Mississippi State’s defense got a little help on Thursday after it was announced that defensive lineman Eddie Kelly Jr. would be eligible to play for the Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) for the first time this season against his former team, Missouri (3-0).
Playing for his fifth team in as many years, Kelly transferred from West Virginia to Mississippi State in July while seeking an extra year of eligibility. Although he officially joined the Mississippi State roster last month, he was not allowed to play. As of Sept. 24, he can now take the field as a Bulldog for the first time on Saturday.
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His addition to the Bulldogs’ defensive line is critical to fill the void left by an injury that took Colin Coates out for the season. To make matters worse, Mississippi State lost two other defensive linemen for the year in the first three games of the season – Diesel Moye and Trevion Williams.
Kelly has started only nine of his 49 career college games, beginning at South Florida. His journey then took him to Georgia Tech, Missouri, and West Virginia before suiting up with Mississippi State for the 2026 campaign.
During his collegiate career, Kelly has recorded 103 tackles with three sacks and eight passes broken up. With Missouri, who his new team will face off against on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, Kelly had 20 tackles on the year with a sack and two passes broken up.
Mississippi State’s game against Missouri will kickoff at 6:45 p.m. in Starkville for the Bulldogs annual “white-out” game.