Mississippi State Football Climbs in ESPN FPI Rankings
Mississippi State football may not be knocking on the playoff door just yet, but the latest ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) says the Bulldogs are officially on the move.
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Coming off a turbulent 2024 campaign, the Bulldogs have climbed to No. 52 nationally in ESPN's just-released FPI rankings for 2025. It's a clear indicator that second-year head coach Jeff Lebby's aggressive overhaul of the program is gaining traction in the ultra-competitive SEC.
'This is about building a new standard,' Lebby said during spring practice. 'We've got guys buying in, and that's where change starts.'
Mississippi State quarterbcak Blake ShapenMatt Bush/Imagn Images
The rise from last year's FPI slot is largely tied to a trio of key factors: the return of quarterback Blake Shapen, a top-30 recruiting class, and a calculated blitz through the transfer portal, where the Bulldogs added nine new faces this spring alone.
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'Blake's decision to return after his injury gives them real leadership under center,' said former Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill. 'In this league, experience at quarterback is gold.'
The Bulldogs' 2025 recruiting class ranks 26th nationally, per 247Sports. This is a clear sign that Lebby's vision is resonating beyond Starkville. Offensively, the team is starting to show flashes of the high-octane attack that made Lebby's stops at Oklahoma and UCF so dynamic. Young weapons like Gracen Harris and Kolin Wilson are turning heads during off-season workouts.
Still, the road ahead is no easy path.
Mississippi State faces an absolute uphill battle this fall, including showdowns against Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, all ranked inside the FPI's Top 15. And of course, there's the annual Egg Bowl against Ole Miss, who enter the season ranked No. 13.
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'What Jeff is building takes time, but the signs are encouraging," Sherrill, stated. "The SEC West isn't forgiving, but neither is standing still. The program is moving forward."
For Bulldog fans, the message is clear: the climb may be steep, but the foundation is solid. Stay locked in. This rebuild is real.
Related: Josh Hubbard Breaks Silence on Return to Mississippi State Hoops
Related: Mississippi State Baseball Makes Major Announcement as Season Ends
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Right?) — Brisbee Record: 47-64 Last Power Ranking: 24 Deadline in a word: Acceptance The Braves weren't good enough to be buyers, nor did they have especially attractive trade chips as sellers. So, rather than pick a side, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos seemed to accept what the Braves have become. He didn't trade away Marcell Ozuna or Raisel Iglesias — and certainly not Ozzie Albies or Sean Murphy — and mostly added some fringe big league pitchers (Erick Fedde, Carlos Carrasco, Tyler Kinley) to help hobble through the rest of the year. When a fourth-place team's big move is trading away whatever's left of Rafael Montero, it's not trying to do much. — Jennings Record: 51-62 Last Power Ranking: 25 Deadline in a word: Obligation We considered the word 'inevitable,' but no, the Orioles selling like they did was not inevitable. 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The bad news is that it's in Mexico City, where his 41-year-old teammate, Robinson Canó, has a 1.114 OPS. There's a long way between now and Leo De Vries, superstar. Still, what a score for an A's team very specifically looking for a superstar that will be ready in a few years. — Brisbee Record: 52-60 Last Power Ranking: 20 Deadline in a word: Desolation When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire. — 'Your Ex-Lover is Dead' by Stars That was originally my entire entry for the Twins, but my editor insisted I had to write more. But look — if you're a Twins fan reading this, you just came to see how far they sank (a lot), and if I'm going to make any jokes at your team's expense (I'm not). Advertisement I'd like to give the Twins some credit for not leaving a job half-done when it comes to selling, but a year and 10 months ago, the Twins were celebrating their first win in a playoff game since 2004. Ownership could have dug in and said, 'Boy, that felt great. Wonder what it would feel like to win a playoff series?' Instead, the Pohlads decided 'good enough,' cut payroll, misfired on selling the team, and now, well … here we are. They left the job half-done. A couple of them, actually. — Weaver Record: 44-67 Last Power Ranking: 28 Deadline in a word: Limited Honestly, what else were they going to do? Sure, they could have ripped the team apart at the seams, but what is the proper return for MacKenzie Gore or James Wood? No, the best thing the Nationals could do was trade their pieces that had value with no long-term place in the organization. And they did that. Starter Michael Soroka, outfielder Alex Call, infielder Amed Rosario, closer Kyle Finnegan, and — somehow — both Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia to the Angels. That's basically what they had to work with. — Jennings Record: 42-70 Last Power Ranking: 29 Deadline in a word: OK I originally had the word 'Sure.' up there, but Grant beat me to it with the Cardinals. So … OK. Luis Robert's hot streak wasn't enough to get those prices up, so they kept him. Adrian Houser's hot season was enough to get those prices up, so they traded him. Austin Slater to the Yankees for a 22-year-old pitcher, Tristan Gray to the Rays for cash. Sure. OK. The thing is, any exciting trade chips the White Sox had are gone now. Garrett Crochet was fun, right? Robert was the only one left who had some intrigue. He'll still have it this winter. — Weaver Record: 30-82 Last Power Ranking: 30 Deadline in a word: Finally Advertisement Take the relievers with any value at all and trade them. It's not a hard concept for a team that doesn't have any momentum or direction or 'good baseball players,' but it was really hard for the Rockies over the last few years. They finally did it, so everyone can applaud them. It gets even easier the next time, folks. They went one step further, though, and traded away Ryan McMahon, the closest thing they have to a face of the franchise. It wouldn't surprise me to see him break out on a team that believes in analytics, scouting, data or any pertinent information about baseball at all in the year 2025, but at least they got something back for him. Run free and don't look back, Ryan McMahon. And good job being normal, Rockies — Brisbee
