STARKVILLE, Miss. — When Jeff Lebby arrived as Mississippi State’s new head football coach, he understood that the roster must be revamped. No unit took a bigger hit than the offensive line, as all five starters left the program, and Percy Lewis, who earned a lot of playing time, transferred to Auburn.
However, Lebby, a former offensive lineman himself, understood the importance and cleaned house in the transfer portal. State signed four guys who will make immediate impacts: Ethan Miner, Makylan Pounders, Jacoby Jackson, and Marlon Martinez.
Martinez, a former LSU Tiger, will bring valuable Southeastern Conference experience. He appeared in 45 games and made four starts, starting at center and right guard.
Despite a chance to compete for a starting spot in Baton Rouge, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native decided it was time for a fresh start.
“I decided it was time for some personal growth,” Martinez said. “Throughout my recruiting process, I was looking for a school that knew what the plan would be for me and a good relationship with coaches.”
The former 3-star did have an offhand connection with the new MSU staff, as Brad Davis, the Tigers’ offensive line coach, had a relationship with new Bulldog offensive line coach Cody Kennedy. Kennedy has an impressive pedigree, as he was a Broyles Award (Top Assistant Coach) semi-finalist in 2021 under Kendal Briles, who runs a scheme similar to Lebby’s.
However, Kennedy decided to leave Arkansas and landed in Starkville. Martinez spoke about playing for his new offensive line coach.
“He is really fun to play for,” Martinez said. “One thing about it is we are gonna have fun in meetings and mess around, but when it gets down to football, it is only about football.”
Transferring within conferences can be challenging, but it was a massive benefit for State as they sought to add experienced guys from the transfer portal. It was a good match for Martinez, as well, as the fifth-year senior instantly hit it off with Starkville and the coaching staff.