STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football is back.
Coach Joe Moorhead and staff kicked off fall camp Friday night with portions of the session open to the media as the Bulldogs begin their final preparations for the 2019 season.
These were the day’s major takeaways:
Quarterbacks conundrum
No, Moorhead did not select a starting quarterback after one day of practice. That said, Saturday was the first time reporters caught a glimpse of Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens.
Stevens demonstrated a wide array of passes — hitting receivers over the middle and down the sideline during positional work.
He and incumbent junior Keytaon Thompson are currently splitting reps between the first and second team in a battle that is sure to last into camp.
“The way we do it is we switch every period,” Moorhead said. “Whoever goes with the ones on the first drill will then go with the twos on the second drill. That way they are getting an even number of reps with both the ones and twos in every period and throughout practice.”
Beyond the front-runners, freshmen Jalen Mayden and Garrett Shrader looked solid in limited work. Shrader suffered a torn labrum before arriving at MSU, though he has not been limited.
“There were no lingering effects,” Moorhead said of the injury. “He was one of our top performers from a strength and conditioning testing standpoint. He went out and was ripping it today.”
Mayden and Shrader are almost assuredly lined up for mop-up duty in 2019, but with their improvement there’s evident depth developing at the quarterback position.
Moorhead spent much of Friday’s press conference harping on how much stronger his team got during the offseason thanks in major part to new strength and conditioning coach Cory Bichey.
Of those beneficiaries, senior receivers Malik Dear and Stephen Guidry both looked to have taken advantage of the offseason workout program.
Dear was noticeably slimmer during the first day of practice and showed some explosiveness off the line while running with the No. 2 offense.
As for Guidry, he looked to have put on some weight as he bulked up over the summer. The latest MSU roster notes he’s gained 10 pounds after playing his junior year at 190 pounds.
In terms of on field production, sophomore Devonta “Whop” Jason impressed on day one– snagging a handful of throws along the sideline during individual work.
Jason is one of just four MSU receivers standing 6-foot-3 or taller and could find himself in the mix for snaps given his size in a receiving corps that lacks it.
Onlookers also caught their first glimpse of Kansas State transfer Isaiah Zuber. A special teams ace in four years with the Wildcats, Zuber is expected to make an impact in the passing and return games.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Moorhead said. “Obviously, his body of work as a receiver and returner in the Big 12 speaks for itself. ”
Competitive edge
Like the first day of school, the opening of camp brought a renewed optimism for the 2019 season.
Moorhead said there was a noticeable energy amongst his players on the opening day.
“One of the things I was more impressed by today is the sense of urgency and execution that has been increased because of the enhanced competition at every position,” he said. “You go across the board where different battles are going on. Guys want to get on the field, so they’re trying to be on top of their game throughout practice so they can play. ”
Following an 8-5 campaign last year, there’s a level of understanding MSU missed opportunities. Yet with a second offseason learning Moorhead’s playbook and playing time up for grabs, there’s reason to believe the Bulldogs may have an added edge in the early going this season.
Walker incoming, Waitman in a holding pattern
The Mississippi State football roster is reaching its completion.
Following Friday’s opening practice of fall camp, coach Moorhead announced a handful of roster changes.
Of note, junior college running back Kareem Walker is expected to arrive early next week. Walker is clearing up a handful of academic and administrative issues before heading to Starkville.
A one-time Michigan player, he spent the 2018 season at Ft. Scott Community College in Kansas. Walker rushed for 207 yards and one touchdown on 64 carries for the Greyhounds.
Other roster moves included the news South Alabama transfer Corliss Waitman had his waiver for a sixth year of eligibility denied by the NCAA. Moorhead said Waitman is discussing next steps with his family.
An appeal is expected, though Moorhead said he would update the situation when it became more official.
Waitman was expected to be in the mix with junior Reed Bowman and senior Kody Schexnayder to back up incumbent starting punter Tucker Day while potentially factoring in as a kickoff specialist.
He spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career under the guidance of MSU special teams coordinator Joey Jones, who previously served as the head coach at South Alabama for nine years prior to joining Moorhead’s staff in 2018.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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