SCOUTING REPORT The Bulldogs had one of the worst offenses in the SEC last season. Needing to revamp that unit, Mississippi State turned to former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to try and turn things around. Lebby will literally start from scratch as there are no returning starters left from an offense that struggled to put points on the board. In their seven losses last season, the Bulldogs averaged just 13 points per game. Even in their one SEC win, the Bulldogs only scored one touchdown in a 7-3 win against Arkansas. Lebby will turn to former Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen to lead his offense, which will be built primarily around 19 players taken from the transfer portal. Defensively, MSU was solid last season for the most part and although several top performers from that unit graduated, the unit will get a boost from transfer linebacker Stone Blanton.

OLE MISS REBELS

DATE Nov. 2 SITE Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville TIME 11 a. m.( Flex) COACH Lane Kiffin( 5th year 34-15 at Ole Miss) 2023 RECORD 11-2( 6-2 SEC) SERIES RECORD Arkansas leads 38-30-1 SCOUTING REPORT No program attacked the transfer portal like Ole Miss. The Rebels signed what is regarded as the No. 1 portal class in the country to add to what was already one of the best teams in the SEC. The Ole Miss offense returns three-year starter Jaxson Dart at quarterback. Dart was 233 of 358 for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns

in 2023 with just 5 interceptions. Top receivers Tre Harris( 54-985, 8 TDs) and Jordan Watkins( 53-741, 3 TDs) return and will be bolstered with the additions of Juice Wells from South Carolina and JUCO wideout Deion Smith. In order to be a serious contender for an SEC championship, the Rebels must play better on the defensive side. Adding the No. 1 available player in the portal— Walter Nolen— will certainly help that cause. Nolen gives the Rebels a huge run-stopper on the defensive front.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

DATE Nov. 16 SITE Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville TIME 11 a. m. COACH Steve Sarkisian( 4th year, 25-14 at Texas) 2023 RECORD 12-2( 8-1 Big 12) SERIES RECORD Texas leads 56-23 SCOUTING REPORT The Longhorns made the College Football Playoffs in Sarkisian’ s third season and came within a whisker of playing for the national championship last season. Texas returns a potent offense keyed by third-year starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was 272 of 394 for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns with 6 interceptions last season. But the top 4 receivers are gone including first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy. Texas hit the transfer portal hard and landed a handful of playmakers including Isaiah Bond from Alabama and Matthew Golden from Houston. Add to that 5-star receiver Ryan Wingo, and it’ s easy to see why the Longhorns open the season as a Top 5 team. Texas lost 1,000-yard rusher Jonathan Brooks, but

return sophomore CJ Baxter( 138-680, 5 TDs) and Jaydon Blue( 65-407). The Longhorns must replace two stellar defensive tackles in Tavondre Sweat and Byron Murphy from the nation’ s top run defense, but expect sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., to take on an even bigger role this season in the middle. Kicker Bert Auburn is one of the tops in the nation.

LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS

DATE Nov. 23 SITE Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville TIME TBD COACH Sonny Cumbie( 3rd year 6-18) 2023 RECORD 3-9 SERIES RECORD Arkansas leads 4-0 SCOUTING REPORT The Bulldogs have been consistent the past three seasons, but it’ s not the kind of consistency that would help a coach keep his job. For three straight seasons Louisiana Tech has posted 3-9 marks, the past two under Sonny Cumbie. Make no mistake that this is a makeor-break season for Cumbie. He has retooled his coaching staff, adding a new defensive coordinator in Jeremiah Johnson from Northern Iowa, and the Bulldogs have hit the transfer portal hard with 16 newcomers added to the roster to try to get Cumbie’ s Air Raid offense off the ground. Quarterback Jack Turner returns after serving as a backup to Hank Bachmeier last season. Bachmeier transferred to Wake Forest in the spring. How Turner goes, so will the Bulldogs, who need a pilot for the Air Raid attack. While the offense has struggled to

execute Cumbie’ s plan, the defense may have been worse, allowing 33 points per game last season. There are 10 newcomers for Johnson to work with on that side of the ball.

MISSOURI TIGERS

DATE Nov. 30 SITE Memorial Stadium / Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo. TIME 2:30-3:30 p. m. COACH Eli Drinkwitz( 5th year 28-21 at Missouri) 2023 RECORD 11-2( 6-2 SEC) SERIES RECORD Missouri leads 11-4 SCOUTING REPORT The Tigers are rolling under Eli Drinkwitz, the Alma native who led Missouri to a Cotton Bowl win against Ohio State in January. The Tigers have a ton of returning experience offensively despite losing top rusher and Burlsworth Trophy winner Cody Schrader. Quarterback Brady Cook passed for 3,317 yards in 2023 and has an embarrassment of riches in the receiving corps, led by Luther Burden, who some consider the top wide receiver in the nation. Burden had 1,212 receiving yards in 2023 and is a preseason first-team All-SEC selection. And he’ s far from the only threat for Cook. Oklahoma transfer Cayden Green, Theo Wease and Mookie Cooper will all have major impacts for the Tigers. Corey Batoon takes over as the defensive coordinator and will have to lead a complete rebuild with just one returning starter. Missouri was able to reload through the transfer portal, but the unit may struggle some as the Tigers face 9 teams with winning records from a year ago.