100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 21 Days - No. 21 S Hunter Washington and RB Geron Johnson

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look at a couple of players on each side of the ball.

21 Days: No. 21, Sr. Safety Hunter Washington         

As Washington enters his senior season of work in Starkville, it’s hard to believe that he was once a transfer.

Though the Katy, Texas native started his career at Florida State, he’s essentially played an entire career with the Bulldogs. This is year four for Washington and he’ll likely be a big part of the secondary once again in 2025.

Washington was once a four-star corner in the class of 2021 when he was playing ball with future State teammates Seth Davis and Malick Sylla. Washington rose to become the No. 20 corner in the country by the Composite rankings and was a four-star prospect who picked up offers from Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, USC, Florida State, Ohio State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss among many others. In the end, FSU would be his destination as he committed during the spring of his junior year and would ride with the Seminoles.

After redshirting his first year in Tallahassee and earning Scout Team Player of the Year honors by the staff, he decided to enter the transfer portal for new opportunities and Starkville would become his new home.

Washington played in nine games as a redshirt freshman and five as a sophomore as he cut his teeth, mostly, on special teams and made nine tackles. In 2023, Washington had become a starter for the Bulldogs but went down with a season-ending injury and would have to rehab back.

Last season, Washington had a breakthrough season with the Bulldog defense as he became a full-time starter. In 12 games, Washington had 55 tackles with three pass deflections, 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

As Washington enters his final season of eligibility, he does so with a lot of competition around him. It won’t be easy for him to lock down a starting spot, but Washington has the upper hand with his experience.

No. 21, Fr. Running Back Geron Johnson

The running back position is loaded for the Bulldogs this season and Johnson might not see any opportunities this season, but the talent is there for him to make an impact during his career.

A four-star running back by Rivals last season, Johnson was the ninth best player in the state of Tennessee and listed as the No. 21 running back in the country. Johnson played for Bartlett and would rack up over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns a season ago and he did that in just 11 games. He rushed for 4,379 yards in his prestigious  career and that garnered some attention from SEC squads.

The Bulldogs fought it out with instate rival Ole Miss for Johnson and would land a commitment from him last summer. Johnson comes into the program with fellow freshman Kolin Wilson and transfer Fluff Bothwell as the newcomers to go along with veterans Davon Booth, Johnnie Daniels and Seth Davis.

With Johnson just enrolling earlier this summer, the chances of him making a significant impact in year one, in the deep running back room, remain relatively low. Again, though, there is potential for big things for Johnson as his career and experience grows.