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Mississippi State Football Spring Practice Overview: Defensive Backs

By Justin Strawn

Dec 30, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett (12) runs the ball while Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Brandon Bryant (20) pursues during the third quarter in the 2015 Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Wolfpack 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett (12) runs the ball while Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Brandon Bryant (20) pursues during the third quarter in the 2015 Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Wolfpack 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Taking a look at each position group as the Mississippi State Football team gets ready for Spring Practice in 2016.

The Mississippi State Football team is going to have a lot to prove in the defensive backfield. The team lost two starters during the 2015 season when Will Redmond and Kendrick Market went down with season ending injuries. The two injuries didn’t hurt too much until the team was torched by Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.

Players leaving from the 2015 Mississippi State Football team

  • Will Redmond
  • Taveze Calhoun
  • Kendrick Market

2016 Recruiting Class Early Enrollees

  • C.J. Morgan Walker – Incoming Fresman
  • Lashard Durr – JUCO transfer

2016 Returning Players and 2016 Classification

  • Cedric Jiles – Senior
  • Tolando Cleveland – Senior
  • Kivon Coman- Senior
  • Deontay Evans -Senior
  • Jamoral Graham – Junior
  • Jamal Peters – Sophomore
  • Brandon Bryant – Sophomore
  • Chris Rayford – Redshirt Freshman
  • Chris Stamps – Redshirt Freshman
  • Maurice Smitherman – Redhsirt Freshman
  • Mark McLaurin – Redhsirt Freshman

2016 Recruiting Class Players on the way

  • John Michael Hankerson

At first glance, you might be led to believe the Mississippi State football team will end up replacing a bunch of experienced players in 2017. But looks can be deceiving.

When the Two Deep Spring Roster is released, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jiles, Cleveland, Coman and Evans all listed as the “starters”. I put it in quotes because I don’t know that any of those seniors will keep their starting spots, or at the very least, I anticipate the underclassmen to get more of the playing time.

Brandon Bryant received most of the playing time after Market went down and shined most of the time as a Redshirt Freshman in 2015. The coaches might go ahead and list him as a starter, but he is the best returning defensive back we have. Jamal Peters should be the first choice to join him as a safety.

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The corners were a mess after Redmond and Calhoun. Cleveland was burned repeatedly whenever he was on the field. Jiles really hasn’t played enough to know what we have in him. So if they don’t get the majority of the playing time or reps in spring practice for the Mississippi State football team, who will?

Lashard Durr, the JUCO transfer out of Co-Lin Community College should be plugged in by the coaching staff this spring and worked in to the rotation immediately. He might have only been a three star, but the coaches talked about Durr as a type who can help immediately.

Jamoral Graham and Maurice Smitherman should also play bigger roles in 2016 for the Mississippi State football team, and I would expect them to get more time in at corner this spring.

The defense for the Mississippi State football team is expected to be one of the best in the country in 2016. But it will only be as strong as the weakest link, and the weakest link is the secondary. This group will have big say in whether or not the Mississippi State football team flies high in 2016 or crashes and burns.

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