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Mississippi State overcame the loss of 14 seniors from a 2014 team that won 10 games and reached No. 1 in the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings to win nine games in 2015.
But as is the case with every college football team, the Bulldogs have some departing players that are going to be difficult to replace once again.
Here are the five players Mississippi State will miss the most in 2016:
5. OT Rufus Warren — The Bulldogs were average at best on the offensive line, but losing Warren will hurt. Inexperience at quarterback and left tackle is not a recipe for success. Mississippi State is also losing left guard Justin Malone. Redshirt freshman Elgton Jenkins and four-star recruit Martinas Rankin will likely compete for the starting LT spot.
4. LB Beniquez Brown — Brown is forgoing his senior season to enter the 2016 NFL draft. Although the Bulldogs have more depth at linebacker than any other position, they will miss Brown. Fellow junior Richie Brown and Beniquez, the top two tacklers for the Bulldogs in 2014, were expected to form a formidable pairing once again in 2016. Beniquez Brown had 93 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in 2015.
3. DE Chris Jones – Arriving at Mississippi State as the nation’s No. 2 prospect in 2013, Jones never lived up to his hype. Still, he had a career year in 2015. Jones posted career-highs with 44 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss. He finished his career with 102 total tackles and 8.5 sacks in 16 starts.
2. WR De’Runnya Wilson – Without Dak Prescott, Wilson could have provided important help for the Bulldogs new quarterback. Wilson led the team with 10 receiving TDs. He also finished second with 59 catches and 905 receiving yards.
1. QB Dak Prescott — An obvious choice, Prescott owns almost all quarterback records at Mississippi State, and is probably the best player in school history. In 2015, he completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 3,796 yards and 29 TDs with only five interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with 588 yards and 10 TDs.
Redshirt freshman Nick Fitzgerald is expected to replace Prescott. Fitzgerald attempted 14 passes in 2015, completed 11 for 235 yards and three TDs. In limited action, those are pretty good numbers. Still, Fitzgerald has a long way to go to even get close to Prescott’s level.
Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
