STARKVILLE — Mississippi State safeties coach Brett Dewhurst has been tasked with one of the team’s toughest jobs this fall camp, looking to replace all three starters at the back end of the Bulldogs’ defense.
“Nobody cares and the hard thing about the back end is it is hard to cover up mistakes,” Dewhurst said Thursday to local media following the team’s practice session. “If they happen, usually points occur. There is a lot of competition right now and like Coach Arnett always says throughout the year, ‘Whoever practices the best will get a chance to go play and start, and if you don’t compete well in the games, there will probably be a new starter next week.’ Just trying to figure out the three best right now.”
If it worked out the way Dewhurst wanted, the Bulldogs would be throwing out three experienced safeties when the defense takes the field Sept. 2 against Southeastern Louisiana to open the season at Davis Wade Stadium. However, true freshman Isaac Smith continues to stake a claim to playing time with just a week to go before the opening kick.
“You talk to Isaac like he has been here for three years but he is still a true freshman,” Dewhurst said.
Smith, from Fulton, had to quickly catch up to many of his teammates after missing offseason OTAs and spring ball with an injury. Throughout fall camp, he has been talked about by coaches, including first-year head coach Zach Arnett, as a guy who could see early playing time, either on special teams or at safety.
“The good thing is he knows football and rarely tries to make the same mistake twice,” Dewhurst said. “He is learning and growing.”
If Dewhurst doesn’t feel comfortable sending Smith out as an opening-game starter, he could instead lean on an older guy in Corey Ellington, who has been with the program the past two years. Along with Ellington, Marcus Banks and Shawn Preston Jr. appear to be two guys who are also trending for starting safety spots, according to Dewhurst.
“Marcus has been around,” he said. “A fifth-year guy that has played a lot of football. He is ready for it to be his time…Shawn has been doing a good job. He came back for a reason to help every which way and be a leader. Those guys are going to have to be the ones to step up and lead by example and bring the other guys along.”
Deonte Anderson trending up for defensive line
Now back for his third stint in Starkville, defensive line coach David Turner feels back at home working again with the Bulldogs. More than just about anyone, Turner, who coached at Georgia Tech last season, knows just how important creating depth at the defensive line will be important for MSU’s defense to succeed this year in the SEC.
“In this league you can’t play 65-70 snaps a game up front,” Turner said Thursday. “You can’t do it. Hopefully they understand it is about developing depth and I got to feel good that you know what to do, let alone how to do it. But some of those younger guys are starting to come along.”
By now, Turner knows what he is going to get from many of MSU’s experienced lineman, like Jaden Crumedy and Nathan Pickering, who are viewed as leaders amongst the group. Turner is also gaining more trust in many of MSU’s younger guys, like Deonte Anderson.
“He’s definitely been better than he was in the spring,” Turner said of Anderson. “That would be an improvement. By no stretch is he where he needs to be, but he is working and trending in the right direction.”
Anderson, a sophomore from Miami, Florida, has been one of fall camp’s bigger standouts, and he’s looking to make a big jump after limited playing time the past two years. Last year, Anderson played in five games, mostly on special teams, after redshirting in 2021.
Though Anderson still may not be ready to crack MSU’s starting three-man front (though Arnett noted there could be times that the Bulldogs go to a four-man front), with Crumedy, Pickering and senior De’Monte Russell holding down spots, he still figures to be an important part of Turner’s rotation this fall.
He has had some really good practices and some bad, but that’s not different from anyone else,” Turner said. “I’m pleased with where he is. I believe he is a little more focused and stronger. That compliments him and where he is right now. He is starting to come along.”
Will Friend praises Percy Lewis in OL battle
New offensive line coach Will Friend had the luck of walking into a great situation at MSU, with an offensive line returning four starters from the 2022 season.
With Nick Jones (left guard), Cole Smith (center), Steven Losoya (right guard) and Kameron Jones (right tackle) already presumed to be locked into those positions, Friend has had to oversee the starting left tackle battle this camp between Kwatrivous Johnson and Percy Lewis.
Johnson and Lewis have both been around the block in Starkville with Lewis, a JUCO transfer, playing in 13 games for the Bulldogs last season and Johnson having made 16 starts since the 2018 season. Still, as the first game nears for MSU, Lewis is picking up some steam in an effort to crack the starting line.
“I think Percy has all kinds of talent,” Friend said. “He is a really talented player. Has size, can bend and move. He’s got to focus on the little things and like we tell him all the time, ‘The only thing that can stop Percy, is Percy.’ He is an extremely talented player that I think will continue to get better as he is here.”
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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