Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Offseason Preview

Mike Leach-coached teams are many things, but they are never boring. Mississippi State went 7-6 last season, but that didn’t mean the Bulldogs were predictable or uninteresting. This team scored an upset win at Texas A&M. It trailed Auburn by more than 20 points on the road but rallied to win in the second half. The season-ending Egg Bowl rivalry game with Ole Miss was competitive and fascinating, before the Bulldogs fell short against the team they want to beat the most. Mississippi State was not easily categorized, either. Leach is a teacher of the passing game, and his teams are known for having high-octane offenses and bad defenses, but that wasn’t necessarily the case last season. The offense had some games in which it scuffled, and the defense had some games – such as the win over Texas A&M – in which it did most of the heavy lifting for this team. Mississippi State is a wild ride, and the upcoming 2022 season promises the same unpredictability and intrigue.

Key Personnel Lost

MSU loses offensive lineman Charles Cross, a No. 9 pick in the NFL draft, and cornerback Martin Emerson, a top-70 NFL draft pick. Cross in particular is a huge loss along the offensive front. Replacing him will be a foremost priority for Leach and his offensive staff.

Important Incoming Freshmen

Marquez Dortch is a promising wide receiver who will try to rev up a passing game which sputtered at times last season. The Bulldogs, as noted above, weren’t always the offense-first team many people associate with Mike Leach-coached squads. Dortch will try to increase this offense’s upside and its ability to attack opposing secondaries down the field.

Trevion Williams is one of the better defensive linemen MSU was able to recruit. On a team which often got quality production from its defense last season, Williams can ensure that at the very least, there will be no meaningful dropoff from 2021. He might even be able to create an outright improvement on the defensive side of the ball in Starkville.

Key Position Battles

The departure of Charles Cross makes it so important for Mississippi State to find offensive linemen who can handle the heat and the toughness of the SEC. Mississippi State’s offense was inconsistent last year for a multitude of reasons, but ultimately the offensive line wasn’t imposing enough. This is where Leach needs to beef up the roster and get a higher caliber of player. When MSU can stand in the trenches and play physical football, that’s when it will be able to rise toward the Alabama or Texas A&M standard in the SEC West. Ole Miss became a noticeably more physical team last season, so MSU needs to improve in this area of play if it wants to win the 2022 Egg Bowl and establish bragging rights over and against Lane Kiffin, a coach it sorely wants to defeat.

Biggest Offseason Goal(s)

Other than the offensive line, MSU needs to align all the pieces of its offense so that Leach’s Air Raid can take off and realize its potential. MSU’s defense just needs to be competent, but the offense needs to be special for this program to truly max out its resources.