Mississippi State transfer portal: This is the first player that truly stings to lose from the roster

With the 2024 regular season now completed, several Mississippi State Bulldogs have chosen to enter the transfer portal. So far, the players making this transition largely include those who had minimal impact on the team. However, that has changed, as Mississippi State has now seen its first significant contributor enter the portal.

Starting sophomore cornerback Brice Pollock has announced he is entering the transfer portal. Pollock was a starter in all 12 games for Mississippi State this fall.

Pollock, a former 4-star recruit from Snellville, GA, was a significant addition for the Bulldogs in the 2023 class, having chosen Mississippi State over Ole Miss and Pittsburgh. As a true freshman, he stepped into a starting role late in the season, gaining valuable experience despite not being fully prepared for the challenge.

In 2024, Pollock became a full-time starting cornerback for Mississippi State. Over 12 games, he recorded 48 tackles, one tackle for loss, nine pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He also made his first career interception during a road game at Georgia.

With Pollock’s departure, Mississippi State’s efforts to revamp their defense have become even more challenging. The team is facing an overhaul of their defensive roster, which had struggled to meet SEC standards. To turn things around in 2025, the program needs to recruit a number of impactful defenders.

Although there were some key players worth building around on defense, Pollock was among them. While he wasn’t a lockdown corner, he was a reliable player on the outside and had a strong performance in the Egg Bowl. With further development, he could have become a solid starter in the SEC. However, now he will not be doing so at Mississippi State.

Pollock’s decision to leave complicates the team’s efforts to improve its defense, as finding high-quality cornerbacks in the transfer portal is quite challenging. While it may not be impossible to find a player of similar talent to Pollock, reallocating resources to recruit that position amidst various other needs is not an ideal scenario.