STARKVILLE — It’s no secret that Mississippi State is replacing plenty of production on the defensive line.
With defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and defensive ends Montez Sweat and Gerri Green off to the NFL, the MSU defense is in desperate need of playmakers up front. And while the pieces may be inexperienced, senior defensive end Chauncey Rivers figures to bridge that gap.
At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, Rivers has the size to take over Sweat’s spot on the edge. A one-time Georgia player, he recorded 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 13 games last season.
And though Rivers saw action in every game in 2018, MSU coach Joe Moorhead explained that with another year of defensive coordinator Bob Shoop’s scheme under his belt the Bulldog coaching staff are expecting big numbers from Rivers.
“I think Chauncey is really poised for a breakout year,” Moorhead said. “I think he made a lot of really great plays last year, particularly in the pass game. He’s got a very diverse skill-set when it comes to getting to the passer and I think the biggest thing that he worked on this offseason was his size and his strength and I think he is going to be equally effective against the run as he is against the pass this year.”
Receivers making strides
While Rivers is furthering his knowledge of the defensive playbook, the same can be said of the MSU receiving corps on the offensive side of the ball.
Redshirt junior Osirus Mitchell and senior Stephen Guidry totaled just 867 receiving yards between them to lead an offense that consistently struggled with drops and down field offense last season.
But with another year in Moorhead’s system, the group appears to be on track for better results in 2019.
“More than anything we’ve gone back and watched last years cut-ups and sat down to put our installation plan in for fall camp and identified who our playmakers are and ways to get them the ball,” Moorhead said. “We just have to continue to run the ball with a high level of success, improve on that and also become a more explosive, efficient team in the passing game.”
Dantzler continues quest toward elite status
In the spring, junior cornerback Cam Dantzler and his position coach, Terrell Buckley, made one belief quite clear: Dantzler is cornerback in the country.
That said, Moorhead believes there still is room for improvement in the second-team All-Southeastern Conference corner’s game.
“When you look at strictly the physical characteristics, he’s tall, he’s got great length, he’s got excellent speed, he excels in press, cloud and off coverage,” Moorhead said. “I think the thing you’re going to see this year is a little bit more size, a little bit more confidence and hopefully the ability to continue building off what he did last year.”
At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Dantzler finished 2018 with 43 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. He also ranked second in the SEC among cornerbacks with a 41.1 passer rating allowed.
Given those numbers and another offseason in the weight room, Dantzler should anchor a well-tested MSU cornerbacks group alongside senior Maurice Smitherman.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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