100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 12 Days - No. 12 WR Cam Thompson and SAF Tyler Woodard

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 newcomer at wide receiver and a veteran in the defensive backfield.

12 Days: No. 12, Jr. Wide Receiver Cam Thompson     

Chad Bumphis added some game-breaking speed to his lineup in the offseason with several players fitting that bill and Thompson is certainly one of them.

Thompson transferred to State after three seasons at Northern Illinois and he worked his way into the starting lineup last year. As a redshirt sophomore, Thompson caught 28 passes in 13 games for 391 yards and three touchdowns and he earned nine starts on the year. Thompson was also a dangerous kick returner for the Salukis as he had 10 returns for 283 yards and ran back a 91-yard touchdown in a game.

Prior to that, Thompson started his career in Youngstown, Ohio, playing for Boardman High School. As a senior there, Thompson had 23 catches for 484 yards and four touchdowns. He would land at Eastern Illinois first and redshirted his first year after playing in the final four games.

After hitting the transfer portal and landing at NIU, Thompson got a little more production. He played in eight games as a redshirt freshman and made two catches for 10 yards. Last year, Thompson got a chance to really breakthrough at wide out and in special teams and he was looking for more opportunities in a bigger conference. State is going to give him a chance to accomplish those this year.  

No. 12, Jr. Safety Tyler Woodard

A detour came Woodard’s way from when he was initially supposed to end up in Starkville, but he found his way to the maroon and white in the end.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Woodard starred at Freedom Prep Academy and he first committed to the Bulldogs all the way back in the spring of his junior season. Mike Leach was the head coach in Starkville and Woodard was on board with all things State when he picked them over offers from Ole Miss, Oregon, Florida State, Tennessee, South Carolina and many others.

Late in his senior year, however, Woodard would not be part of the Bulldog signing class and he instead went the junior college route. Woodard would land at “Last Chance U” in Scooba as Buddy Stephens and the East Mississippi Community College Lions gladly took the talented defender.

He made an immediate impact with the Lions in 2022 as he played in 10 games and made 20 tackles with an interception. The new Bulldog coaching staff led by former Defensive Coordinator Zach Arnett had already been keeping tabs on him and saw all they needed to see as they would offer him after the season. Following behind State would be Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville, Tennessee and others, but Woodard knew where he wanted to be.

After committing to the Bulldogs in the summer of 2023, he helped EMCC to the National Championship game when he played in 13 games and collected 56 tackles, five pass breakups, 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception.

Woodard came to Starkville last season in line to compete for a starting spot. Instead, injuries would play a factor in his season as he played in just four games and made nine tackles as he redshirted. That does give Woodard a chance to finish out his career with two healthy seasons the next two years and he’s competing in a competitive room this year.