Media pessimistic, but Mississippi State has plenty of reasons for optimism
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Mississippi State has plenty of reasons to have a gloomy view of 2016. The covering media sure is, assuring the Bulldogs a last-place finish in the West.
There is a large gap between good and bad for the Bullies, but things could just as easily go toward the good, especially if a few chips fall in a positive place. As Kofi Kingston would say, it’s all about the power of positivity.
For argument’s sake, say Nick Fitzgerald wins the quarterback race and becomes a worthy replacement for Dak Prescott. That would open the door to the rise of a couple sophomores in receiver Malik Dear as well as running back Aeris Williams, giving him room to shine from an also-crowded backfield battle.
Fitzgerald could be the ultimate reason to be optimistic. Last season, he completed 11 of his 14 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 sophomore also rushed for 127 yards on 23 carries. He gains two yards when he falls forward. Fitzgerald doesn’t have a start, but he does have three springs under him.
He already has one of the country’s top receivers in Fred Ross. Dear is waiting to pop at the seams. As a freshman, the utility man caught 22 passes for 217 yards. He could triple that. That’s optimistic, but also realistic.
Flying low in the equation is center Jamaal Clayborn, an experienced senior with a huge role.
There is a lot of promise on the other side as well. Defensive back Brandon Bryant may top that list. The speedy sophomore had a team-best three picks last season and is among the top returning tacklers.
At linebacker, Richie Brown was fifth in the SEC in tackles last season with 109 to go with his 6.5 sacks, and his leadership ranks invaluable. At inside linebacker, Dan Mullen’s in-state recruiting success should see fruit. Redshirt freshman Leo Lewis came to Starkville as the nation’s top inside linebacker. Fellow freshman Tim Washington was a top 30 outside linebacker. Both can become major players for first-year coordinator Peter Sirmon.
Jeffery Simmons was a five-star recruit and No. 3 defensive end in the country. He should make an immediate impact as a freshman. Three more defensive ends are impact seniors in Torrey Dale, A.J. Jefferson and Johnathan Calvin. The trio combined for 19.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, the bulk of them from Jefferson. Calvin, a former junior college transfer could be the one making a big name for himself in his final go.
Kivon Coman is the second-leading returning tackler and probably isn’t getting the respect he deserves. The 6-foot-3 defensive back had 76 tackles, 7 breakups and 8 deflections last season.
He is surrounded by three sophomores who can quickly become household names in Bryant, Mark McLaurin (a hidden in-state recruiting jewel with 20 tackles as a freshman) and Jamal Peters. Peters was the No. 1 defensive back in Mississippi for the 2015 class, according to Scout. Last season, he had 25 tackles, 2 breakups and 2 defections.
As Big E would say, “Don’t you dare be sour.” Optimism over pessimism. And if Mississippi State does finish seventh in the West, it could be very loud in doing so.
