Mississippi State will be missing key personnel when it kicks off the Jeff Lebby coaching era by hosting FCS foe Eastern Kentucky Saturday evening in Starkville, Miss.

Lebby, the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma the past two seasons, said transfer receiver Kelly Akharaiyi and safety Corey Ellington are not available for the opener while resting injuries that hampered them in fall camp. He also announced that running back Jeffery Pittman is no longer on the roster.

“We’ll continue to look at their situation as we get into the season and hopefully get those guys back sooner rather than later,” Lebby said of the injuries. “Pitt is a guy who’s no longer with us this year so I won’t get into the details of that internal matter.”

Akharaiyi had 48 catches for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns while earning first-team All-Conference USA honors for UTEP in 2023. Ellington has 92 career tackles in 31 games for the Bulldogs.

Pittman rushed for 268 yards for Mississippi State last year, but Lebby has confidence in Keyvone Lee, Utah State transfer Davon Booth, and junior college transfer Johnnie Daniels at running back.

“I feel good about those three,” Lebby said. “I think we are much, much improved from the spring to right now at that position, which I think is good.”

Mississippi State finished 5-7 last season under coaches Zach Arnett and Greg Knox, including 1-7 in Southeastern Conference action.

The Bulldogs will be taking on an Eastern Kentucky team that finished 5-6 last year, losing four games that were each decided by three points.

The Colonels are starting a new quarterback in transfer Matt Morrissey, who threw for 2,008 yards and 13 scores last season at Western Illinois.

Giving up explosive plays was a major concern on defense last season.

“We’d play great, great, great, then boom. They got us.,” coach Walt Wells said, per the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader. “And we didn’t respond from that.”

–Field Level Media