The Mississippi State defense was the SEC’s worst when it came to defending the pass in 2014, allowing opponents to amass more than 270 yards per game through the air.

It was also the SEC’s worst defense when it came to limiting explosive pass plays (completions of 30 yards or more). The Bulldogs allowed 25 such completions last season, four more than any other team in the conference.

Clearly defending the pass was not Mississippi State’s bread and butter during its 10-win season last fall. Now consider that same secondary has since lost three of its four starting members heading into 2015: cornerback Jamerson Love and safeties Justin Cox and Jay Hughes.

There’s reason for concern in Mississippi State’s defensive backfield.

But there’s reason for optimism as well. The Bulldogs may not be loaded with talent at the defensive back positions, but they’ll return players with SEC experience who could keep the unit afloat for the time being.

Among those players are rising junior safeties Kivon Coman and Deontay Evans. Both were reserves during their first two years on campus, but both have logged 53 tackles apiece during their careers in addition to nine combined pass breakups. The two are capable players who only stand to improve upon accepting full-time starting roles this fall.

Add in four-star 2015 signee Jamal Peters, one of the top safeties in the class, and you’ve got three guys who can hold down the position despite losing both starters from a year ago.

That’s a privilege, not a right.

But the most important of the new faces in the Mississippi State secondary is Will Redmond, who is preparing for his first year as a starter in his last year of college eligibility.

Redmond will play opposite cornerback Taveze Calhoun, the only returning starter in the secondary. Redmond served as the team’s nickel corner a year ago, logging a team-high three interceptions, five pass breakups and more than 50 tackles including three for loss. He made plays all over the field, be it as a run-stopper on the edge or as a cornerback playing on the outside.

His interception in the final minutes against Arkansas last season sealed a win and kept MSU’s unbeaten record and No. 1 ranking in tact. His interception of LSU’s Brandon Harris in the final minute of a win over LSU sealed that game as well while Mississippi State clung to a five point lead.

Redmond has a knack for coming up with big plays at the right time. He plays the ball in the air better than any other player on Mississippi State’s roster, and while he sometimes allows himself to get out of position in coverage he has the combination of speed and strength necessary to compensate.

To clarify, Redmond is unlikely to emerge as a national superstar or even as a conference-wide star by the end of the 2015 season. But he might become the star of MSU’s secondary, moving past Calhoun to earn that designation.

If he can continue to come up with big plays in big moments, can continue to force takeaways and can continue to serve as perhaps the best run-stopping corner in the conference, he’ll be seen as one of the team’s most important players. He may even have an NFL future in front of him.

Most importantly, if Redmond can handle the tasks referenced above, Mississippi State’s defense will benefit. The unit lost two starting defensive linemen and the team’s best linebacker in Benardrick McKinney after last season, putting the secondary on even more of an island.

But if Redmond can keep the secondary afloat on that island, it will allow new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz more flexibility to find out what he has up front.

Redmond is best measured in terms of importance to his team, not raw talent. He’s one of the better cornerbacks in the league, but he’s not at the top tier. However, he means as much to his team as those top-tier corners mean to theirs.

And that’s why Redmond is the player to watch for on Mississippi State’s defense this fall.