MISSISSIPPI STATE OFFENSE

Coming off a year in which the Bulldogs averaged 37 points and 506 yards per game to lead the SEC, it’s hard to predict the MSU offense to be much better than it was in 2014. With that being said, the return of Heisman-candidate QB Dak Prescott and the deepest group of receivers Dan Mullen has had in Starkville will give the Bulldogs a chance to match the success they had last season.

Expect to see a more pass-heavy offense early on until a new group of running backs and an offensive line featuring three new starters can find a way to gel.

Junior wideout De’Runnya Wilson is poised for a breakout season after leading the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns a year ago. The 6’5” stud was Prescott’s go-to receiver in primetime games. He hauled in 16 passes for 208 yards on the road against Alabama and Ole Miss, two of the better defenses in the country. His length and ability to highpoint the football makes him a mismatch for every corner that lines up across from him.

Wilson showed up and dominated the Maroon-White game after barely practicing all spring. He’s just that type of player. While he may be the most underrated receiver in the SEC, what will really make MSU’s passing attack dangerous are the solid options behind Wilson at Prescott’s disposal.

Fred Ross, Fred Brown, and Joe Morrow combined for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2014. Ross is a versatile player who creates mismatches in the slot and can also line up out wide. Gabe Myles saw a lot of time as a redshirt freshman and proved to be a playmaker in the slot as well when he filled in for the injured Jameon Lewis.

Four-star signees Malik Dear and Donald Gray were solid additions to the unit in this last recruiting class, with the latter being the number one JUCO receiver in the nation. Both players had productive springs and overall the receivers were probably the most impressive position group.

You wouldn’t be going too far out on a limb by saying the Bulldogs have the deepest group of receivers in the SEC. They are easily in the top three, which is why you will likely see more five-receiver sets and airing the football out than you did last season. Prescott has an unlimited amount of options to throw the football to.

The biggest question marks for the offense will be at running back and offensive line, but especially the line. Gone off last year’s squad is Dillon Day, Blaine Clausell, and Ben Beckwith, all who were experienced starters that flat out dominated teams like LSU and Texas A&M.

Justin Malone and Justin Senior do return at guard and tackle, however, and Jamaal Clayborn, a guard who has seen snaps in the past, moved over to center this spring and that transition appears to have been a smooth one. The biggest concern is left tackle, but the Bulldogs brought in the number one JUCO offensive tackle in the country with the signing of Martinas Rankin to fill that hole.

This group may take a few games to gel, but by the end of the season the Dogs should be just fine with the big guys up front. That’s barring any injuries of course.

Running back is a concern because of the departure of Josh Robinson to the NFL, but this is the one position that MSU always excels at. All four running backs that Dan Mullen has coached at MSU (Anthony Dixon, Vick Ballard, Ladarius Perkins, Josh Robinson) have had great careers and went on to play in the NFL.

Junior Ashton Shumpert is the early favorite to be that next guy. Shumpert played so well down the stretch last season that he found himself getting most of the carries while Robinson sat on the bench. He runs with great vision and not only is he not afraid of contact, but he seeks it out. Shumpert will most likely split carries with two young bruisers in Aeris Williams and Dontavian Lee.

None of the three stood out heads and shoulders above the others in the spring, so expect all of them to get carries early until a starter is determined. Shumpert, Williams, and Lee are all powerful running backs that can handle the rigors of the SEC. The Bulldogs really can’t go wrong.

You can’t forget the impact Prescott will have in the running game either. He rushed for just under 1,000 yards last season and was money on third and short more often than not. Prescott’s threat to run the football will open up opportunities for his young running backs to do some damage on read option plays.

All things considered, MSU is a good offensive line away from being one of the best offenses in the SEC for the second year in a row. If those guys can mature early, this offense will be very dangerous. Even if they struggle, I think there are enough playmakers on that side of the ball to find a way to score points. It always helps when you return a quarterback who put up a whopping 4,435 total yards and 41 touchdowns.

 

MISSISSIPPI STATE DEFENSE

Looking at the defensive side of Dan Mullen’s team, there is cause for concern after losing his best pass rusher and two stud linebackers to the NFL. A secondary that struggled to say the least will rely heavily on two freshmen in the rotation at safety, and that’s never a formula for success.

The first order of business is replacing Preston Smith and his nine sacks at defensive end. While MSU has two adequate pass rushers in AJ Jefferson and Ryan Brown, neither is on the same level as Smith. Missing also is Kaleb Eulls and PJ Jones, two big anchors in the middle of that line as well. Chris Jones has All-American potential, but he has to be more consistent. Nelson Adams also has a high ceiling, and together with Jones, the defensive tackle spot is in good hands, although depth is a concern.

The steepest hill to climb is at linebacker after losing NFL draftees Benardrick McKinney and Matt Wells. The good news for MSU is the linebacker position is very much like receiver this year when it comes to depth; It’s an ocean.

Beniquez Brown is the lone returning starter at the position, but the importance of his presence can’t be stated enough. He was second on the team in tackles last year with 62, and that was splitting time with other linebackers in Geoff Collins 1a/1b scheme. Brown matched McKinney’s number of tackles against LSU and Auburn, and tallied four more than his partner in crime against Alabama. At times he looked like the best linebacker on the field. That’s saying a lot when there was a second-round draft pick playing beside him.

Playing alongside Brown and replacing McKinney in the middle is junior Richie Brown, who racked up 50 tackles in 2014 on limited snaps. He showed the ability to create turnovers as well when he snagged three interceptions against A&M. Dez Harris and J.T. Gray also return after seeing playing time as redshirt freshmen, and Gray was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

What’s scary is that two players with possibly more potential than any of the guys above haven’t even been mentioned yet. Those players are Gerri Green and Leo Lewis. Green is a physical specimen unlike any that has came through Starkville in quite some time. After redshirting last year, he stood out in the spring and recorded an interception in the spring game. If he isn’t starting at the beginning of the season, he will be before it’s all said and done.

Freshman Leo Lewis comes in as the #1 inside linebacker in the country in the 2015 class. While he may not make an immediate impact because of the players ahead of him, he solidifies what is easily the deepest position that defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has to work with.

The linebacker group will be lights out against the run, but finding a way to match Matt Wells’ versatility and make plays in the passing game will be a challenge.

Speaking of the passing game (MSU fans are cringing), the Bulldogs will look to improve after ranking dead last in the SEC and giving up 273 yards per game through the air.

Not that it can get much worse, but it doesn’t look like it will get better any time soon. Two seniors are gone at the safety position, and Kendrick Market will have to find a way to get back to 100 percent after tearing his Achilles. Freshmen Jamal Peters and Mark McLaurin will be heavily included in the rotation and may even end up starting before season’s end. While both are talented players (MSU beat out Bama and LSU to sign Peters), the last thing you want is two freshmen patrolling the back end of your defense.

The leadership in the secondary will have to come from both cornerback spots with seniors Taveze Calhoun and Will Redmond. That duo has been serviceable and Redmond turned into one of the best cover corners in the league by the end of last season.

When you look at the amount of youth MSU will depend on when the defense takes the field, combined with the fact that Manny Diaz will be coaching the Maroon and White for the first time since 2010, it wouldn’t surprise me to see this unit take a step back. I think the defensive line will be good at times but inconsistent overall, and the secondary will struggle at least the first four or five games, maybe longer.

 

Buy or Sell?

When it comes down to it, will we see another 10-win season from Dan Mullen’s team in 2015? Probably not. However, the pundits are severely underestimating the 2015 Bulldogs. Predicting them to finish dead last in the SEC West is a bit ridiculous. The so-called experts take a similar approach year after year. First they are down on MSU for not having any highly recruited players. Now they are down on MSU after losing those same players to the National Football League.

Dan Mullen took a bunch of two and three-star players to the top of the college football world for over a month last season. He has proved he can develop players, and now he is starting to bring in the top-flight talent that everybody always scolded him for not being able to do. Now the sky is the limit. The rest of the college football world views MSU as a one-year wonder. Dan Mullen says they’re here to stay. Count me in. I am absolutely buying what he’s selling.

I have this team winning eight games in 2015 with a shot at nine. I think they pick up wins over LSU, Kentucky, and Ole Miss at home, and Missouri on the road. As it sits today, I have them losing on the road at Auburn, Texas A&M, and Arkansas, and losing to Bama at home. But it wouldn’t shock me to see them outscore A&M or Arkansas and finish 9-3.

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Reid Coker of For Whom The Cowbell Tolls provided the information for our Mississippi State 2015 Spring recap. For more Bulldogs football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Justin on Twitter  @Coka_Cola26.

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