Jeff Lebby breaks down day one of Training Camp at Mississippi State

Training camp is underway for Mississippi State as year two of the Jeff Lebby era has officially begun.

The coach had his team on the practice fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Complex on campus and they practiced around two hours under the hot, muggy, Mississippi sun. It was a productive day of work for a Bulldog team that is looking for major improvements coming off of a 2-10 season, but more work is to be done according to Lebby.

After practice, the coach took time to talk to the media to discuss the first day of camp and all that he took away from it.

Question: You talk a lot about retention. Did you see that retention from your guys from the spring to now?

JL: “I thought the guys that practiced with us in the spring and had good springs, it showed up. They spent time in the summer and were so much further today then we have been day one. Excited about that. We have a ton of work to do, but I think our leadership is in a much better place which helps that as much as anything.”

Q: Offensive line last spring was not where you wanted it to be but looked like a much bigger group today. What did you see from them day one of training camp?

JL: “Body type wise, we’re where we want to be. We’ve got a ton of work to do and these guys understanding how we practice, why we do what we do, the physicality we have to play with to give us the opportunity to go win. Those are real things and they haven’t been with us. But excited about that group and the potential. We’ve got to come together in a hurry and make sure we’re dialed in on the best five, best six or best seven that can play winning football for us.”

Q: What’s it going to take to keep things moving along with your system, especially on offense?

JL: “For us, being year two, the thing that is very obvious is having Blake (Shapen) back. His leadership and understanding of what’s being asked of him every single snap every single day is leaps and bounds ahead of where he’s been. That gives us a chance to take the step we need to take offensively and where we need to be.”

Q: You and Chad Bumphis are excited about this wide receiver group despite what you’ve lost. What gives you that confidence?

JL: “First thing is just knowing what it’s supposed to look like. We have guys in that room that can play. The thing that I love about that room is it’s an unselfish room. It’s connected. There’s depth to it and a lot of different body types. When they’re all in there fighting together and competing together, we have a chance to be really good. We’ve got to go do it and have a lot of work to do, but I like that group.”

Q: You’re not going to see a finished product on day one, but what do you look for and want to see after the first practice?

JL: “I think the biggest thing we talked about in the team meeting this morning is you’ve got to put yourself in a position to push past exhaustion. And have the ability to make the next play when you’re really tired. It’s a completely different kind of strain than summer workouts. Those are the things that we want to see and now we want to see improvement from today to tomorrow. It’s that simple and if we do that we’ll be where we need to be.”

Q: Talk about how big Isaac Smith has been for you guys?

JL: “Just leadership. He’s everything that you love about the game of football. His toughness, his physicality, his leadership, his passion to be a great player. I love how much he loves Mississippi State and I can’t say enough great things about him. There’s not a better spokesperson or our team than Isaac.”

Q: Was there an area that surprised you today?

JL: “I’ll have to go back and watch the tape. I did think guys strained when it got really, really hard. We’re going to have to continue to do that. It’s going to be hot August 30 and I think we’re all aware of that as we go to kick it off. We’ve got great vision for that day and where we’re going.”

Q: Are you satisfied with the depth you have on the defensive line?

JL: “We’re in a lot better place than we were. We’ve got a long way to go, but bodies compared to where it’s been, we have the ability to go two spot the entire practice. That’s going to help us practice the way we need to practice and get the depth that we need.”

Q: Do you see a big difference for the backup quarterbacks this training camp after they went through the spring?

JL: “They’re just a little more sure of what they’re doing – of what’s being asked of them. There’s a little more confidence and they move around with a little more urgency because they’ve done it a little bit now. At that position, it’s never going to be good enough. I think that’s the greatest thing about playing and coaching it that there’s so many things to clean up daily. Those guys get that and have taken to it.”

Q: Kai McClendon was on the side today. What’s his status?

JL: “Right now Kai is going to be out for a while. He tore his ACL in the spring so he’ll be out for a while.”

Q: How much better do you feel knowing that you have some depth at that position where someone can step up?

JL: “The bodies, where we’re at today compared to fall camp last year, completely different to the way we practiced a year ago. There’s a ton of work and development to do to get to where we need to get, but the body types and those guys’ intent is really good.”

Q: How did you feel the newcomers did today?

JL: “I’ll have to go back and watch it, but there’s a lot of newness for a bunch of these guys. The high school guys that got here at the end of May and first of June, there’s a lot being thrown at them. Guys that can take that on and have the ability to execute and make some plays, that will be big for us.”

Q: Davon Booth has had versatility in the run game but is also a good pass catcher…

JL: “Yeah, he’s a guy that has the ability to play every snap. He’s a first, second, third and fourth down back, situationally – he can do it all. I like where he’s at. I’ve talked about the running back room and excited about that group.”

Q: Is there a guy that is a clear number two at quarterback?

JL: “It is going to be a competition and constant battle and I see that happen all the way through. I’m excited about both of those guys in a big-time way. It’s healthy, it’s great for our unit and good for our position group. I love coaching both of them.”