The son-in-law of Art Briles and the architect of an offense that is similar to what Baylor ran under Briles, Jeff Lebby has the chance to drastically alter the way that Mississippi State football fans interact with college football.
His understanding of offensive systems and his experience in finding ways to consistently attack what opposing defenses present will present MSU fans with opportunities to enjoy high scoring games full of fun.
And, more than likely, you’re going to see wide receivers darting down the field on a regular basis. Let’s start looking over how Lebby’s wide receivers have performed over the years.
Table of Contents
This is part of a project of tracking the entirety of Jeff Lebby’s offenses (prior to his stop in Starkville, for now at least). So, here you go. This is just one slice of the project.
How have wide receivers performed in Jeff Lebby’s offense?
If you’re going to guess that they’ve performed well, historically speaking, you’d be right. Lebby’s offense is exciting and balanced in some incredible ways. And even when he’s running the ball a lot, you’re going to see a wide receiver deep down the field who might be open and might be catching a pass in the end zone.
It’s a really fun system to keep up with and I imagine it’s a lot of fun for wide receivers to play in.
2017 Southeastern Fire
After leaving Waco and the Baylor Bears following the end of the Art Briles era there, Jeff Lebby became the offensive coordinator for the Southeastern Fire in 2017.
The system was a bit run-heavy, but still, wide receiver LaQuvionte Gonzalez excelled, catching 60 passes for over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns (and setting some program records in the process). Lebby’s passing schemes didn’t totally revolve around Gonzalez as Bryce Miller and Marque Northington also contributed, combining for 41 receptions, 543 yards, and 4 touchdowns.
| Name | Receptions | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzalez, LaQuvionte | 60 | 1018 | 10 |
| Miller, Bryce | 24 | 319 | 2 |
| Northington, Marque | 17 | 224 | 2 |
| Thomas, LaDarrius | 9 | 100 | 1 |
| McGehee, Tanner | 5 | 62 | 0 |
| Porter, Jernard | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| Toombs, Adam | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Burgess, Cody | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Williams, Tyrell | 1 | 4 | 0 |
2019 UCF Knights
Jeff Lebby’s 2019 UCF offense was a thrilling, pass-heavy attack that differed a bit in terms of production from his time at Southeastern Fire.
With Gabriel Davis leading the way, and Tre Nixon and Marlon Williams providing additional firepower, the Knights’ receiving corps was something of a nightmare for opposing secondaries.
At UCF, with the Knights’ trio of solid receivers, Lebby’s adaptability as an offensive coordinator was on display a bit as UCF regularly lit up the scoreboard game after game.
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Davis | 72 | 1241 | 12 |
| Tre Nixon | 49 | 830 | 7 |
| Marlon Williams | 51 | 717 | 6 |
| Jacob Harris | 19 | 448 | 1 |
| Ryan O’Keefe | 7 | 74 | 0 |
| Amari Johnson | 2 | 67 | 1 |
| Alex Harris | 4 | 44 | 1 |
| Ke’Von Ahmad | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Jarrad Baker | 1 | 10 | 0 |
2020 Ole Miss Rebels
Jeff Lebby, in his first season serving as Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator under first-year Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, quickly made an impact in Oxford in 2020. It wasn’t the most talented roster ever, but there was a fair bit to work with on the offensive side of the ball. And as a result, Lebby’s offense scored points in bunches.
At wide receiver, Lebby did end up relying heavily on star receiver Elijah Moore. While the passing attack involved various playmakers, including running backs and tight ends, Moore was the main threat in this area.
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Moore | 86 | 1,193 | 13.87 | 8 |
| Braylon Sanders | 15 | 376 | 25.07 | 4 |
| Jonathan Mingo | 24 | 349 | 14.54 | 3 |
| Dontario Drummond | 19 | 307 | 16.16 | 6 |
| Jadon Jackson | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 |
2021 Ole Miss Rebels
In year two with the same coaching staff, the Ole Miss football team saw some noteworthy growth in 2021 under Lane Kiffin and Jeff Lebby’s offensive system. With Elijah Moore off to the NFL, Dontario Drummond emerged as the top receiver with 1000+ yards.
Meanwhile Braylon Sanders, Jahcour Pearson, Jonathan Mingo, and Dennis Jackson contributed solidly to what Lebby and Kiffin wanted to do on that side of the ball. It is interesting a bit that Lebby’s offense once again somewhat resembled his 2017 Southeastern scheme more than his 2019 UCF approach. But, more than likely, that’s due to personnel and head coach influence.
| Name | REC | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dontario Drummond | 76 | 1028 | 8 |
| Braylon Sanders | 24 | 549 | 4 |
| Jahcour Pearson | 26 | 392 | 0 |
| Jonathan Mingo | 22 | 346 | 3 |
| Dannis Jackson | 12 | 244 | 2 |
| Jadon Jackson | 5 | 42 | 0 |
| Jordan Jernigan | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| JJ Henry | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 Oklahoma Sooners
After a couple years in the Southeastern Conference helping Lane Kiffin get the Ole Miss Rebels moving in the right direction as a program, Jeff Lebby returned to the Big 12 as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator in 2022.
Despite challenges due to the state of OU’s program following the way Lincoln Riley left Norman, Lebby’s offense elevated what OU was able to accomplish, with Dillon Gabriel leading the passing attack and Marvin Mims dominating at receiver.
The Sooners’ receiving corps mirrored Lebby’s previous teams, with one standout and consistent contributions from others. If you needed another example of Lebby showcasing his offensive prowess and ability to adapt to new environments, here you go.
| Player | REC | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Mims | 54 | 1083 | 6 |
| Jalil Farooq | 36 | 461 | 5 |
| Drake Stoops | 39 | 393 | 3 |
| Theo Wease | 19 | 378 | 4 |
| Gavin Freeman | 3 | 46 | 0 |
| LV Bunkley-Shelton | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| J.J. Hester | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Jayden Gibson | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Trevon West | 1 | 7 | 0 |
2023 Oklahoma Sooners
Given his track record of improving programs through his dynamic offense, I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that Jeff Lebby’s second year as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator saw the Sooners improve, much like his time with the Ole Miss Rebels.
While Drake Stoops led the team in receptions, he fell short of 1,000 yards. Still, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a strong season, it just means he played a slightly different role in Lebby’s offense than what some of the other leading receivers have led in previous seasons at other schools.
Also, it’s worth noting that OU also had strong performances from Nic Anderson and Jalil Farooq, contributing to a solid receiving corps that Mississippi State fans would envy.
| Player | REC | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Stoops | 84 | 962 | 10 |
| Nic Anderson | 38 | 798 | 10 |
| Jalil Farooq | 45 | 694 | 2 |
| Andrel Anthony | 27 | 429 | 1 |
| Jayden Gibson | 14 | 375 | 5 |
| Brenen Thompson | 7 | 241 | 2 |
| Gavin Freeman | 19 | 95 | 1 |
| Jaquaize Pettaway | 11 | 70 | 0 |
| LV Bunkley-Shelton | 3 | 33 | 0 |