In the case of Mississippi State football, you win some, you lose some. Recently, they parted ways with defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler, a loss. Then, the Bulldogs signed former coach and DC Zach Arnett to fill the void, a win. 

However, the Bulldogs racked up another L. On Friday, OL Brennan Smith announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal after starting in 32 games, per Pete Nakos of On3Sports.com. 

Smith took to social media to say farewell to Starksville, writing, “Beyond blessed, thank you Lord!”

“First off, I would like to thank God for blessing me to be in this position. I want to thank all of the coaches and players who helped me continue to grow on and off the field,” he said. “With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. Thank you, Mississippi State.”

Altogether, Mississippi State finished the regular season with a 5-7 record and 1-7 record in the SEC. On January 2nd, they will play against Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

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Smith hails from Pensacola, Florida, and attended Escambia High School. Later, he attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN, from 2021-2023. In 2024, he transferred to UTEP and started in 11 games. 

Mississippi State football has become a revolving door. 

Lately, the Bulldogs have seen a sizable number of players enter the transfer portal. So far, ten players, including Smith, have followed suit. The others include backup QB Luke Kromenhoek, wide receivers Jordan Mosley, Cam Thompson, Anson Lewis, Jaron Glover, DL Terrance Hibbler, OL Jaekwon Bouldin, and safety Stonka Burnside. 

Last season, they saw 10-12 players enter the portal, and that trend has continued.

All of which is occurring under the leadership of head coach Jeff Lebby, who is in the midst of rebuilding the program.