Mississippi State entered the season with some talent and has played stout up front on defense for several years.

Then players like Preston Smith and Beniquez Brown emerged as better than anticipated. Consider the fact that WR Jameon Lewis, S Justin Cox and DE Chris Jones aren’t on the list below and you begin to understand why the Bulldogs are a legitimate Top 15 team: coach Dan Mullen finally has the top-end talent to match most of the best SEC programs.

1. QB Dak Prescott: Let’s get No. 15 out of the way first. Yes, he’s a running quarterback. One that’s the caliber of a Johnny Manziel. But he’s a tremendously efficient passer as well. Prescott has 11 touchdowns to two interceptions, completes better than 60 percent of his throws and is averaging 10.0 yards per attempt. (For reference, Kenny Hill averages 9.7.) He’s a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate that only needs another win or two against a ranked team to solidify himself as such.

2. RB Josh Robinson: Just like we’ve seen at Auburn, running backs are exponentially better when they play next to running quarterbacks. Not that Robinson isn’t talented — he gashed LSU for 201 total yards two weeks ago — but defending both players on the same snap is next to impossible to do for 60 minutes. Robinson averages 7.8 yards per carry in addition to being a decent pass-catcher.

3. LB Benardrick McKinney: He’s one of the most productive players on a good MSU defense (27 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks). But McKinney is more than that. He’s got NFL size and speed. Offenses must game plan to account for him. He’s a first or second-day NFL draft pick in 2015 and one of the reasons the Bulldogs suddenly match up well with ranked teams.

4. DE Preston Smith: He made SEC history by hogging the Defensive Lineman of the Week award three consecutive times. A fringe NFL prospect at best entering the season, Smith quickly is cementing himself as a draft pick. Just look at what he’s done in four games: blocked two punts, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and made three sacks. That’s as disruptive as any defensive player in the SEC.

5. LB Beniquez Brown: The redshirt sophomore had to replace an NFL starter in Deontae Skinner. So far, so good. Brown has 3.5 tackles for loss, but more importantly, his defensive coordinator credits him with recognizing formations and making the defensive play calls. That’s a significant responsibility for a college underclassman.