Dan Mullen’s reeled in three Top 25 recruiting classes since 2012 and is heading toward his fifth overall since taking over at Mississippi State in 2009 following Sylvester Croom’s forgettable five-year stint in Starkville.

Those thinking the Bulldogs will slip back into mediocrity following senior quarterback Dak Prescott’s exit after the 2015 season may want to look closer at Mississippi State’s roster, one built from the ground up by Mullen and his staff of assistants.

The cupboard’s stocked with potential weapons on the outside on offense, strength along the defensive line and athleticism at linebacker. There are other positions however that have become a priority for the Bulldogs’ 2016 class:

DEFENSIVE BACK

Losing after 2015: Will Redmond, Taveze Calhoun, Kendrick Market

Three senior starters in the secondary will have exhausted their eligibility by the end of the 2015 season, leaving the Bulldogs with nine scholarship defensive backs — including five seniors — entering spring practice. Mississippi State’s often rotated players at the back end during Mullen’s tenure and to keep that up, the Bulldogs are going to need additional bodies. Several redshirt freshmen currently on roster listed as athletes who work primarily on special teams could move to the secondary during fall practice to bolster depth.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Losing after 2015: Rufus Warren, Justin Malone, Damien Robinson

The return of Robinson this fall following a devastating knee injury means the Bulldogs will have the luxury of three senior starters in the trenches on offense with depth behind them. By the start of the 2017 season however, only six current offensive linemen will still have eligibility. The mass exodus of blockers means the Bulldogs are hard at work hoping to lure can’t-miss tackles and dependable guards to Starkville. Landing four offensive linemen in their nationally-ranked 2015 class was a great start.

RUNNING BACK

Losing after 2015: None, but available players are slim

Mississippi State has only four scholarship players at the position heading into the season, six if you count mid-summer enrollees Alec Murphy and Nick Gibson from the 2015 class. There’s several players on roster considered ‘athletes’ who could move into the backfield, but the Bulldogs will be short on true ballcarriers after the 2016 campaign with Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert saying goodbye. The good news for Mississippi State is the projected 1-2 punch of Dontavian Lee and Aeris Williams are both redshirt-freshmen, meaning the Bulldogs will have their services for the next several years.

Other positions Mississippi State should target: LB

CURRENT RECRUITING CLASS

Mississippi State’s 2016 recruiting class sits at No. 20 nationally (8th in the SEC) in 247Sports’ latest team rankings and is headlined by four-star offensive tackle Tommy Champion, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound JUCO talent. On May 18, the Bulldogs added their 10th commitment with four-star tackle Scott Lashley, but the West Point, Miss., native quickly backed off his verbal agreement a few hours later.

Three three-star defensive backs have committed for 2016 including talented safety Zaire Jones, who has other SEC offers from Vanderbilt and Mizzou. Three-stars Dee Nalls and Dareuan Parker gives Mississippi State some strength at guard and tackle, respectively.

OUTLOOK

There’s a chance the Bulldogs finish inside the Top 15 nationally if they can grab commitments from a handful of four-star prospects considered ‘warm’ on the recruiting trail. Big fish Deontay Anderson (safety, Manvel, Texas) and Nigel Knott (cornerback, Madison, Miss.) have expressed interest along with Top 200 four-star linebackers Tre Lamar (Roswell, Ga.) and Jeremiah Moon (Birmingham, Ala.). Four-star defensive end Jeffery Simmons out of Macon, Miss., could commit soon after a pair of unofficial visits since March. The burly pass rusher has offers from Ole Miss and Alabama among others, but favors Mississippi State.