100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 17 Days - No. 17, QB Luke Kromenhoek and CB Kyle 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 two talented young players getting their first seasons in with the Bulldogs.   

17 Days: No. 17, So. Quarterback Luke Kromenhoek

Though the Bulldogs are set on a starting quarterback in Blake Shapen, the fight for the backup spot is incredibly important.

Kromenhoek is battling it out with talented true freshman KaMario Taylor as the two bring a strong skill set to the table. To this point, all indications are that Kromenhoek looks to be surging a bit ahead according to sources.

It’s not too much of a surprise after Kromenhoek was brought to Starkville as a four-star transfer portal quarterback from Florida State. It wasn’t much of a drop from where he was when he initially came up out of Benedictine Military Academy in Georgia two years ago.

The 6’4, 220-pound Kromenhoek was as high as the No. 26 player in the country by On3 as the Network had him ranked as the No. 4 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 3 QB in the country. His junior and senior seasons showed exactly why expectations have been so high for him.

After playing some wide receiver and standing out at safety as a sophomore, Kromenhoek took over as the starting quarterback in 2022 when he threw for 2,576 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions and had 453 yards rushing with seven touchdowns. As a senior, Kromenhoek was back over 2,500 yards and 24 passing touchdowns with only two interceptions and 588 yards rushing and seven more touchdowns.

During his career, he helped his team to two state championships, just under 7,000 yards of total offense 73 touchdowns while adding Elite 11 and the All-American Bowl to his list of feats. And after heavy pursuit from Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma and others, he found his way in the Florida State class.

In year one with the Seminoles, Kromenhoek worked his way on to the field as a true freshman and started in two of the six games he played. He threw three touchdowns in his first career start against Charleston Southern and became the first FSU true freshman to accomplish that feat. He finished the season with 502 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 113 yards.

It was a solid start to Kromenhoek’s college career, but a new offensive coordinator in Gus Malzahn changed up the offense and had the QB on the move. Kromenhoek was immediately one of the top QBs in the portal as he came in as the No. 46 player overall by the Industry Ranking and the No. 7 signal caller.

State was in the market for a portal QB to add to the mix with Shapen and Taylor and Kromenhoek fit the mold. While many tied Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold to Lebby and State, Kromenhoek would be the guy.

Since his arrival, the talented QB has been battling it out with the other QBs and will be a valuable option if he’s needed.

No. 17, Fr. Cornerback Kyle Johnson

When Johnson signed with the Bulldogs on signing day, it capped what was a relentless pursuit from the Bulldog staff over the year.

The Bunkie (La.) standout cornerback set the stage during his junior season when he put up 33 tackles on defense and scored 13 touchdowns on offense, including a school-record 10 receiving touchdowns. Johnson would climb to a four-star rating and was No. 267 nationally by On3 while being ranked as the No. 28 cornerback and the No. 11 player overall in the state of Louisiana.

SEC teams Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and State came in with offers along with others like Baylor and Houston, and the Bulldogs quickly emerged as one of the favorites during the summer. After taking official visits, Johnson was ready to make a decision and the Bulldogs were not the choice as he decided to commit to Houston.

Despite that, State stayed in pursuit and didn’t stop recruiting the four-star defender hard. He would ultimately find his way back to Starkville and would sign with the Bulldogs on signing day and joining the class.

Johnson has been at State since the spring and has been working his way onto the field. The Bulldogs don’t have a deep cornerback room and it could be a season that he could find playing time if he continues to work.