STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football held its first preseason scrimmage on Aug. 16 at Davis Wade Stadium. The scrimmage was closed, but coach Jeff Lebby held a press conference immediately afterward. He said the starters played 47 snaps while the second team played 40 snaps. "No. 1, we're healthy coming off the field, which is huge," Lebby said. "No. 2, the energy, physicality and the back-and-forth competitiveness was really good." Here's what else Lebby said about MSU's scrimmage.
How Jeff Lebby said Kamario Taylor did in Mississippi State scrimmage Kamario Taylor is entering his first season as Mississippi State's quarterback. Lebby has said that Taylor is typically critical of himself, but that he's overall done well in preseason practices and in the scrimmage. "He did some really good things today," Lebby said. "He's going to want probably two throws back that he had a chance to really make some huge plays, but I thought he made some really good decisions. He took really good care of the football. "I love live situations because they're not live for him, and so it continues to make him play the game from the pocket, which is critical for us and for his development." How Jeff Lebby assessed Mississippi State's offensive line Offensive line is a focal point for the Bulldogs because of how the unit has struggled the last two seasons under Lebby. Only one starter, center Canon Boone, is back in 2026, so it's almost an entirely new group. "Had some really good moments and had some moments that weren't," Lebby said. "We're going to watch it tonight and have a lot better idea of where we ended up. There is really good strain and there's really good physicality, but we got to create more consistency. But where we are today compared to a year ago today, it's not close." MORE: Jahron Manning, Malick Sylla practice at Mississippi State amid eligibility uncertainty Lebby said on Aug. 11 he feels good about Mississippi State's top seven offensive linemen, but he is looking for improvements from the next two linemen. Have 2 players emerged as Kamario Taylor's backup QB? Behind Taylor is an ongoing battle for the backup quarterback job. Transfers AJ Swann and Jaden Rashada seemed to be the early favorites. But a comment from Lebby after the scrimmage seems to indicate that former Jackson Prep quarterback Parker Puckett, who goes by Billy, has passed Rashada. "There's a ton of competition there," Lebby said. "AJ, Billy and then Jaden, all three of those guys really. AJ and Billy have gotten the bulk of the two reps here over the last three days and there's just great competition. I like what both of them are doing. They just got to continue to create predictable outcomes." Puckett was MSU's scout team quarterback last season as a freshman and was an unranked recruit by the 247Sports Composite. Mississippi State loses DL depth with season-ending injury Although Lebby said Mississippi State is generally healthy, he did announce that defensive lineman Colin Coates is out for the season with a "torn muscle." Coates missed all of last season with a different injury after transferring from Charlotte. He was not expected to be in MSU's two-deep rotation at defensive line. Mississippi State's next scrimmage is Aug. 22. Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Jeff Lebby assessed Mississippi State, Kamario Taylor in first scrimmage