It’s no secret the state of Mississippi has a history of producing football greats – especially on the Division I level – and with this year’s college football season exactly two months away, I’ve compiled a list of my 2023 preseason “All-Mississippi Team.”
Offense
QB – Will Rogers, Mississippi State (Brandon)
Undoubtedly the most prolific passer in Mississippi State history, Rogers has thrown for 10,428 yards in three years with the Bulldogs. His 84 touchdown passes have led to 19 victories in 31 starts.
QB – KJ Jefferson, Arkansas (Sardis)
Jefferson has built a dual-threat offense for the Razorbacks, tossing for 5,816 yards and 48 touchdowns in the air along with 1,429 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. The North Panola alum has started 27 games while at Arkansas, picking up 16 wins.
RB – Trey Benson, Florida State (Greenville)
Benson rushed for 990 yards and nine touchdowns on the way to a second-team All-ACC selection last season. The St. Joseph’s alum transferred to the Seminoles in 2022 after an unutilized freshman season at Oregon.
RB – Marquis Crosby, Louisiana Tech (Hattiesburg)
The Presbyterian Christian School alum started 10 games his freshman season for the Bulldogs, accounting for 918 yards and nine touchdowns.
AP – Dillon Johnson, Washington (Greenville)
Another St. Joseph’s alum on the list, Johnson will be in his first season out west after a successful three-year career at Mississippi State. While in Starkville, Johnson totaled 2,062 yards and 12 touchdowns.
AP – Cam Carroll, Florida (Flowood)
Carroll played five seasons at Tulane before announcing his transfer to Florida. The Northwest Rankin alum goes into the SEC with 1,638 total yards and 24 touchdowns.
WR – Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State (Philadelphia)
Griffin is coming off his best season with the Bulldogs, in which he accounted for 502 yards and four touchdowns while maintaining his spot as one of the conference’s best kick returners (19 returns for 613 yards and one touchdown).
WR – Jaden Walley, Mississippi State (D’Iberville)
Walley, a D’Iberville High School alum, has played in 36 games since joining the Bulldogs. His stat line up to this point includes 1,651 yards on 136 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
WR – Dannis Jackson, Missouri (Sumrall)
Jackson announced his transfer to Missouri after four seasons at Ole Miss, in which the Sumrall native appeared in 11 games in 2021, tallying 12 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
WR – Jakarius Caston, Southern Miss (Natchez)
Caston, a Natchez native and Holmes Community College transfer, exploded for 44 catches for 647 yards and six touchdowns in his first season at Southern Miss.
WR – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State (Bentonia)
En route to an All-Sun Belt selection in 2021, Rucker had 1,279 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns for the Red Wolves. After an unsuccessful campaign at South Carolina last season, Rucker is now back and looking to retain his spot as one of the conference’s best slots.
TE – Lee Negrotto, Nicholls State (Pass Christian)
The St. Stanislaus alum has grabbed 46 passes for 511 yards and three touchdowns since joining the Colonels in 2020.
TE – Dallas Payne, UAB (Bay St. Louis)
Negrotto’s teammate at St. Stanislaus, Payne has produced minimal numbers up to this point for the Blazers but is looking to work off a JUCO career in which he had 713 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
C – Bryce Ramsey, Southern Miss (Gulfport)
Ramsey transferred to Hattiesburg after two seasons at Ole Miss. The Harrison Central alum has now played in 24 games, including six starts, for the Golden Eagles.
OL – Cole Smith, Mississippi State (Pontotoc)
Since transferring from LSU, Smith has served as an anchor for the Bulldogs’ offensive line, starting in 28 of 36 games.
OL – Caleb Warren, Ole Miss (Louisville)
Whether it be at center or guard, Warren has proven that he’s a worthwhile starter for the Rebels up front. The Nanih Waiya alum has earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week multiple times over the last three seasons.
OL – Tyler Brown, Colorado (Jackson)
Following Deion Sanders to Colorado, Brown earned FCS All-American and All-SWAC honors while at Jackson State. He will now suit up for his third different college after starting at Louisiana.
OL – Peyton Dunn, Houston (Brandon)
Dunn, a left guard transfer from Louisiana Monroe, joins the Cougars after playing over 1,200 snaps from 2021-2022, allowing just one sack in 355 chances.
T – Nick Jones, Mississippi State (Byhalia)
Jones has started in 13 games since transferring from East Mississippi Community College as one of the nation’s top offensive line prospects two seasons ago.
T – Kameron Jones, Mississippi State (Starkville)
In his sixth year with the program, the Starkville native has started 30 games at tackle and has helped the Bulldogs become the top passing offense in the conference.
Defense
NG – Jaheim Oatis, Alabama (Columbia)
Oats earned All-SEC honors as a freshman after starting in 10 games for the Crimson Tide. The Columbia native finished with 29 tackles.
NG – Nathan Pickering, Mississippi State (Mount Olive)
Returning for his fifth season, Pickering has played in 39 games for the Bulldogs. The Seminary High School alum has tallied 79 career tackles and 19.5 sacks.
NG – Quentin Bivens, Southern Miss (Waynesboro)
In his first year at Southern Miss after transferring from Ole Miss, Bivens compiled 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks. While in Oxford from 2018-2021, the Wayne County High alum had 35 tackles.
DT – Fabian Lovett, Florida State (Vicksburg)
Lovett is coming off All-ACC honors and back-to-back Bobby Bowden Leadership Awards. The Olive Branch alum has started in 31 of 41 games for the Seminoles since transferring from Mississippi State.
DT – J.J. Pegues, Ole Miss (Oxford)
After deciding to come back home and suit up for the Rebels, Pegues has played in 12 games since transferring from Auburn. His stat line consists of 26 tackles, three sacks, and one receiving touchdown.
DT – McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (Lucedale)
Jackson is a team captain and former All-SEC freshman that has played in 28 games for the Aggies. The George County alum has 64 tackles and 4.5 sacks in three seasons.
DE – De’Monte Russell, Mississippi State (Jackson)
Russell is going into his fifth year with the Bulldogs, playing in 30 games so far. The Provine alum has 43 tackles, six sacks, and a forced fumble under his belt.
DE – Jamie Sheriff, South Alabama (Terry)
After sitting out 2021 due to a season-ending injury, Sheriff bounced back with 43 tackles, six sacks, and a forced fumble last season for the Jaguars.
DE – Jordan Lawson, Louisiana Lafayette (Brandon)
After sitting out his first two years, the highly touted prospect out of Brandon High School compiled 22 total tackles and one sack last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
LB – Ashanti Cistrunk, Ole Miss (Louisville)
Going into his fifth year for the Rebels, the linebacker out of Louisville High has appeared in 48 games with 137 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception.
LB – Jett Johnson, Mississippi State (Tupelo)
A sixth-year graduate student out of Tupelo High School, Johnson was named All-SEC after leading the conference with 115 tackles including 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
LB – Swayze Bozeman, Southern Miss (Flora)
A fifth-year senior from Flora whose career has been stifled with injuries, Bozeman is looking to work off what has been a career’s worth of decent numbers so far (134 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries).
DB – Marquise Robinson, South Alabama (Crosby)
In his first season with the Jaguars after transferring from Southwest Mississippi Community College, Robinson had a productive season that included 28 tackles and two putdowns.
DB – Deantre Prince, Ole Miss (Charleston)
The Charleston High alum has tallied 110 tackles, five interceptions, and 21 putdowns in three years with Ole Miss.
DB – Esaias Furdge, Mississippi State (Clarksdale)
Going into his sixth season, the Clarksdale High alum has appeared in 27 games with 29 tackles, one interception, three putdowns, and one fumble recovery for the Bulldogs.
S – Jadarius Perkins, Florida (Hattiesburg)
The Hattiesburg High alum has played in 22 games for the Gators, compiling 39 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, and three putdowns.
S – Yam Banks, South Alabama (Ridgeland)
The Ridgeland High alum comes off an impressive 2022 campaign, in which he was named All-Sun Belt after a six-interception season.
S – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Greenwood)
Going into his fifth year with the Golden Eagles, Stanley has played a vital role in the “Nasty Bunch” with 143 career tackles, seven interceptions, and one touchdown return.
Special Teams
K – Jack Tannehill, Southern Miss (Oxford)
Going into his redshirt sophomore year, Tannehill is hoping to compete for a starting role after being ranked a five-star kicker out of Oxford High School.
P – Bryce Lofton, Southern Miss (Sandhill)
Although no Division I stats so far, Lofton comes off an impressive three-year career at Copiah-Lincoln Community College where he pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line a whopping total of 51 times.
LS – Solomon Landrum, Hawaii (Hattiesburg)
After transferring from Ole Miss, the Sumrall High School alum started in all 13 games as long snapper for the Rainbow Warriors in 2022.
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