Joe Moorhead brought Nick Fitzgerald, Mark McLaurin and Gerri Green to help him represent Mississippi State in Atlanta for SEC Media Days this season.

Here are some highlights of the quotes provided by the players on the Mississippi State roster:

Senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald

On the offense under Head Coach Joe Moorhead…

“Watching Penn State’s film, he does a lot of unique things, a lot of different motions, putting two quarterbacks in at the same time and his concepts of throwing the ball down the field. It is a different offense than what I am used to, so in that way it is fresh to me.”

On how deep the SEC is at the quarterback position…

“We have a lot of great quarterbacks in the SEC, in the East and West. Young guys come in and make plays, and there are older guys with experience. I don’t know if it’s the deepest it’s ever been, I couldn’t tell you that, but I know there’s a lot of talent.”

On transitioning from Dan Mullen to Joe Moorhead…

“It was tough. He was the guy who recruited me and gave me my shot, one of my only two offers. He was a phenomenal coach that taught me how to be the quarterback that I am. When he left, it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen. There were always rumors of Dan Mullen is going here or there, and then we had a team meeting and he told us he was leaving. It was real at that point, but our A.D. did a great job in finding us a coach, and Coach Moorhead brought in a great staff, so I’m looking forward to it.”

On how he has seen Aeris Williams and Keith Mixon improve under Moorhead…

“The offseason and summer is really a time for us to work on ourselves. There aren’t really coaches involved, but over spring they fit well into the offensive scheme. They will be two guys who are important to our success on offense. Right now, it’s just us working on ourselves. I think you’re going to see them do really good things this year.”

On the biggest difference in Moorhead’s coaching style compared to Mullen’s…

“I think one is a lot more intense than the other. In a way, you are going to get more yelling and screaming with Coach Mullen and his staff. There’s a need for it, but Coach Moorhead isn’t as much of a yeller. I think as a coach, Moorhead is extremely talented and is very football smart, like Coach Mullen was. It was great to play for Mullen, but I’m really excited to play for Coach Moorhead.”

On what he thinks his legacy is at Mississippi State…

“I think it is a kid who people didn’t really give a shot to. I think when I committed, there were a lot of people in the fan base who didn’t think I should’ve been on the team. In a way, it’s just a kid who changed the mindset of a lot of people in the program. I think my legacy is also a talented runner, and I’ll hopefully go down as a really tough guy. I’m going to keep making plays and whatever it ends up being, it is.”

Senior defensive lineman Gerri Green

On Assistant Coach Bob Shoop…

“Coach Shoop. I haven’t had the chance to pick his brain yet. I think we will have a great relationship, and he’s a smart guy. I know he will draw a lot of things up and do a lot of great things. I’m excited to play for him.”

On expectations of the season…

“We know we need to work toward those expectations. We come into each day with the mindset to win and attack the day. That way we can beat expectations.”

On the new redshirt rule…

“If I could go back, I would have wanted to play those four games. I think it adds to your experience and your game. Game speed is faster than practice speed. Some new guys may get a shot, but we won’t know until fall camp.”

On being from Mississippi…

“Being a Mississippi guy playing for Mississippi State, and in my home state, is a big deal for me. Fans all over the state root for my school, and I represent my school the best I can. Me being named team captain was a big compliment. Knowing they want me to represent and lead the team is a big honor.”

On nationwide defensive line expectations…

“We try to work as hard as we can every day. We know about the great defensive lines all over the country, not just in our conference, but all over the country. To be up with those guys, we know we need to work hard, out-perform and out-work them.”

Senior defensive back Mark McLaurin

On understanding that now is the time to raise the expectations at Mississippi State…

Yes, sir. We all understand that it is time to raise the expectations and set those high expectations. We have all bought in and are working to get better step by step every single day.”

On his position at safety knowing Mississippi State has two of the best pass rushers in college football on the defensive line…

“It is really great. Those two guys are extremely hardworking guys, and we know that Jeffery Simmons can get to the quarterback at any time and Montez Sweat is very gifted in pass rushing. It helps us out in the sense that if things break down they can get there and we can make plays on the back end.”

On the differences between the defensive approach from last year, specifically as a safety…

“It is really no different. Both coaches are very aggressive and smart guys. They both allow us to take the same approach and be aggressive, so we are expecting great things.”

On Nick Fitzgerald’s injury and recovery…

“When he went down in the Egg Bowl, it was truly heartbreaking, especially to see him go down like that. We knew we had to pull together as a team, keep playing. We told him we had his back and weren’t going to let him down. As far as him coming back, he has been working extremely hard and has come back really strong. He is a hardworking guy, and he is smarter, knows more, throws the ball more and better, and has just really accelerated to a higher level.”

On being part of one of the top safety duos in the country with Johnathan Abram…

“We just feed off each other every day and push each other to different heights. We never stay at one level, and we are always watching film. What he can’t do, I do, and what I can’t do, he does. We continue to hold each other accountable.”

On the biggest difference in coaching styles…

“They are both very smart guys and very humble. They both know a lot about the game so we are just very excited about what is to come this season.”