Mississippi State Football Post Spring Football Depth Chart Predictions
By Ethan Lee
![STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 4: Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs carries the ball during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Davis Wade Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 4: Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs carries the ball during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Davis Wade Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9405c6cb2d1c487337b4b8aed13b5467011a63423b1c5c87abbd4a29ebeb1d48.jpg)
Linebacker
Heading into the 2018 season, the Mississippi State football team actually doesn’t have as much depth at linebacker as the Bulldogs have had in recent seasons. But, because of a change in the defensive scheme with Bob Shoop leading things, that lack of depth shouldn’t matter as much this year as it would in others.
Based off of what we’ve seen in the spring, the Bulldogs are probably going to play a lot of nickel packages and line up at 4-2-5 for much of the year. That’s a pretty notable change from how the Bulldogs have lined up in the past, but it should still succeed.
Leo Lewis had a phenomenal freshman season and then slumped a bit last year. Lewis is incredibly talented but will need to return to form for him to shine at this position in 2018. Errol Thompson’s Mississippi State career got off to a pretty good start last season. Thompson’s freshman season saw him getting on the field throughout the year and making plays frequently.
Willie Gay chose to come to MSU and his freshman year was a pretty good one. The experience that both Errol Thompson and Willie Gay get now will pay off for the Bulldogs in the long run. Don’t be surprised if Gay gets starts this season depending on how he develops alongside Thompson.
- Starter- Leo Lewis
- Starter- Errol Thompson
- Backup- Willie Gay
- Backup- Tim Washington
- Backup- Tyler Dunning