Mississippi

Position preview: Looking at Mississippi State’s defensive line for the 2024 season

Published

6 months ago

August 6, 2024

Position preview: Looking at Mississippi State’s defensive line for the 2024 season

The countdown to this year’s college football season has begun in earnest with less than four weeks until Mississippi State opens the season on Aug. 31 against Eastern Kentucky at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, opened fall camp on Thursday.

As camp progresses, The Dispatch will be taking a look at each position group on MSU’s roster, noting who could be the potential starters, backups and impact players to look out for on the gridiron.

The Bulldogs, despite losing Jaden Crumedy and Nathan Pickering, have several players returning on the defensive line. De’Monte Russell and Deonte Anderson will be relied on as the group’s veteran leaders, while Trevion Williams and Kalvin Dinkins are back after season-ending injuries early last season. MSU also added Sulaiman Kpaka and Kedrick Bingley-Jones in the transfer portal.

The Starters

De’Monte Russell

6-foot-4, 285-pound redshirt senior from Jackson, Mississippi

Entering his sixth year with the program, Russell became a starter for the first time last season, finishing with 24 tackles including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. After appearing in four games and redshirting as a true freshman in 2019, he missed all of 2020 with an injury but has played regularly since then.

Sulaiman Kpaka

6-foot-3, 300-pound redshirt senior from Grand Prairie, Texas

Kpaka spent the last five years at Purdue, appearing in just two games over his first three seasons there before becoming a regular in 2022. He made 19 tackles that year, 11 of them solo, then set a career-high with 2.5 tackles for loss last fall.

Kedrick Bingley-Jones

6-foot-4, 310-pound redshirt senior from Concord, North Carolina

Rivals ranked Bingley-Jones as the No. 3 player in North Carolina and the No. 5 defensive tackle in his class coming out of high school, but in four years with the Tar Heels, Bingley-Jones has made just eight tackles despite appearing in 26 career games.

The Backups

Trevion Williams

6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt sophomore from Crystal Springs, Mississippi

A much-heralded recruit out of high school, Williams played in three games as a true freshman to keep his redshirt status intact, then missed the final nine games of last season with an injury. He has as much raw talent and potential as anybody in this position group, so if he can stay healthy, Williams can really bolster MSU’s defensive front.

Kalvin Dinkins

6-foot-2, 315-pound redshirt sophomore from Lake, Mississippi

Like Williams, Dinkins has yet to see the field much due to injury. He did not appear in any games as a true freshman, then was lost for the season last year after making his collegiate debut in the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana. If Dinkins can stay on the field this year, the Bulldogs’ defensive line becomes that much deeper.

Deonte Anderson

6-foot-3, 270-pound redshirt junior from Miami, Florida

Anderson redshirted in 2021 and made five appearances, mostly on special teams, in 2022, but was a key piece up front last year, playing in all 12 games with two starts. He finished with 38 tackles, including three tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Against Western Michigan, Anderson made five tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass at the line of scrimmage, and he made a career-high eight stops against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.

Eric Taylor

6-foot-4, 310-pound senior from Trussville, Alabama

Taylor spent his freshman year at LSU but did not play, then transferred to Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he had three sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2022. In his first year with MSU last year, Taylor played in every game and finished with 15 total tackles, becoming a quality depth piece for the Bulldogs.

The Rest

Joseph Head Jr.

6-foot-4, 240-pound redshirt freshman from Lexington, Mississippi

Head had a monster junior year at Holmes County Central High School, racking up 89 tackles, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. He then had 21 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hurries as a senior. He made his collegiate debut last October against Western Michigan but did not register any statistics.

Kai McClendon

6-foot-2, 305-pound freshman from Gulfport, Mississippi

McClendon finished his final high school season with 63 tackles (49 of them solo), eight tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. Georgia Tech and Arizona State were his other major conference offers.

Corey Clark

6-foot-4, 310-pound sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama

Clark began his college career at North Alabama, playing in 50 snaps across four games as a freshman to maintain his redshirt status. Last year, he played at Northeast Mississippi Community College, playing in nine games and recovering two fumbles despite making just five total tackles.

Gabe Moore

6-foot-4, 290-pound redshirt freshman from Louisville, Mississippi

Coming from a powerhouse high school program at Louisville, Moore put up otherworldly numbers as a senior with 116 total tackles (39 for loss), 12 sacks, five forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He did not appear in any games last year as a true freshman.

Gavin Nelson

6-foot-5, 285-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama

Nelson made his first three collegiate appearances last season, making two tackles against Southeastern Louisiana and one against LSU.

Terrance Hibbler Jr.

6-foot-3, 290-pound freshman from Lexington, Mississippi

Hibbler chose MSU over a laundry list of offers, including Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss and seven other Southeastern Conference programs. He earned first-team all-state honors as a high school senior and was the MHSAA Class 5A Player of the Year, leading his team with 92 tackles and 21 sacks.

Ashun Sheppard

6-foot-3, 280-pound junior from Brandon, Mississippi

Sheppard played the last two years at East Mississippi Community College, helping the Lions reach the national championship game last year. He was the No. 11 ranked junior college defensive lineman in the country.

MSU

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Mississippi

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball’s Coach Yo Breaks Down Crucial Win at Mississippi State

Published

3 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball’s Coach Yo Breaks Down Crucial Win at Mississippi State

Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball has found ways to overcome adversity this season.

The Rebels entered the year ranked No. 20 in the nation before losing a nail-biter to USC in Paris to open up the season and suffering close losses to NC State, UConn, Texas A&M and Alabama. But despite that, the Rebels have won two straight in SEC play, earning a 4-2 mark in the conference, good for fifth place.

Despite some close losses, that didn’t affect the Rebels on Sunday as Ole Miss took down rival Mississippi State 71-63 in Starkville.

“Incredible atmosphere today. It’s like a rivalry game should be,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said in an interview postgame. “We’re no stranger to it. I’m really happy for this group.”

Although the Rebels currently sit unranked, a solid month and a half remain in conference play. And a winning record in one of the toughest conferences in basketball is nothing to look down on.

“Every year, every season, there’s a turning point, something happens that defines your team and who they want to be for the rest of the season,” Coach Yo said. “If you’ve followed us, we’ve been in close game, lost some, been ahead, been behind. But this we we had to ‘gut out,’ and we knew that.”

The Rebels have been within eight points in all five of their losses, with the biggest losses (seven points) coming against then-No. 2 UConn and NC State, both nationally-ranked teams as of the most recent AP Poll. The Rebels are one of the most competitive teams in the SEC, and Sunday’s win showed that. There is still plenty of time for the 2024 Ole Miss women’s basketball team to write its story.

The next chapter comes next Sunday as the Rebels host No. 7 Texas in the SJB Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.

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Mississippi

Winter Storm Enzo: Here’s the latest on temperatures around Mississippi

Published

11 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Winter Storm Enzo: Here’s the latest on temperatures around Mississippi

Arctic air is bringing bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous driving conditions to Mississippi this week.

Mississippi woke up to chilly temperatures this morning, but that’s just the opening act. Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens and lower this week and parts of the state, including the Mississippi Coast, could see 2-4 inches of snow.

According to the National Weather Service, light snow is expected as for north as the South Delta with accumulation becoming heavier moving south. South Mississippi is under a Significant Threat with accumulations up to 4 inches on Tuesday with dangerous driving conditions and power outages expected.

The entire states faces dangerous cold with the low expected to be around 9 degrees in Oxford on Wednesday morning and 18 degrees along the Mississippi Coast. Overnight temperatures well below freezing are expected to linger across the state for several days including the Jackson and Central Mississippi areas.

Here are the expected temperatures according to the National Weather Service as of 5 a.m. Monday.

Jackson

Tuesday: Low 22 degrees, high 34 degrees, 50% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 13 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 20 degrees, high 48 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 51 degrees
Saturday: Low 28 degrees, high 59 degrees

Southaven

Tuesday: Low 21 degrees, high 27 degrees
Wednesday: Low 14 degrees, high 36 degrees
Thursday: Low 23 degrees, high 44 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 45 degrees
Saturday: Low 31 degrees, high 53 degrees

Corinth

Tuesday: Low 18 degrees, high 28 degrees
Wednesday: Low 10 degrees, high 36 degrees
Thursday: Low 19 degrees, high 45 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 44 degrees
Saturday: Low 27 degrees, high 52 degrees

Oxford

Tuesday: Low 17 degrees, high 29 degrees
Wednesday: Low 9 degrees, high 37 degrees
Thursday: Low 18 degrees, high 44 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 45 degrees
Saturday: Low 27 degrees, high 55 degrees

Greenville

Tuesday: Low 23 degrees, high 32 degrees
Wednesday: Low 16 degrees, high 39 degrees
Thursday: Low 24 degrees, high 48 degrees
Friday: Low 26 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 31 degrees, high 57 degrees

Greenwood

Tuesday: Low 21 degrees, high 33 degrees
Wednesday: Low 14 degrees, high 40 degrees
Thursday: Low 22 degrees, high 48 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 30 degrees, high 58 degrees

Starkville

Tuesday: Low 18 degrees, high 33 degrees, 20% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 11 degrees, high 39 degrees
Thursday: Low 19 degrees, high 47 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 48 degrees
Saturday: Low 26 degrees, high 56 degrees

Yazoo City

Tuesday: Low 22 degrees, high 32 degrees, 30% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 15 degrees, high 39 degrees
Thursday: Low 22 degrees, high 47 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 30 degrees, high 57 degrees

Philadelphia

Tuesday: Low 19 degrees, high 33 degrees, 40% chance of snow with little or no accumulation
Wednesday: Low 11 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 18 degrees, high 47 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 49 degrees
Saturday: Low 26 degrees, high 56 degrees

Vicksburg

Tuesday: Low 22 degrees, high 33 degrees, 40% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 13 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 20 degrees, high 48 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 52 degrees
Saturday: Low 29 degrees, high 60 degrees

Meridian

Tuesday: Low 20 degrees, high 33 degrees, 60% precipitation, snow accumulation less than 1/2 inch
Wednesday: Low 12 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 19 degrees, high 47 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 25 degrees, high 56 degrees

Natchez

Tuesday: Low 23 degrees, high 31 degrees, 70% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 13 degrees, high 38 degrees
Thursday: Low 19 degrees, high 45 degrees
Friday: Low 25 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 30 degrees, high 58 degrees

Brookhaven

Tuesday: Low 22 degrees, high 32 degrees, 80% chance of snow
Wednesday: Low 11 degrees, high 39 degrees
Thursday: Low 17 degrees, high 46 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 26 degrees, high 57 degrees

Hattiesburg

Tuesday: Low 23 degrees, high 33 degrees, 80% chance of snow with 1-3 inches accumulation
Wednesday: Low 13 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 18 degrees, high 46 degrees
Friday: Low 23 degrees, high 51 degrees
Saturday: Low 25 degrees, high 57 degrees

Wiggins

Tuesday: Low 25 degrees, high 32 degrees, 90% chance of snow with 2-4 inches accumulation
Wednesday: Low 15 degrees, high 41 degrees
Thursday: Low 19 degrees, high 46
Friday: Low 24 degrees, high 50 degrees
Saturday: Low 26 degrees, high 57 degrees

Biloxi

Tuesday: Low 26 degrees, high 34 degrees, 90% chance of snow with 2-4 inches accumulation and additional snow, freezing rain Tuesday night
Wednesday: Low 18 degrees, high 40 degrees
Thursday: Low 22 degrees, high 46 degrees
Friday: Low 27 degrees, high 51 degrees
Saturday: Low 31 degrees, high 57 degrees

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Chris Beard Speaks on Malik Dia’s Limited Minutes in Loss Against Mississippi State

Published

19 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Chris Beard Speaks on Malik Dia’s Limited Minutes in Loss Against Mississippi State

The Ole Miss Rebels encountered their first bump in the road in SEC play as they suffered a loss to in-state foe Mississippi State on Saturday night.

One noticeably missing piece to Saturday’s game was trasnfer center Malik Dia, who has been dominant since conference play began.

Dia saw struggles earlier on this season, seeing limited minutes due to foul trouble, but this was not the case as he only had one personal foul in his 18 minutes of play.

Dia finished the game with eight points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal, but he also struggled to hold onto the ball, recording four turnovers.

Rebels head coach Chris Beard spoke postgame on why he veered away from the big man, even taking some blame for limiting Dia’s minutes.

“We need Dia to to play, and we need him to play well,” Beard said. “Should he have played more today? Maybe. Probably. Those are decisions coaches have to make. What we were doing was obviously working.

“We got back in the game, we had a chance to win the game, the game went to overtime, but certainly Dia is one of our best players. He needs to be on the court for us.”

Coming into the matchup, DIa has averaged 17.5 points per game and 10 rebounds, including his season-high 23 points matched with his career-high 19 rebounds earlier this week in a win over Alabama.

Ole Miss is set to take on Texas A&M at home on Wednesday where Beard could look back to the first-year Reb to provide a spark in Ole Miss’ first home game in 11 days. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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