Our daily fall camp preview series continues with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, a team that’s projected to finish last in the Western Division this season despite a standout senior quarterback, according to league media.

Personnel

If you’ve followed the post-Orange Bowl debacle narrative during the past seven months, senior quarterback Dak Prescott is the only player back for the Bulldogs. But wait, there’s more. In addition to Prescott on offense, the Bulldogs return one of the league’s top receiver in De’Runnya Wilson (a fellow preseason All-SEC nominee) along with two veteran offensive linemen and three starters on defense (nope, Chris Jones was not a starter last fall).

Mississippi State’s biggest issue heading into August is depth concerns at a variety of positions, notably at the back end and up front on offense. The Bulldogs are confident in returning talent and who’s behind them at the skill positions, but the secondary an area of major impact after giving up an SEC-high 272.8 yards per game last fall. Establishing a reliable two-deep at corner and safety is vital during fall camp.

Primary position battles

Running back — Ashton Shumpert vs. Dontavian Lee: Who will be this year’s Josh Robinson in the Mississippi State backfield? Shumpert and Lee are the two prime candidates to become Mullen’s fifth different 1,000-yard rusher in Starkville, but neither has to necessarily handle the lion’s share of the carries according to the Bulldogs’ play-caller. During the spring game in April, Mullen mentioned to ESPN that he’s encouraged by his offense’s depth at the position and believes all four players (Shumpert, Lee, Aeris Williams and Brandon Holloway) will make an impact this fall. It could’ve been coachspeak at the time, but a two-headed attack along with skilled receiving options in the short game would be beneficial to an offense replacing its 1,200-yard workhorse.

Wide receiver — Fred Brown vs. Joe Morrow: Battling for the No. 3 spot behind Wilson and Fred Ross, Brown and Morrow each played extensively last season with similar success. Brown’s more of the speed threat at 6-1, 200 pounds while Morrow likes the long ball and can stretch for receptions standing 6-foot-4. Entering fall camp, Morrow (fifth-year senior) has the experience edge with 12 career starts under his belt, but Brown appears to be the better three-down option. I’d expect both to compete in a rotational sense in August and for Mullen to make the call during game week prior to the opener.

End goal

It’s tradition for Mullen and his players, taking the ‘why not us’ approach after being picked to finish at the bottom of the SEC West this season. They believe this year’s team, despite heavy personnel losses, can fight for a spot near top of the conference by the end of the season. Fall practice gives this team a chance to tinker with the lineup and defensive packages a bit, try a few things that may or may not work in September. Manny Diaz has his finger on the pulse of Mississippi State’s veteran defense, a unit without a single underclassmen projected starter. Continuing to develop the Bulldogs’ depth, at all positions, is key in August.