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STARKVILLE — Jahron Manning and Malick Sylla have been at the Mississippi State football practice facility but are not practicing with the team, coach Jeff Lebby said Aug. 11.
"With those two guys back in the building right now, there's just not really anything else to say because they are not eligible," Lebby said. "So, they've got to go through a process. They're back in the building. We'll see how it all plays out."
Manning and Sylla are attempting to join the roster after a July 31 preliminary injunction was issued in Colorado that granted an extra year of eligibility to some athletes in the 2022 high school recruiting class after they weren't included for a fifth year in the NCAA's new age-based model. It applies to athletes who haven't redshirted or signed professional contracts, though the NCAA is appealing the ruling.
Manning, a safety, led the Bulldogs in tackles last season, and Sylla, a linebacker, led them in tackles for loss.
"You just want to make sure the guys that are in that that have that opportunity are back in the building and getting ready if it ends up being what we hope," Lebby said.
Lebby said MSU wouldn't need to make roster cuts if Manning and Sylla become eligible. Football teams are capped with a 105-player roster, though they can exceed the limit with designated student athletes. The DSA list, which isn't publicized by teams, contain players on 2024-25 rosters or recruits from the 2025 class who would've been or were cut from teams because the roster limits shrunk.
Mississippi State has 114 players on the roster for the 2026 season, which begins against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 5 (6:30 p.m., ESPNU) at Davis Wade Stadium.
Sylla's case to get an extra year is simpler than Manning's. Sylla played four seasons without a redshirt, the first three at Texas A&M, and did not sign a professional contract after the 2025 season. That should make him eligible based on the injunction.
MORE: Would Mississippi State baseball add a newly eligible player? Brian O'Connor weighs in
Manning also played four seasons — the first two in junior college and then the 2024 season at Old Dominion — but participated in Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp and played in the Indoor Football League.
Asked if Manning would require an additional lawsuit against the NCAA to become eligible, Lebby said: "There's just a lot of boxes to be checked, so I'll leave it at that."
If Manning or Sylla become eligible, they will have to integrate quickly to a team they haven't practiced with since December. The Bulldogs also have a new defensive coordinator in Zach Arnett.
Lebby said he hasn't thought much about what impact they would have on the team.
"I haven't really taken my mind there because they're not eligible," Lebby said. "My mind is on the guys that I know they are going to play on that first Saturday in Davis Wade. So, if the come back, then my mind will go there. But right now, I'm completely concerned and tuned in to the guys that are eligible for that first Saturday."
Mississippi State's fall semester begins Aug. 19.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Jahron Manning, Malick Sylla aren't practicing with Mississippi State football
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"With those two guys back in the building right now, there's just not really anything else to say because they are not eligible," Lebby said. "So, they've got to go through a process. They're back in the building. We'll see how it all plays out."
Manning and Sylla are attempting to join the roster after a July 31 preliminary injunction was issued in Colorado that granted an extra year of eligibility to some athletes in the 2022 high school recruiting class after they weren't included for a fifth year in the NCAA's new age-based model. It applies to athletes who haven't redshirted or signed professional contracts, though the NCAA is appealing the ruling.
Manning, a safety, led the Bulldogs in tackles last season, and Sylla, a linebacker, led them in tackles for loss.
"You just want to make sure the guys that are in that that have that opportunity are back in the building and getting ready if it ends up being what we hope," Lebby said.
Lebby said MSU wouldn't need to make roster cuts if Manning and Sylla become eligible. Football teams are capped with a 105-player roster, though they can exceed the limit with designated student athletes. The DSA list, which isn't publicized by teams, contain players on 2024-25 rosters or recruits from the 2025 class who would've been or were cut from teams because the roster limits shrunk.
Mississippi State has 114 players on the roster for the 2026 season, which begins against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 5 (6:30 p.m., ESPNU) at Davis Wade Stadium.
Jahron Manning, Malick Sylla have different eligiblity questions
Sylla's case to get an extra year is simpler than Manning's. Sylla played four seasons without a redshirt, the first three at Texas A&M, and did not sign a professional contract after the 2025 season. That should make him eligible based on the injunction.
MORE: Would Mississippi State baseball add a newly eligible player? Brian O'Connor weighs in
Manning also played four seasons — the first two in junior college and then the 2024 season at Old Dominion — but participated in Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp and played in the Indoor Football League.
Asked if Manning would require an additional lawsuit against the NCAA to become eligible, Lebby said: "There's just a lot of boxes to be checked, so I'll leave it at that."
What Jeff Lebby said about Jahron Manning, Malick Sylla's impact on 2026 team
If Manning or Sylla become eligible, they will have to integrate quickly to a team they haven't practiced with since December. The Bulldogs also have a new defensive coordinator in Zach Arnett.
Lebby said he hasn't thought much about what impact they would have on the team.
"I haven't really taken my mind there because they're not eligible," Lebby said. "My mind is on the guys that I know they are going to play on that first Saturday in Davis Wade. So, if the come back, then my mind will go there. But right now, I'm completely concerned and tuned in to the guys that are eligible for that first Saturday."
Mississippi State's fall semester begins Aug. 19.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Jahron Manning, Malick Sylla aren't practicing with Mississippi State football
Continue reading...
