Mississippi State this is week is to do just that.

“Getting our legs back being fresh and being fast next Saturday in Athens is going to be absolutely critical,” Lebby said.

Redshirt freshman Trevion Williams echoed that sentiment during his Wednesday media session.

“Just get our bodies back right,” he said when asked about goals for the by week.

One name that will most likely still miss time after the bye week is running back Keyvone Lee, who Lebby said will miss a significant amount of time after an injury earlier this season.

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Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons says a new power plant being built in Washington County could be a boon to the local economy.

For the first time in 50 years, Entergy Mississippi is building a new natural gas power station. The facility will be the first combined-cycle combustion turbine power station the company has built from the ground up.

“It is a great day to witness the profound significance and impact of the $1.2 billion new Entergy plan for Greenville, Washington County, and the Mississippi Delta,” Simmons told the Clarion Ledger. “This initiative is a transformative project that promises to bring significant economic growth, improved infrastructure, and enhanced energy reliability to the region. For Greenville, the plan means a boost in job creation, particularly in the construction and energy sectors, which could lead to increased employment opportunities for local residents.”

The combined-cycle combustion turbine facility is a dual-fuel technology. While natural gas is the primary resource, the advanced facility will be designed to support blended hydrogen to produce reliable energy, according to Entergy.

When completed in 2028, this will be the fourth natural gas power station built by Entergy in the last two decades, following Attala Plant in Sallis (2006), Hinds Energy Facility in Jackson (2012) and Choctaw Energy Facility in French Camp (2019).

“As our customers’ needs and environmental factors evolve, so must our fleet. We’re investing in cleaner, more efficient power generation now, to help us keep bills lower for customers than they otherwise would be in the future,” Entergy president and CEO Haley Fisackerly said in a statement.

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Simmons said the Entergy plan represents a major step forward in modernizing the energy grid in the Mississippi Delta, ensuring that residents and businesses have access to more reliable and sustainable energy.

“As an advocate for investments that uplift underserved and rural communities, I see this project as a key driver in bridging the development gap in the region,” Simmons said. “The plan aligns with the city’s long-standing efforts to promote economic revitalization, infrastructure improvement, and environmental sustainability, not only in Greenville but across the Delta. This partnership with Entergy showcases Greenville as a forward-thinking city, ready to embrace modern solutions for growth while addressing the needs of its citizens and businesses alike.”

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Eventually, the company will retire the Gerald Andrus Steam Electric Station, which is currently located in Greenville. By replacing older power plants with more advanced and efficient technology, Entergy Mississippi says it is producing more electricity from the same amount of fuel while reducing carbon emissions.

Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State football is on its open week and won’t play Saturday, but there are still victories to be had.

Coach Jeff Lebby and his staff will be hitting the recruiting trail later this week to visit some of the players already committed to play in Starkville next season and try to recruit some others.

“We’re going to be out on the road on Thursday and Friday, going to see a bunch of our guys, a bunch of commits, and then some other position needs,” Lebby said at a Tuesday press conference.

The Bulldogs have the No. 32-rated recruiting class in ESPN’s 2025 College Football Recruiting Class Rankings (one spot behind Ole Miss). Considering the state of the current program, the Bulldogs are doing very well on the recruiting trail.

“We feel like we’re really in a pretty good spot from a recruiting standpoint,” Lebby said. “We got, hopefully, some positive things that are going to happen here sooner than later.”

Some news could come out this week with many players approaching the deadline to redshirt this season or not. Wide receiver Creed Whittemore already decided to take a redshirt and won’t play again this season. Others could make a similar decision and Lebby addressed the situation on Tuesday.

“It’s very fluid as we continue to talk through it, and every situation is a little busy,” he said.

Here is the Bulldogs’ current recruiting class:

Transfers

Tony Mitchell, S, East Mississippi Community College

4-Stars

Tyler Lockhart, LB, Winona (Winona, Miss.)

Ferzell Shepard, WR, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rogue, La.)

KaMario Taylor, Ath, Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.)

Tyshun Willis, Edge, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.)

Mario Nash Jr., IOL, Kemper County (De Kalb, Miss.)

3-Stars

Davian Jackson, WR, Westgate (New Iberia, La.)

Steve Miller, Ath, Greene County (Greensboro, Ga.)

AJ Rice, LB, Madison Academy (Madison, Ala.)

Kevonte Henry, DL, Cerritos College (Norwalk, Calif.)

Geron Johnson, RB, Barlett (Bartlett, Tenn.)

Derrion Horsley, CB, East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.)

Sekou Smith Jr., S, Miami Central (Miami, Fla.)

Austin Howard, LB, Bartlett (Batlett, Tenn.)

LaKendrick James, LB, Copiah-Lincoln CC (Wesson, Miss.)

Kolin Wilson, RB, Gulf Shores (Gulf Shores, Ala.)

Christopher Johnson, DL, Robert E. Lee (Montgomery, Ala.)

Josiah Clemons, IOL, Madison Central (Madison, Miss.)

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