Jeff Lebby is transforming Mississippi State into Oklahoma 2.0 with portal haul

The Oklahoma Sooners' trip to Mississippi State on Oct. 24 could be a harsh reminder for fans of what could have been, or at least what never was in Norman.

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby, who was OU's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, has added three former Sooners from the Transfer Portal to his roster already during this transfer cycle, including defensive back Kendel Dolby, offensive lineman Isaiah Dent and wide receiver Zion Ragins. Last year, Lebby also brought in wide receiver Brenen Thompson from OU. He also tried to get quarterback Jackson Arnold, as well.

Multiple Sooners transferring to Mississippi State

So far, every player Lebby has added to the Bulldogs' roster from OU the past two years was either at Oklahoma the same time as him or at least committed to the Sooners with Lebby recruiting them as offensive coordinator. And the success Thompson had in his first and only season in Starkville only gave Lebby more reason to go after every former Sooner he can in the portal.

After initially transferring from Texas, Thompson didn't have more than 500 receiving yards total in two seasons as a Sooner, even with Lebby as his OC during his first season in Norman in 2023. This season, though, Thompson broke out with 57 receptions for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns. His yardage total set a new single-season record for receiving yards at Mississippi State. He surpassed 100 receiving yards in a game four times this season after never doing so before.

Thompson has since declared for the NFL Draft and accepted an invite to play in the Senior Bowl.

Lebby won't have much of a direct impact on Dolby or Dent once at Mississippi State, but Ragins is the exact type of receiver Lebby drew to OU as an undersized speedster like Thompson. Ragins was part of OU's mass exodus of receivers this cycle, as every scholarship receiver that was offered by Lebby while at OU is no longer in Oklahoma. A lot of that could be because of the specific type of player Lebby wanted that failed to flourish in other systems that followed in Norman.

Ragins stepped up as a freshman in 2024 because of injuries and started five games while recording just 10 catches for 68 yards. He then appeared in only two games this past season to maintain a redshirt and have three years of eligibility left at Mississippi State. OU fans should anticipate his numbers to be a lot different in Lebby's system in 2026.

Zion Kearney, another receiver from that 2024 class, is also still available in the portal, so Lebby might not be finished yet to put his initial targets in the system he dreamed to have them in, just now at a different place.