Mississippi State’s Kati Anne Shepherd Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Mississippi State freshman Kati Anne Shepherd has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Shepherd’s goal in the Bulldogs’ 2-1 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford on Friday night clinched their seventh straight win against the Rebels.

The goal came just 18 seconds after Ole Miss’ Jenna Studer received her second yellow card in the 69th minute. Shepherd’s strike gave Mississippi State a 2-1 lead midway through the second half and marked the largest scoring output against Ole Miss in program history, according to the school.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native and 2025-2026 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year scored her fourth goal of the season, tying her for the team lead with 11 points. She ranks second behind Laila Murillo in goals on the squad. Shepherd, who is 17 years old, scored her first collegiate goal in her season opener against South Alabama on August 12, making her the youngest goal scorer in Mississippi State history.

Her four goals are the second-most by a Bulldog before turning 18. This is Shepherd’s first weekly award of the season for Mississippi State, which is 7-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in SEC play. The last Bulldog to earn SEC Freshman of the Week was Murillo, following her two-goal effort at Texas last fall.

The Bulldogs will host No. 23 Florida in their SEC home opener Friday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Mississippi State’s next match marks their second contest of the season.

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