STARKVILLE — Mike Leach’s second spring in Starkville is taking on a different look.
With the COVID-19 pandemic under slightly more control, Mississippi State is expected to get a full spring slate ahead of its maroon and white game scheduled for April 17.
But things won’t be completely settled when MSU gets back into the swing of things over the next few weeks. Here’s a look at some of the most pressing position battles heading into spring ball:
Is Will Rogers the de facto No. 1 quarterback, or does Jack Abraham supplant him?
Will Rogers was far from sharp when he was thrust into a near-impossible situation of relieving K.J. Costello early last season. But for as erratic as Rogers was to start, he clearly improved over the final two months of the 2020 season, completing at least 58 percent of his passes in all seven games he appeared in.
Yet for as much as Rogers progressed, it’s no guarantee he sticks as the starter in Starkville.
Jack Abraham arrives at MSU as a walk-on, but his ability is far from it. In 27 career games at Southern Miss, Abraham recorded over 7,000 yards passing on 859 attempts. In 2019, he became just the third Golden Eagle quarterback to ever throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, while his 463-yard day against Troy was the second-best mark in school history.
Most compelling, however, was Abraham’s 2018 season. Taking over under center in Hattiesburg following a spell at Northwest Mississippi Community College, he finished third in the nation with a 79.3 adjusted completion percentage according to Pro Football Focus under the guidance of then-offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Dawson, of course, is a longtime confidant of Leach and Hal Mumme disciple and Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen, and his system closely mimics his mentors’ schemes.
Rogers heads into this spring with a slight edge in the competition if only since he’s spent a year in Leach’s system, but given Abraham’s past success in an air raid scheme, there’s reason to believe the Southern Miss import will be taking No. 1 reps when MSU opens the season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4.
(This also doesn’t include four-star prospect Sawyer Robertson, who won’t arrive on campus until the summer and could hypothetically factor into the competition as well).
How does MSU balance its receiving corps?
With Osirus Mitchell opting to chase professional aspirations, the Bulldogs are suddenly in need of playmakers on the outside heading into Leach’s second fall, though they aren’t lacking for options.
Most likely, it will be Jaden Walley who becomes MSU’s No. 1 go-to target, if he wasn’t already. Bursting onto the scene during his first season at MSU, Walley dazzled onlookers with his burst off the line of scrimmage and ability to make catches in tight coverage. Named a second-team freshman all-American by The Athletic, he broke MSU’s 43-year-old freshman receiving record and became the first pass catcher since Fred Ross in 2015 to notch four consecutive 100-yard games.
Blessed with arguably the best footspeed of any receiver on the roster, senior JaVonta Payton has played in the slot and on the outside during his time in Starkville. So far, that’s only amounted to 28 receptions for 372 yards and one touchdown, but the potential is there to play opposite Walley.
There are, of course, a handful of other options that should give the Bulldogs a wealth of depth. California transfer Makai Polk arrives at MSU after recording 36 receptions for 478 yards and three touchdowns in just 17 games with the Golden Bears. He’ll be expected to compete for a starting spot immediately.
Freshman Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin and former four-star junior college recruit Malik Heath figure to get a handful of more opportunities in their second go-rounds. Griffin was a prolific tool in the return game a year ago but spent the bulk of the year adding size to his 5-foot-10 frame. Heath was a major fixture in last year’s puzzle, and he’ll be expected to elevate his game in a larger role this season.
MSU also brought in a plethora of talented first year players in four-star receivers Teddy Knox and Antonio Harmon along with three-star prospects Rodarius Thomas and Jacobi Moore. Junior college product Caleb Ducking, who didn’t see any action last year, also figures to be in the mix for time this fall.
In short, MSU has plenty of options to replace Mitchell’s production. The question here is moreso who sees the field when, versus whether legit options exist.
Erroll Thompson is gone, so what happens at linebacker?
For the first time in what seems like 20 years, Erroll Thompson will no longer patrol the middle of the MSU defense. Thompson, who opted to chase professional opportunities over returning for another season, will now watch as sophomore Nathaniel Watson presumably slides into his spot.
Watson, who received wide acclaim from defensive coordinator Zach Arnett and teammates a season ago, burst onto the scene in playing all three linebacker spots during the 2020 campaign. With Thompson now out of the picture and sophomore Aaron Brule slated to take on a role on the outside, it’s expected Watson will command the middle of the defense.
This isn’t to say there won’t be some challenges to his throne. The Bulldogs signed four-star inside linebacker John Lewis out of Germantown in their 2021 class, while former Copiah-Lincoln Community College teammates Jordan Davis and Tyrus Wheat are back in the fold — though they could play on the outside or even move down toward the line of scrimmage.
MSU finished the 2020 season fifth in the SEC in total defense despite a youthful unit. Now one year older, Watson and his compatriots stand to be a force in the middle of Arnett’s 3-3-5 scheme with another spring under their belts.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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