1. How will MSU handle only one healthy scholarship quarterback available for the spring season?
If the first practice is any indication, rising sophomore backup quarterback Dak Prescott was involved in a limited capacity and was able to throw dump-off passes to running backs in the flat while sitting in a chair. Prescott injured the big toe on his left foot last season and had to have surgery in the offseason. His foot will remain in a cast in the spring. Rising senior Tyler Russell is the only other quarterback listed on the depth chart.
MSU signed Cord Sandberg, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder out of Manatee High School (Fla.) and Damian Williams, a 6-1, 215-pounder out of Metairie, La., in February.
“You guys come to practice you’ll be scratching your heads sometimes as (Prescott) will be sitting on a box, with his foot still in a cast, in a chair throwing,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said Wednesday. “He won’t be very mobile, but that’s why he won’t be doing any team stuff. We’re getting accustomed to it and (Prescott will) be doing more routes and one-on-one stuff, but there is the opportunity for us to do that in seven-on-seven as spring moves forward.”
2. Which underclassmen will emerge after their first seasons?
Mullen disregarded a spring depth chart created by the media relations staff for its youth. Mullen, who is in his fifth season, said the coaching staff doesn’t recognize the depth chart and that it won’t pay any attention to the fact this year’s version includes 10 sophomores and a redshirt freshman. For Mullen and a coaching staff that includes familiar but new faces at several position groups, including wide receiver, defensive line, and cornerbacks, the spring season is a chance to stress to younger players that this is a moment to take leadership on the team.
“We showed the team there’s a lot of tackles, a lot of pass breakups, a bunch of sacks, a ton of interceptions to make up for,” Mullen said. “I think over 180 receptions and over 2,200 yards — 22 touchdowns — all missing off of last year’s team, so there’s tremendous opportunity to become a starter, to become even a role player. There’s a tremendous opportunity to become a star player. There’s a tremendous opportunity for new leadership out, not just in the offseason, but as it goes more. Those opportunities are out there. They’ve been training. Now they get the opportunity to go out there and earn some of those opportunities out on the field.”
3. How much different will the MSU defense look with Geoff Collins as a coordinator and two new position coaches?
New cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend will have to replace three seniors, including Jonathan Banks and Darius Slay, who are highly regarded NFL draft prospects. On the depth chart, MSU has East Mississippi Community College transfer Justin Cox and junior Jamerson Love as starters, but Mullen reminded everyone playing time at those playing spots is wide open.
“What’s really neat for (Townsend) in that role is these guys are coming back as first-year starters (and) he’s coming in as a first-year coach,” Mullen said, “so they’re all kind of going through it together with us. I like that. I like the fact that in his mind there’s no preconceived notions of any of these guys. There’s no depth chart at that position. He could put anybody he wants on the field at any time. We’ve got to see who can do what.”
4. Which member of the receiving depth chart will produce he most and develop chemistry with Russell?
MSU isn’t sure who will emerge after it lost four starting wide receivers to graduation. Russell’s experience will give him the chance to have more input in the spread-option playbook.
“The great thing when you have a fifth-year senior quarterback, he is going to feel very comfortable in making his input,” Mullen said. “I think some young guys sometimes they want to give input but they don’t know they know enough to give input that makes sense. Tyler knows our system, he knows our offense, he knows what we want to accomplish, he knows what he is comfortable with. He is going to have a lot of input because I can trust his input. He’s going to say, ‘Hey, if I’m going to throw a fade to this guy I like this guy getting this matchup to the field, I like this guy to the boundary better. I like trying to lay it out for one guy or back-shoulder another guy.’ He is going to feel a lot more comfortable and be able to express that to us to make sure we create the matchups as we put this offense together.”
5. How much of what Mullen and the coaches see in the spring will translate to the fall?
Mullen admitted Wednesday it’s hard to see a correlation from the spring production to what MSU is trying to accomplish as it prepares for its season opener against Oklahoma State University on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
“You really look at what the best way to teach in the spring,” Mullen said. “We’re not preparing for a game. We’re developing and teaching and becoming better football players. A lot of times guys think they’re going hard in the spring. You go watch them and the reality on film is they’re not, so you’re still coaching that effort aspect of it to show them you can go a lot harder. That’s just the young-player mentality.”
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