Mississippi State Football: 5 biggest question marks

Here are the five biggest questions marks for the 2016 Mississippi State football team.

This fall the Bulldogs will field a team that is not unlike several other SEC West teams in that there are a number of question marks. That is, positions on the field that we are unsure about.

Like these other West teams with glaring questions (Auburn, Texas A&M, Arkansas specifically), MSU has a lot of talent and in some cases plenty of depth at some of these positions. But inexperience and youth lend itself to uneasiness or unwillingness to buy in just yet.

We’ll go from five to one, and coming in at number five – in a tie – are Tight End and Defensive Tackle.

5. Tie between TE and DT.

Tight End – Dan Mullen loves to use his tight end. In fact, he uses him as a H-back, WR, sixth offensive lineman and a traditional tight end. It’s a vital position for the MSU offense, and one that’s had a number of players perform well in.

Gus Walley’s career is over after battling head injuries, so that leaves Justin Johnson, Ferrod Green and Justin Thomas and the three guys who’ll see playing time (barring a big surprise from a true freshman). Johnson actually played as a true freshman in 2015, but did so sparingly. Green and Thomas have yet to see any action as a Bulldog.

Defensive Tackle –  this could just be put into one position with the move to a 3-4 scheme: nose tackle. The men tasked with holding down the nose will be Nick James and Nelson Adams. These two are seniors, and while both players have a lot of talent and experience neither has really been consistently good during their careers. There’s other guys like Braxton Hoyett or Cory Thomas who’ll push for playing time as well. This is a very important role on the D-line, so someone needs to really step up.

Next: Number 4