Five Bulldogs primed for breakout seasons in 2015
STARKVILLE From media outlets to sports booking in Las Vegas, prognosticators across the country are predicting a down season for Mississippi State.
The Golden Nugget listed MSU as underdogs in seven Southeastern Conference games this season. Athlon Sports projects the Bulldogs to finish last in the western division. Each prediction is backed by the 15 starters MSU don't return this year.
Dan Mullen pledged to build a program though, not a single starting lineup. He's developed depth through his six years and like Benardrick McKinney stepped in for Cam Lawrence, there's a host of players prepared for breakout seasons.
Gus Walley
Mississippi State's tight ends caught 35 passes. Malcolm Johnson owned 28 of them. Johnson's now with the Cleveland Browns.
Gus Walley is the only other Bulldog tight end on the roster that has a career catch. The tight end finished with four receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.
The tight end is an important component of Mississippi State's offense. In 2013, tight ends caught 37 passes, including 30 to Johnson. That production must be filled by someone. Walley is the leading candidate, but if he stumbles, look for Darrion Hutcherson or Shelby Christy to take advantage of the opportunity.
Cedric Jiles
A No. 13 burst onto the scene last year for Mississippi State in the form of a Bowling Ball and Josh Robinson. Another No. 13 could turn heads, this year on defense.
Cedric Jiles returns from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined the entire 2014 season. Jiles provides Mississippi State with much needed depth in the secondary, which allowed the most passing yards in the SEC.
He'll compete for a starting spot with Taveze Calhoun and Will Redmond. Even as a reserve he'll see the field quite a bit. Redmond, who acted as MSU's third corner last year – finished with 51 tackles, three tackles for loss and three interceptions.
They're numbers Jiles could produce this year, as long as he stays healthy.
Gabe Myles
Injuries sidelined Jameon Lewis for three games last year. He caught three passes or less in three more games. The senior just wasn't himself throughout 2014. He still finished second on the team with 32 receptions for 380 yards.
Gabe Myles has been groomed as Lewis' replacement. Both were high school quarterbacks and worked in the slot in Starkville. Lewis' injuries opened the door for Myles to grab 22 passes for 178 yards last season.
De'Runnya Wilson led the team with 47 catches, but assuming Lewis and Myles worked primarily from the slot, Dak Prescott completed 54 passes over the middle. In 2015, Myles will split those looks with Donald Gray. Myles has the advantage of experience within the offense though.
The 54 completions to the slot is actually a low number for Prescott. Lewis caught 64 passes in 2014 to lead MSU.
With Lewis gone, Myles could feast over them middle as defenders focus on De'Runnya Wilson and Fred Ross on the outside.
A.J. Jefferson
Much of the headlines are directed toward the talent of Chris Jones, the role of Ryan Brown replacing Preston Smith, or the girth inside with Nick James and Nelson Adams.
A.J. Jefferson quietly put up numbers last year that at least equaled them. As a sophomore, Jefferson finished with 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Last year, four Bulldogs joined him with at least seven tackles for loss and more than two sacks: Benardrick McKinney, Preston Smith, Matt Wells and Ryan Brown. Three of those players were NFL draft picks last year. Brown looks to join them after his senior season in 2015.
Jefferson logged less time than the four players mentioned. When Jefferson received an opportunity, he displayed one of the quickest first steps on the team.
The junior doesn't lack confidence either. He joined Jones as two defensive lineman to trash talk and shove Dak Prescott during spring scrimmages.
He'll take that confidence and quick step into offensive backfields in the fall.
Beniquez Brown
Yes, the linebacker finished second on the team in tackles last year. But he's also the heir to the linebacker throne that's seen Bulldogs advance to the NFL from the position in five of the last six seasons, yet he remains invisible from a national perspective.
Brown is primed for a Preston Smith-esque jump in year four with the program.
Brown is the smartest player on the field, but has also seen his tackles, tackles for loss and sacks increase during his first two seasons on the field.
He's earned a reputation for diagnosing plays prior to the snap, which has helped his teammates improve their numbers.
Last year, Brown played within defensive coordinator Geoff Collins' 1A and 1B scheme that cut into starters' playing time.
Brown recorded 62 tackles last year. In his third year in the league and added playing time, he could eclipse those numbers by November.
Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.