Texas A&M Aggies vs. Mississippi State Preview: Bulldogs Offensive Players to Watch

The Mississippi State Bulldogs offense finally put things together this past weekend vs. the Georgia Bulldogs.

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies are coming off of a much-needed bye week, after winning five consecutive games following their season-opening loss.

Now, they return to their SEC slate, with a trip to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs up next.

On paper, the Bulldogs look like an easy win. However, this same Mississippi State team gave the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs all they could handle this past Saturday and showed they are not an offense to be taken lightly.

The Jeff Lebby-led Mississippi State offense put up 385 yards of total offense, including 306 yards through the air in the 41-31 loss.

Can they do it again at home vs. the Aggies?

Here are three Bulldog offensive players to watch for Mississippi State when the Aggies head to Davis-Wade Stadium on Saturday.

1. WR Kevin Coleman Jr.

Heading into college in the class of 2022, Coleman was one of the most sought after receiver prospects in the nation. 35 offers, a top-75 ranking on 247Sports' Class of 2022 player rankings. Expectations were that the Missouri native would commit to playing in Florida for a team like Miami or Florida State. Surprisingly, however, the deep threat chose to play for Coach Prime in the FCS-sub division, committing to Jackson State in the same class as budding star Travis Hunter.

Coleman leads the team with 36 catches for 447 yards in four games, including 103 yards vs. Georgia on Saturday.

In a game where the Aggies are favored by two scores, Coleman is one of the few playmakers with the ability to completely take the top off the defense. The Aggies' secondary has held strong so far, but it may not be able to keep up if he can get an extra step on an unexpected passing down.

2. RB Johnnie Daniels

The Bulldogs took a big risk when they brought in Copiah-Lincoln C.C. standout RB Johnnie Daniels, the top junior college RB prospect this last season who had never come close to an FBS game, let alone an SEC one.

Fortunately, they have been rewarded, with Daniels leading the team with 262 yards on 56 carries and two touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

Against an Aggies pass rush that will be screaming after the quarterback on Saturday, the Bulldogs must be able to rely on Daniels and keep the defense honest.

3. QB Michael Van Buren Jr.

Mississippi State lost their veteran starter Blake Shapen early this season due to injury and were forced to insert true freshman Michael Van Buren in his place. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Van Buren has performed well in that spotlight, throwing for 550 yards and three touchdowns over the last three games.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, two of those games were against top-5 teams in the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs, and they were fighting an uphill battle.

Against UGA, however, Van Buren played at an elite level, throwing for 306 yards and all three of his touchdowns this season.

This Saturday against the Aggies, Van Buren truly will be the X-factor in this game for Mississippi State. If he's surprisingly a fantastic quarterback - much like he was against Georgia - there could be upset potential from the Bulldogs. If he plays like a true freshman, it could get ugly.

Lebby has to hope that his young QB has learned the offense well and that the running game can open up enough for his talent as a pocket passer to shine.