One of the biggest pieces of Mississippi State’s defenses is coming back for his senior season.

Defensive end Montez Sweat announced his intentions to pass on the NFL Draft and finish out his career in Starkville on Saturday. The First-Team All-SEC member jumped on to the NFL radar after just one season in the program.

Time to get back to work??#hailstate#2018 pic.twitter.com/SwY2lL2OoO — Montez Sweat (@_sweat9) January 6, 2018





Sweat led the Bulldog pass-rush with 15.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 2017. His sack total was the most by a Bulldog since Willie Evans had 15.0 in 2005 and was good for 7th most in school history. His tackles for loss were tied for 5th all-time in a single season.

Pro Football Focus had Sweat rated the second-highest edge rusher in the country when it came to pass-rush productivity. In 203 pass-rush snaps this season, Sweat had 21 hurries, eight quarterback hits and his 10.5 sacks.

In the TaxSlayer Bowl, Sweat ended the season on a high note with four tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks against the 2016 Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. He returns to a defense in Starkville that includes fellow All-SEC member Jeffery Simmons at nose tackle and a large portion of the nation’s No. 10 total defense in 2017.

The 6’6, 240-pound Stone Mountain, Ga., native had quite the journey. He started his career at Michigan State as a tight end before transferring to Copiah-Lincoln Community College and ultimately landed with the Bulldogs.