Mississippi
Mississippi State football spring game: Top three things to watch
STARKVILLE — More college football teams are opting out of hosting traditional spring games, but Mississippi State isn’t.
“Our guys need to play,” second-year coach Jeff Lebby said at the start of MSU’s spring practices. “We’ve got such a new roster and different roster. There’s been so much turnover. Our guys need to be in competitive situations and go play and be put in positions to make the play or guys not make the play. We need to be able to evaluate that for 15 true practices. The more game-type situations I think we can be in, the better for us.”
Kickoff is scheduled for noon on April 19 at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs haven’t announced the exact format for the game, but it won’t be televised.
Here are three things fans can track as Mississippi State strives to improve from its 2-10 record.
Would it be good if Mississippi State’s defense dominates the offense?
The Bulldogs fielded the worst defense in the SEC last season. And it wasn’t particularly close. They allowed 34.1 points per game, nearly 10 points more than the next-worst team.
The entire defensive coaching staff was retained, including coordinator Coleman Hutzler. Vincent Dancy was hired as the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach, while Mike MacIntyre and Paul Rhoads were hired as senior defensive analysts. But for the most part, MSU is relying on new defensive players to be the fix.
The defensive line has been a focal point after Mississippi State managed only 10 sacks last season, the second fewest in the country.
So if Mississippi State’s defense dominates the offense in the spring game, would that be a bad thing?
Lebby probably deserves the benefit of the doubt based on how his offenses have performed, especially in his time as an assistant coach before Mississippi State. The MSU offense was still productive last season after starting quarterback Blake Shapen’s season-ending injury in Week 4. Shapen is back, and there aren’t as many concerns with this season’s offense.
A strong showing by the defense could be the indicator of an improved team.
What is Mississippi State’s depth chart at running back?
Mississippi State’s running backs appear to be a strength of the team.
Leading rusher Davon Booth is back and so is second-leading rusher Johnnie Daniels. MSU also added South Alabama transfer Fluff Bothwell, who was an All-Sun Belt second team selection as a freshman last season. Seth Davis is returning after missing all of 2024 with an injury, and MSU also has underclassmen Xavier Gayten and Kolin Wilson.
That’s a lot of talent for only one football. Booth, Daniels and Bothwell are likely the frontrunners to share carries, but there should be a clearer picture in the spring game.
Will Mississippi State football lose players to transfer portal before spring game?
Tennessee’s spring game was filled with drama after quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn’t show up to practice the day before because of an NIL dispute. Iamaleava is no longer at Tennessee.
The timing of the spring transfer portal makes it tricky. The spring transfer window is already open, meaning players can leave their teams before spring practices end. It’s a big reason why many teams have scaled back their spring games or aren’t televising them at all.
Saturday’s MSU spring game can be an attendance of sorts for who has and hasn’t entered the transfer portal.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
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