Mississippi State football: First-look 2019 depth chart projections
By Ethan Lee
Offense
Notable losses: The Mississippi State Bulldogs are tasked with replacing plenty of offensive production. Starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, though limited as a passer, made sure his name was written all over MSU’s record book during his time in Starkville. Running back Aeris Williams, though not the full-time starter in 2018, was incredibly productive throughout his career. And then there are several talented offensive linemen who have left as well.
QB: Tommy Stevens, graduate transfer | Keytaon Thompson, junior | Jalen Mayden, redshirt freshman | Garrett Shrader freshman
The quarterback battle in Starkville just got significantly more interesting as former Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens transferred to Mississippi State. Stevens is familiar with Joe Moorhead’s offensive schemes and could challenge Keytaon Thompson for that starting spot. It’s highly unlikely that Stevens would have traveled down to Starkville with one remaining season of eligibility if he didn’t think that he’d be the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs.
RB: Kylin Hill, junior | Nick Gibson, senior | Kareem Walker, redshirt junior
Kylin Hill had a breakout year last year but still could have performed even better had he been given more carries. Hill proved himself to be an explosive playmaker, gaining 6.3 yards per carry. Hill ran for 734 yards and 4 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 176 yards and 4 more touchdowns last season, according to sports-reference.com. Behind Hill currently sits Nick Gibson, who has shown bursts of speed and dynamic athleticism himself. Hill and Gibson will likely be one of the more underrated running back tandems in the SEC heading into the 2019 season, but they should produce plenty of yards and touchdowns next season.
WR: Stephen Guidry, senior | Devonta Jason, sophomore
WR: Osirus Mitchel, junior | Malik Dear, senior
WR: Deddrick Thomas, senior | Austin Williams, sophomore
A lack of passing accuracy from Mississippi State’s quarterbacks isn’t the only reason why the Bulldogs’ passing attack has struggled in recent seasons. Even dating back to the end of the Dan Mullen era in 2017, the Bulldogs struggled to have consistent receivers on the field. Dropped passes and miscommunications have plagued MSU over the past couple of seasons, but that doesn’t mean that the Bulldogs don’t have talent at wide receiver. There’s plenty of potential in guys like Stephen Guidry, Osirus Mitchel, Devonta Jason, Deddrick Mitchell, Austin Williams, and several others. MSU just needs someone to step up and play to that potential.
TE: Farrod Green, senior | Dontae Jones, junior | Geor’quarius Spivey, redshirt freshman
Will this finally be the year that Mississippi State fans see the tight end position shine? During the back half of Dan Mullen’s stay in Starkville, it felt as if State’s tight ends were underutilized. With Joe Moorhead coming in, there was a reason to believe that this trend would change. In 2016 and 2017, Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki caught 105 passes for 1,242 yards and 14 touchdowns, according to sports-reference.com. It’s unlikely that Bulldog fans see that kind of production from MSU’s tight ends yet and they certainly didn’t see it a year ago, but it’s possible that Moorhead starts to utilize the tight ends on his roster more and more moving forward, starting with this season.
- LT: Tyre Phillips, senior | Charles Cross, freshman
- LG: Dareuan Parker, junior | Michael Story, senior
- C: Darryl Williams, senior | James Jackson, sophomore
- RG: Stewart Reese, junior | LaQuinston Sharp, junior
- RT: Greg Eiland, junior | Tommy Champion, senior
Mississippi State’s offensive line has shuffled around some throughout the spring. The Bulldogs have to replace two solid longtime starters in Elgton Jenkins and Deion Calhoun. Darryl Williams is moving over to center, but there’s not much experience behind him there. Greg Eiland has swapped over from left tackle to right tackle and could realistically start there next season. Joe Moorhead will need for his offensive line to continue to be solid because the offense could see something of a step back depending on what happens at quarterback.