Malik Heath transferred from Mississippi State to Ole Miss ahead of the 2022 season, making him part of a very exclusive club to play in the Egg Bowl for both teams. The Egg Bowl is a truly 24/7/365 rivalry, and Heath’s latest comments are sure to be noticed by the Bulldog faithful.

Heath met with reporters Saturday and discussed his transfer. He pointed to the difference in Lane Kiffin’s passing attack to Mike Leach’s Air Raid system as a reason to transfer to Ole Miss.

“I just like the offense,” Heath told reporters, per Nick Suss of the Clarion Ledger. “I think Lane Kiffin is a great play-caller, (wide receivers) coach (Derrick) Nix is a great coach. He pushes you every day. That’s something I didn’t have over there at the other school. At first I was skeptical about it because of the rival school and all the media and all that. But I’ve seen a lot of other folks (transferring) and I thought. ‘Why not?'”

Surprise, surprise – Heath had more to say. He didn’t like the cowbells in Starkville, and is glad that the 2022 game is in Oxford.

“I’m glad it’s not at the other school,” Heath said, per Suss. “They’ve got to come here. I ain’t have to hear the cowbells. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I came. I didn’t like the cowbells. The cowbells are too loud.”

Suss points out that Heath, a Jackson, Mississippi native, is the first player of the transfer portal era (2018-present) to switch sides in the Egg Bowl rivalry. Breck Tyler played at MSU in 1977 and Ole Miss in 1980-81.

In the last 2 seasons, Heath recorded 71 catches for 749 yards and 8 touchdowns with the Bulldogs.

Heath was originally a class of 2018 recruit out of high school. He joined MSU in January 2020, transferring from Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He was the No. 9 JUCO prospect in the class of 2020 on the 247Sports composite rankings.