Sulaiman Kpaka is Ready for his Final Year

The Bulldog transfer defensive lineman is ready to make noise in his sixth year of college football.

Purdue defensive end Sulaiman Kpaka (50) during a practice, Friday, March 4, 2022 at Mollenkopf Athletic Center in West Lafayette. Pfoot Practice March 4 / Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Every college football team must have depth to succeed. In the Southeastern Conference, depth along the offense and defensive line is the most imperative due to the physicality of the game.

MSU lost a lot of depth on the defensive line from a season in which it lost multiple-year producers Jaden Crumedy and Nathan Pickering. State had a pair of talented interior linemen returning in Trevion Williams and Kalvin Dinkins, but the pair has struggled with injuries throughout their careers.

However, MSU dipped into the transfer portal and found a guy from the Power Four level. Sulaiman Kpaka played five seasons for Purdue in the Big 10, and he has already noticed a difference now that he is in the SEC.

"Offensive linemen are way more physical," Kpaka said.

The Grand Prairie, Texas native is entering his sixth season in college football, and the past two years have been his most productive. In his final two seasons in West Lafayette, he appeared in 24 games and made a combined 29 tackles, four for loss, and two-and-a-half sacks.

Moving from the Midwest to the Deep South can be a tough transition, but it has been smooth for Kpaka.

"It has been a really good experience with a lot of great people," Kpaka said. "I am just around a bunch of great teammates who push me to be my best."

Luckily for Kpaka, new MSU head coach Jeff Lebby brought in 18 other players from the transfer portal. Due to the large number of new faces, there is no underlying animosity, which could be the case with other programs.

Relying on so many new faces can be an issue, but Kpaka says the coaching staff is working to bond the guys.

"I would say, for the most part, the staff has done a great job trying to do things as a team," Kpaka said. "I feel it's a great group of guys, and we have gotten really close."

Kpaka filled an essential role for State as they needed experienced players on the defensive line, but a new coach could help him immensely. Mississippi State defensive line coach David Turner is one of the most respected coaches in the industry, with a pedigree few can match.

Turner has had three different coaching stints for the Bulldogs, and he developed two of the best defensive linemen in MSU history: Fletcher Cox and Chris Jones. Kpaka says he and the veteran coaching had a relationship prior to him entering the portal, and it weighed heavily on his decision.

"When he reached out, it wouldn't be much about football; instead, just trying to get to know us as players," Kpaka said. "That is something that is very important going into my last year, just knowing for a fact he was always there."

If you walk around MSU practice, Turner's voice can be heard yelling instructions to his unit. While he is tough, Kpaka thought it made perfect sense for him as he rounded out his college career.

"As a coach, he is tough, but that is something I need going into my last year," Kpaka said. "I knew for a fact he would develop me. His track record speaks for itself."

The MSU defensive line has always been revered for its toughness and physicality due to the large amount of NFL talent. However, several question marks surround the unit this year due to a lack of experience or production.

It makes sense, but the group itself still has high standards, and it does not care about the outside noise.

"Everyone has their opinion, but it's a whole new group, and we haven't proved much," Kpaka said. "At the end of the day, come week one, we are gonna prove a lot of people wrong and turn heads."