MSU Defense: Are Incoming Starters Better than the Old Ones?
All summer long we’ve heard about how Mississippi State’s defense only returns three starters from last year….and lost defensive coordinator Geoff Collins to Florida. Well, let’s put that to the test.
First off, three starters is a technicality because Chris Jones and Will Redmond were more talented than the “1a” guys and were in the game more often than not at crucial times. Richie Brown was the team’s 6th leading tackler and tied for team lead in INT. Kendrick Market started 12 games in 2013, but moved to the “1b” in 2014 with the return of Jay Hughes. So, three starters or six, maybe even seven?
Regardless of what your count is on returning starters, who will be the guys replacing the players who have moved on:
- Preston Smith
- P.J. Jones
- Kaleb Eulls
- Christian Holmes
- Matt Wells
- Benardrick McKinney
- Jay Hughes
- Justin Cox
- Jamerson Love
There’s a lot of talent there – two second round draft picks (Smith, McKinney) and three other guys currently on NFL rosters (Eulls, Wells, Hughes). Cox and Love couldn’t stay out of trouble, unfortunately.
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But, of course, let’s go back to the Dan Mullen development argument. Coming out of high school maybe Eulls or Wells would’ve been projected as possible pro players. Yet there were seven players to sign NFL contracts, not two. Somehow, that principal doesn’t seem to apply to the next crop of Bulldogs who will take center stage in 2015. But it doesn’t make sense, because they were more highly touted coming out of high school than their predecessors.
*ratings via Rivals
Defensive Line
| 2014 starter | Star rating | 2015 replacement | Star rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Smith | 3 | A.J. Jefferson | 3 |
| Kaleb Eulls | 4 | Nelson Adams | 3 |
| P.J. Jones | 4 | Chris Jones | 5 |
| Ryan Brown | 3 | N/A | N/A |
Preston Smith is gone – a player who was rated as low as a two star by 247, and A.J. Jefferson a 4-star by them. What kind of hype did Preston Smith have prior to the 2014 season? Not much – so why can’t A.J. Jefferson make just as much noise, or at least provide a solid replacement while second year starter Ryan Brown continues to improve on the other side?
In total, 2014’s defensive line had 14 combined recruiting stars. 2015’s DL have 14 as well.
Linebackers
| 2014 starter | Star rating | 2015 replacement | Star rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Wells | 3 | Zach Jackson/J.T. Gray | 3 |
| Benardrick McKinney | 3 | Richie Brown | 4 |
| Beniquez Brown | 3 | N/A | N/A |
Most say MSU will have a hard time replacing McKinney, a 2nd round NFL pick, but Richie Brown was actually a higher rated prospect out of high school. And even though Benardrick was listed as the Middle Linebacker, which is usually regarded as the “quarterback of the defense”, it was actually Beniquez Brown leading the charge by making calls on the field last year. Replacing Matt Wells will be a challenge for sure, although some say J.T. Gray is a Wells clone.
In total, 2014’s linebackers had 9 combined recruiting stars. 2015’s LB’s have 10.
Secondary
| 2014 starter | Star rating | 2015 replacement | Star rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamerson Love | 3 | Will Redmond | 4 |
| Justin Cox | 3 | Kivon Coman | 3 |
| Jay Hughes | 3 | Kendrick Market | 3 |
| Taveze Calhoun | 3 | N/A | N/A |
Experience at safety is the biggest concern for the Bulldogs but basically you’re just swapping out 3-stars for 3-stars. Then at cornerback you’ve got an upgrade from a 3 to a 4. And as I mentioned above, Kendrick Market was the starter in 2013.
In total, 2014’s secondary had 12 combined recruiting stars. 2015’s DB’s have 13.
There is more talent, based on the recruiting services, on Mississippi State’s 2015 defense than there was in 2014.
As for replacing Geoff Collins – Manny Diaz is about four years ahead of him: leaving MSU for a college football blue blood. He has a proven track record of success, and give him some talent to work with and he’ll produce results. And State has more talent than they did last year despite the lack of returning starters.