Should MSU Have an Accurate Depth Chart?
Nov 23, 2013; Little Rock, AR, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Robert Johnson (12) carries the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second quarter at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi State’s official depth chart is always inaccurate. It’s never a true reflection of 1st and 2nd string. Why does MSU put out a phony depth chart?
First off, here it is:
There isn’t too much discrepancy on the offense – although listing Damien Robinson at this point is silly. The guy has been a co-starter for the last three years including this one and never gets on the field other than garbage time and extra points. I’m sure he’s a great kid and a good teammate but can we just accept he wasn’t a 4-star player?
The main issue with the defense is Chris Jones listed as a backup. He is not going to be a backup to anyone. I understand Kaleb Eulls has been an outstanding representative of this team and has started every game of his career, but unfortunately he’s come to his senior year and there’s a guy more talented than him ready to start in his place. Whether Eulls gets the first snap of the game or not, Chris Jones will be playing 80% of the snaps this year on the line.
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So what’s up with not publishing correct depth charts? My first conclusion is Mullen’s intense loyalty to veteran players – wanting to list them as starters because of the time they’ve put into the program. I get that, but is a bigger reason why we should put out a correct depth chart…recruits want to know that if they’re an elite talent they have the opportunity to start.
Chris Jones may not “start” but still play nearly every snap of a game. But the depth chart says one thing, and the intro on the video board says another. If a recruit is at a game and sees Kaleb Eulls giving his own intro and not Jones while Jones is getting the lion’s share of playing time that may hurt our chances with that recruit. Sounds petty, sure…but these are 17-18 year old kids, some younger than that. And pretty much all of them want to have some of the spotlight – their ultimate goal is getting to the NFL. I don’t think it’s accurate to say ‘we don’t want the kid that wants to be on the video board’.
What’s more, it’s confusing to fans. Not that it’s so important for the hardcore MSU fan to know exactly who is going to start at every position, but it gives a false sense of reality. People out go into the year believing a particular player has a chance to compete for a position but they never even see the field.
Is this a huge deal? Absolutely not. Maybe I’m being nit-picky as someone who follows the team to the nth degree. But I’d like to see an accurate depth chart.