Believe it or not, senior quarterback Dak Prescott may not be forced to carry Mississippi State’s offense after all this season.

In addition to the Western Division’s most underrated receiving corps, the Bulldogs have depth at running back, headlined by two redshirt freshmen poised for a breakout campaign.

RELATED: Mississippi State owns SEC’s most underrated backfield

Last week, I participated in a staff-wide debate pertaining to who I thought would be the SEC’s most interesting team this season. There were several viable options, but I chose Mississippi State, a squad I feel could win anywhere from six to 10 games during the regular season should a couple breaks go the Bulldogs’ way.

Once again, the West could see all seven of its teams ranked at some point this fall.

Most preseason publications are picking Mississippi State to finish seventh in the division, just behind Arkansas and Texas A&M at a game or two back, citing losses up front along with the departures of All-SEC defenders Preston Smith and Benardrick McKinney.

Take this: It was Mississippi State’s offense that led to the team’s historic rise from unranked to No. 1, the SEC’s only unit to average over 500 yards per game. Much of that production came on the ground as the Bulldogs 233.1 yards rushing every contest — the most in the Dan Mullen era.

Mullen’s rushing principles as a play-caller who puts his quarterback in position to read defenses and make things happen has always been one of his strongest qualities. Prescott’s an unquestionable asset as the league’s top dual-threat, but Mullen’s ability to sustain production on the ground with interchangeable running backs benefits this offense.

Last fall, Josh Robinson was the featured back for the first time in his career and finished with 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns — the second-highest total in the West behind Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne. Robinson left early and was drafted early, leaving Mississippi State without a justifiable No. 1 ballcarrier heading into the 2015.

That dilemma began to clear during the spring when Dontavian Lee and Aeris Williams played on the same level with Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert, Mississippi State’s top returning rushers behind Prescott at 294 and 274 yards, respectively, last season.

The redshirts competed at a high level through spring practice, strengthening the case for the Bulldogs’ offense to be even better in 2015. Considering Prescott’s noticeable development as a passer, taking some of the pressure off him as Mississippi State’s primary rushing option is vital to this offense’s success and the Bulldogs appear to have the depth to do it.

Holloway appears relegated to slot duties and spot carries this fall unless he can win a four-player battle for the top spot in August. Lee and Shumpert are 1-2 on the depth chart based on what we’ve seen thus far with Williams in the mix as well. The depth in the backfield poses one of the more interesting position battles heading into fall practice in the SEC.

My guess would be Lee, Shumpert, Williams and Holloway — in that order. There’s 13 vacant starter positions the Bulldogs must fill this season, but running back isn’t one Mississippi State will have to worry about.