STARKVILLE — Starkville High senior defensive tackle Jaylan Ware stood against a brick column.
With a smug grin, he peered on as senior linebacker Tyrese Hopkins conducted an interview with a local reporter.
Trying his best not to crack character, Hopkins pulled his left hand to his face to mask his laugh.
Despite having lost two of its first three games for the first time since 2013, the mood in the Yellow Jackets locker room has remained rather upbeat and positive.
“We didn’t help ourselves out,” coach Chris Jones said of last week’s loss to West Point. “We turned the ball over, missed tackles, just little, simple, small stuff that we need to fix and that’s going to allow us the chance to win.”
The offense has done its job to date — averaging 33.7 points and 348 yards per game — whereas the Yellow Jacket defense remains a work in progress.
Having replaced eight starters from last year’s squad, Ware and Hopkins have helped stabilize this season’s defensive contingent.
Hopkins, a Noxubee County transfer, has quickly endeared himself to the Yellow jacket faithful. In three games this season he ranks sixth on the team in tackles (18) and boasts two tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries.
A late addition to this year’s team, Hopkins coyly concedes there are a handful of plays he’s not quite 100 percent sure on, but that he’s leaps and bounds ahead of where he was when he began training camp.
On the interior, Ware has been a steadying force for the youthful defense. He currently sits tied for the team lead in tackles (26) — a spot usually reserved for defensive backs and linebackers.
“Everyone can improve — even me,” Ware said of the Yellow Jacket defense. “We just need to get better in different phases.
Entering a Week Three matchup against Louisville, Starkville’s defensive will again be tested by an opposing signal caller.
A dual-threat under center, Wildcats junior quarterback Bryandrea Shumaker is more than capable of moving the Louisville offense with both his arm and legs.
Following a meager performance against Noxubee County in the season opener, he’s totaled 465 yards and four touchdowns on 28-of-40 passing while adding another 19 carries for 43 yards rushing the past two games.
“We’ve got to be fundamentally sound in our run-fits and staying with your guy when he scrambles,” Jones said. “Because that’s when he likes to find the big play.”
With Shumaker’s noted dynamism, Starkville’s defensive ends will be forced to stay true to their outside contain and not get too far upfield on pass-rushing downs.
For Hopkins, he’s likely to prowl the second level of the defense as a spy — something he’s more than comfortable with having played against Shumaker during his time at Noxubee County.
“When he gets out of the pocket and makes a couple moves (it’s tough to defend),” Hopkins said. “But me, I know all of them by now.”
None of this is to say the Starkville offense is without issues. Jones told The Dispatch Wednesday juniors Luke Altmyer and NyJal Johnson will both see time at quarterback this week after Altmyer was yanked in the second half of the West Point game.
That said, with Shumaker’s playmaking ability, it will be the Starkville defense under the microscope in Week Three.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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