Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was in attendance for what he called a “phenomenal” workout by cornerback Martin Emerson at Mississippi State’s pro day on March 22.

Unfortunately for Arnett, no one on the Bulldogs’ 2022 roster quite seems ready to replace the shutdown corner — not early in spring practice, anyway.

“I watched Martin Emerson at pro day, and I don’t feel like I see Martin Emerson running around out here right now,” Arnett said Saturday.

But Arnett insists that’s alright — for now, at least. The Bulldogs still have more than five months before their 2022 season kicks off against Memphis on Sept. 3.

That’s no easy task, as Emerson proved himself one of the best cornerbacks in the Southeastern Conference if not the country. Pro Football Focus gave Emerson an 89.6 out of 100 coverage grade, the second-highest mark among all corners since 2020.

The Pensacola product is a likely second- or third-round pick in April’s draft, leaving a void across from rising junior Emmanuel Forbes at cornerback for the Bulldogs.

Thankfully for Mississippi State, there are plenty of potential reinforcements — and none of them is expected to step perfectly into Emerson’s shoes.

Take Alabama transfer Marcus Banks, a Houston native who announced Dec. 20 he was switching allegiances within the SEC West.

“He don’t need to be Martin Emerson; he just needs to just be the best Banks he can be, run around and play football, and we’ll be fine,” Arnett said.

The Bulldogs defensive coordinator said Banks has picked up on the Bulldogs’ 3-3-5 defensive scheme as fast as any defensive player, praising Banks’ intelligence as well as his speed and ability to change directions.

Banks played sparingly for the overloaded Crimson Tide but recorded an interception against Mercer in his few snaps on the field.

“You see why he was a highly recruited guy out of high school,” Arnett said. “You see why he went to Alabama.”

The Bulldogs also brought in junior college transfer DeCarlos Nicholson to compete at cornerback. Nicholson broke up 16 passes and racked up 13 tackles (two for loss) in nine games at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2021.

Arnett said Nicholson, Banks and West Virginia transfer defensive back Jackie Matthews had all looked as expected so early into spring camp.

“They all flash why we recruited them, right?” Arnett said. “They can run. They can change directions. They can get in and out of breaks. That’s about what you could evaluate right here in helmet practices. We’re looking forward to the 13 remaining ones we’ve got with those guys.”

Matthews has experience at cornerback but will mostly play safety for the Bulldogs. Arnett praised the Pinson Valley (Alabama) product’s positional versatility and said he could be pressed into duty on the outside.

“Obviously, he’s played some corner, so it would not be foreign to him if he got thrown out there a little bit,” Arnett said.

Aside from the three transfers, returning corner Decamerion Richardson should have every chance to prove himself in his junior season. Richardson played in all 13 games, getting additional reps when Forbes was carted off the field against LSU on Sept. 25 and when Emerson was ejected due to targeting Oct. 30 against Kentucky.

He’s another option for Arnett and the Bulldogs to fill the hole Emerson has left.

“We’ve got guys out here battling,” Arnett said. “We don’t expect them to be Martin Emerson right off the bat; we need them to be by the first weekend (of the season).”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.