Everything head coach Jeff Lebby said after Saturday's spring scrimmage

Mississippi State wrapped up the second week of spring practice on Saturday and did so with a scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium. Afterwards, head coach Jeff Lebby met with media to discuss the scrimmage and spring ball:

Q: What was the football like today?
Lebby: It was just good to be back in the stadium, give our guys the ability to go play, get coaches off the field. I really liked what I saw, defensively, just the effort and the energy and the attitude was what we needed. Offensively, some pre-snap issues with multiple groups that kept us from being able to get in a rhythm, and, defensively they were on the attack all day and did some really good things. So we’re healthy coming out of it, which is most important. We got the play count that we wanted and we’ll go grade the tape and get ready to do it again on Tuesday.

Q: As an offensive-minded coach, how much do you appreciate the stress the defense is giving the offense?
Lebby: No, we need it. it’s a huge deal for us. It’s a huge deal for us to be able to play the way we need to play on the defensive side of the ball, to take that next step. So, a ton to be able to build on. That’s what I told the defense just a minute ago. So many really good things happening this morning inside the scrimmage. There’s going to be a ton to clean up and if our guys will have the right mindset and clean it up and take great ownership of the moments that weren’t what we want, then we’ll continue to make the strides we need to make.

Q: How much do you look to the leadership of Trevion Willams?
Lebby: Yeah, we need Bam Bam to be a great leader for us. He has created consistency inside the building and outside the building. Bam’s been the same guy every single day for us. We need that in a huge way and we look for him to do great things for us.

Q: What have you seen from Anthony Evans and Fluff Bothwell with their leadership?
Lebby: Those guys are guys that are returning that have had production, that we’re going to lean on for a ton of production this year. We need them to have a voice, continue to create a voice, and lead the right way. That’s the expectation for those two guys. They’re doing that. We continue to need more from both them. But excited about, obviously, about their potential from a production standpoint and continuing to lead for us.

Q: What have you seen from Marquis Johnson in practice?
Lebby: A guy that does just that, he flashes. He made a really big play today in the two-minute drill. He’s made some big plays. We need to have consistency for him. All the newness, how we play, how we do what we do, we need him to continue to create consistency. He has flashed in some really, really good ways. So that is a conversation every day for him. Man, the consistency and being able to go out and operate and execute the entire offense.

Q: With the way you have retooled your cornerback room, how has that helped your receivers?
Lebby: It’s night and day. There is unbelievable competition in that corners room right now, which I love. It’s the best room we’ve had since we’ve been here. It’s not close. Kelley (Jones) being able to lead that room and bring those guys along. We’ve got several guys that are very, very capable. So that’s been really fun to watch. We’ve got to continue to get them to grow the way we need them to. But I love the competition we have in that room and it is creating stress for the receivers every day.

Q: What have you seen from tight end Sam West and that room?
Lebby: Sam’s a guy that I am really excited about. I talked about that through last year, and as we’ve gotten into it in spring ball, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Sam is going to continue to get better and better as he continues to get more and more comfortable being the guy.

I love just who he is, his consistency and how he does what he does. So a guy that we’re going to lean on in a great way, and with Skip (Joseph Skipworth) backing him up and playing a bunch for us right now through the first six practices of the spring. Skip is another guy in that room that we need to step up in a great way and I do think he’s ready to go answer that.

Q: You announced plans this week for the open scrimmage on April 11th. How much do you look forward to that?
Lebby: Yeah, it will be great. It will be great just to be able to get our fan base engaged with our players post-scrimmage more than anything. Again, for our guys, just being incredibly thankful for the opportunity. For them having some fan experience there and being able to interact I think will be great for both sides.

Q: You had Pro Day yesterday. Who are some of the guys you are getting calls from?
Lebby: I am getting calls on a few of them. Obviously Brenen (Thompson) and what he’s been able to do since the end of the year with his trip to Indy, and having a really good day yesterday.

Seydou (Traore) is a guy who had a great day yesterday. He’s continued to help himself in a great way. Obviously, Blake (Shapen) had a really good day yesterday. He threw it really, really well. So I’m answering questions for all those guys.

On the defensive side of the ball, we are talking about Malick (Sylla) and Brylo (Brylan Lanier) and a couple of others. But I’m excited for those guys. Yesterday was really good. We had great representation from the NFL, which was great to see. I think those guys are going to have the ability to go make it.

Q: How does the big crowds for baseball help you sell Mississippi State and football?
Lebby: Man, it’s invaluable. It really is. The weekend last weekend was really huge, we got a couple of big commits, obviously, that was big time. But our people being able to walk straight from the football facility, spend time and hang out, then walk over and go to baseball and be a part of the crowd like that.

Obviously, the way we’re playing, the way Coach Oak has got the group rolling right now is so fun for our fan base, our community. All it does is create energy for us and we’re fighting like heck to capitalize on it from a recruiting standpoint. So those weekends are a huge advantage for us. We’ll continue to lean into that and look for another great win today at 1:30.

Q: With new coaches on the field, anyone chatty on the headset and how did communication go?
Lebby: No, the communication piece of it is good. There’s not a ton of talking. Obviously, I’m on the offensive side so that’s the side I’m constantly on and on a day like today when you don’t have the ability to flip over, because there’s no breaks in the series. it was status quo from that standpoint.

Q: What has the synergy been like with new coaches Philip Montgomery and Kevin Johns?
Lebby: It’s been really, really good. I love that we added two guys that have coordinated. Obviously Monty being a long-time head coach, his system knowledge of how we do what we do is through the roof. The amount of trust and his experiences are huge.

Then KJ, doing it at a really high level for a long time. Has had great production at the quarterback position. He’s called it and put it all together. So that’s been huge for me. I love where we’re at from a staff standpoint. The room is really, really good. We are much better today than we were and I’m excited about that.

Q: We are getting a lot of comments from recruits on new additions Kevie Thompson and Desmond Lindsey. How is their role in recruiting?
Lebby: I just think with the way college football is changing guys that are in the assistant position roles have a chance to affect the program in a recruiting way that is different maybe than it once was. Desmond and Kevie have both been fabulous for us. They’ve got such great ties to our state. They know so many different people, and they’re going about it and doing it the right way.

So they are really good coaches on the grass. But are creating so much value for us as a program because of how they are recruiting daily. That’s been really good for us.