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A school-record six Bulldogs from the 2015 team took part in this year’s NFL Combine last month. That’s a lot of talent lost at Mississippi State as it enters the 2016 season.
Among those, quarterback Dak Prescott had become folklore at the school. Most recently named the most outstanding player of the Senior Bowl, Prescott held 38 school records and is considered one of the top five quarterbacks in the 2016 NFL draft.
The talented group helped the Bulldogs to their highest two-year win total (19) in school history. That included a 10-3 season in 2014 and a 9-4 record last year.
Football without Prescott; that’s something Bulldogs fans didn’t want to have to think about. But now the time has come to face that dilemma.
THREE BIG QUESTIONS
1. Who replaces Prescott at QB?
This is obviously the biggest question of the offseason. There’s no way to replace a talent like Prescott, but someone has to take the reins in 2016.
It would seem as though Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley stand in line to do that. But Damian Williams and Nick Tiano also also in the mix.
The 6-5, 227-pound Fitzgerald threw for 235 yards (8-for-14), three touchdowns and no interceptions last season. Staley is a big strong 6-6, 248-pounder, who completed 3-of-5 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in 2015.
But Williams (6-1, 228), who will be a junior, has the most experience. He filled in for Tyler Russell and Prescott when the two were injured near the end of the 2013 season. Against Ole Miss in the 2013 Egg Bowl, Williams became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Bulldogs since Wesley Carroll in the 2007 Liberty Bowl.
Williams has played in 12 games over two seasons, completing 37-of-70 passes (52.9 percent) for 434 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 175 rushing yards on 53 carries and a touchdown.
2. Will the Bulldogs beef up their running game in 2016?
The running game dropped off considerably in 2015. MSU ranked 12th in the SEC in average yards per game (144.1); Prescott led the way with 588 yards. Brandon Holloway was the top running back last season with 413 yards.
It was a far cry from the 2014 team that ranked third in the SEC with an average of 233.1 yards per game with Prescott and Josh Robinson combining for 2,189 yards.
A return to that form could come out of necessity with a new quarterback. Holloway should play a more prominent role in 2016, but junior Ashton Shumpert and freshman Aeris Williams, who combined last season to rush for 434 yards and four touchdowns, could see their roles increase as well.
3. Can the new DC improve the defense?
Former NFL linebacker Peter Sirmon comes to Starkville after two seasons at Southern Cal, where he was the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach. The 38-year-old rising star was the interim defensive coordinator during the Trojans’ 2015 Holiday Bowl game vs. Wisconsin.
Sirmon is the sixth defensive coordinator at Mississippi State in the past eight years and third in the past three seasons. He has a lot returning on defense but must implement his system, which generally needs time to take hold.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH
- DE Jeffery Simmons: Considered the top player in the state of Mississippi by 247sports.com, Simmons is highly regarded by head coach Dan Mullen, who told hailstate.com; “I see him potentially being the next Fletcher Cox or Kaleb Eulls and when you start getting mentioned with those guys, you are really up there. He has that work ethic, really just that attitude that he’s a very special player.”
- DE Marquiss Spencer: A tremendous athlete, Spencer is a future sack machine off the edge. Explosive of the football, Spencer has the size (6-5, 243) and the potential to be a disruptive force.
- DT Kobe Jones: A strong 6-4, 265, from right there in Starkville, Jones impressed the coaching staff in various camps and is considered the hardest working player on the field. Work ethic and high character are what makes Jones a top recruit.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS TO REPLACE
- QB Dak Prescott
- WR De’Runnya Wilson
- LT Rufus Warren
- LG Justin Malone
- TE Darrion Hutcherson
Two of the team’s top playmakers will be greatly missed. But whichever quarterback emerges, he’ll have weapons to work with.
Fred Ross, the Bulldogs’ second-leading receiver in 2014, and leading receiver in 2015 returns for one more year as the team’s main target. Fred Brown, third on the team in receiving last season, also returns to provide the Bulldogs’ next QB with a plethora of talent to throw to.
And that includes Holloway, the team’s fourth-leading receiver as well as second-leading rusher.
DEFENSIVE STARTERS TO REPLACE
- LB Beniquez Brown
- DT Chris Jones
- CB Taveze Calhoun
The Bulldogs were poised to suit up one of the best defensive units in the SEC for 2016. With the early departures of linebacker Brown and Chris Jones, it leaves big questions in those spots.
Still, eight starters return. That should help bump up the Bulldogs from 10th in total defense in the SEC.
With Sirmon injecting new life, the Bulldogs have room for improvement. Whether they match the 2013 team that ranked fourth in the SEC remains to be seen.
TOP RETURNERS BY CATEGORY
Top returning passer: Nick Fitzgerald (235 yards in 2015)
Top returning rusher: Brandon Holloway (413 yards)
Top returning receiver: Fred Ross (1,007 yards)
Top returning tackler: Richie Brown (109)
Top returning pass rusher: Richie Brown (6.5 sacks)
Top returning pass defender: Brandon Bryant (3 interceptions)
POSITION OF CONCERN: OFFENSIVE LINE
A new quarterback will take center stage for Mississippi State in 2016. So it’s a little concerning that the Bulldogs must also replace the left side of the offensive line.
The Bulldogs’ line yielded 32 sacks last season, even with an experienced, mobile quarterback like Prescott, and that is an issue in 2016. Part of that was because Prescott threw it a league-high 477 times, something the new quarterback won’t be asked to do.
Redshirt freshmen Elgton Jenkins (6-4, 304) and Deion Calhoun (6-3, 303) are next in line on the depth chart at tackle and guard, respectively.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
