Mike Leach and the Bulldogs return to the field Friday.
The practice field, anyway.
With Mississippi State set to hold its first practice of preseason training camp Friday afternoon at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, here are four things we’re looking for as the Bulldogs build up to their Sept. 3 season opener against Memphis.
Will Rogers’ development
For the first time under Leach, Mississippi State returns an established starting quarterback.
Will Rogers is the expected starter under center as he enters his junior year. Rogers threw for 4,739 yards and tossed 36 touchdown passes last season, a productive year in Leach’s Air Raid system.
And how much he’s improved over the offseason will go a long way in determining what kind of year it could be in Starkville.
If Rogers has taken the leap, he could be primed to lead MSU to a nine- or 10-win regular season. If not, the young quarterback’s limitations could curtail the Bulldogs — or cost Rogers his starting job.
Questions at tackle
Rogers was certainly helped by the steady presence of left tackle Charles Cross, who steadfastly held down his quarterback’s blind side throughout the year.
But Cross is gone, as is right tackle Scott Lashley. Cross was a top-10 pick by the Seattle Seahawks in April’s NFL draft, while Lashley played his final collegiate season with the Bulldogs last fall.
It leaves two holes on Mississippi State’s offensive line that must be filled adequately if MSU is to protect Rogers.
Hulking junior-college tackle Percy Lewis — listed at 6-foot-8 and 335 pounds — could be one player to step into a tackle spot for the Bulldogs. Redshirt freshman Albert Reese IV, who saw time as a reserve last season, is another; guard Kwatrivous Johnson has been receiving reps at tackle as well.
State of the pass rush
Mississippi State had just 28 sacks as a team last season, often failing to bring its pass rush home on opposing quarterbacks.
Consequently, the Bulldogs were prone to giving up big plays, including back-breaking touchdowns against LSU, Alabama and other teams.
But maybe the return of defensive end Jordan Davis can help fix MSU’s pass-rushing woes.
Davis, a former standout at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, returns after missing all of last season with a reported torn ACL. He played sparingly in 2020 but should be set to be a big contributor along the defensive line.
Mississippi State’s linebackers also played a part in the Bulldogs’ 2021 pass rush, as Tyrus Wheat led the team with 7 1/2 sacks and Nathaniel Watson added five.
Filling a hole at cornerback
Teams rarely threw Martin Emerson’s way when the Pensacola, Florida, native was lined up at cornerback for Mississippi State.
But with Emerson gone to the professional ranks, there’s a hole at cornerback in Starkville — at least for now.
Emmanuel Forbes, returning for his junior year, will fill one spot. Decamerion Richardson, who was solid while filling in for Emerson at times last season, has a claim to the other.
But Alabama transfer Marcus Banks could push Richardson and steal a starting job.
Whoever replaces Emerson might not be able to fill his shoes, but they will have to keep MSU’s secondary intact to limit big gains.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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