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Mississippi State

2026 offensive lineman Dalton Toothman finds right fit with Mississippi State

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones06/23/25PaulJonesOn3
Dalton Toothman.jpg
Photo: Jeffrey Lee, Auburn Live

Throughout his recruiting process, Vancleave High School’s Dalton Toothman steadily added Power 4 and SEC offers. With each new opportunity, the 2026 offensive lineman and On3 three-star prospect naturally looked at the football aspects of those programs.

But when he released his college decision on Monday night, that choice went deeper than football and was more about finding the right fit as a student, as well. In the end, that led to Toothman committing to Mississippi State.

Toothman is rated as the nation’s No. 41 offensive tackle and the state’s No. 21 prospect by On3 composite rankings. He is also the 23rd commitment in the Bulldogs’ Class of 2026 and the fourth offensive lineman commitment.

“That was a big thing for me,” added the 6-foot-5 and 290-pound Toothman. “I wanted to be comfortable. You never know with coaches and they could leave whenever because college football is crazy. So I wanted to be somewhere that I feel comfortable as a student, too. I wanted to be somewhere comfortable if I was not a football player.”

Before Monday’s commitment, Toothman had narrowed his finalists to Mississippi State, Auburn, Ole Miss and Clemson. He officially visited all four of those schools and was in Starkville two weekends ago for his final official visit.

Toothman admitted his decision-making process was difficult. But on Monday he felt comfortable with his selection.

“It’s been really hard, to be honest,” Toothman explained. “But really, I had to find where I could be the best player and person I could possibly be with the opportunities I’ve been given. It was about where I fit as a player and as a person, in general. I tried to build better relationships with coaching staffs and find where I felt the best.”

When State head coach Jeff Lebby made offseason changes on his staff, that included a new offensive line coach in Phi Loadholt. Not long after arriving in Starkville, Loadholt’s first offer just happened to be Toothman.

“I was offered by Mississippi State right when Coach Loadholt got there,” Toothman recalled. “And he is the one who offered me. He is a great guy, great coach, too. I just like the fact that no matter what, he’s going to coach you hard. He has the best interest in all of his players.

“That is what I really like about him. He is going to coach you hard on the field. But off the field, he is somebody you can go talk to. He is just a great dude.”

Toothman also felt a solid connection with Lebby considering Lebby’s playing background. But like his college decision, that relationship with Lebby goes beyond football.

“It’s been great with Coach Lebby,” noted Toothman. “He played on the offensive line, too, so he knows what goes into it. I have a really good relationship with him. I’ve been to his house multiple times and he’s come to the school to see me multiple times. Being able to call my head coach whenever I want to and to talk to him, that is a big deal to me.”

Toothman now shifts his focus to his final prep campaign with his recruiting process coming to a close. He will also enroll at Mississippi State in January to get a head start on his development in Starkville.

“I’ve been told that is one of the best things you can do as a football player,” Toothman mentioned on early graduation. “Especially getting there for spring football and being able to get there for extra time and development. Offensive line, that is what the offensive line is. It is a developmental position and getting that head start is a big deal.”

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