Mississippi State's preseason depth chart

[Big4Dawg]

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/mississippistatesports/2014/07/14/msu-preseason-depth-chart/12630519/

**Updated per the Media Guide - it included Malone at RT.

http://issuu.com/hailstate/docs/fb_14mg?e=6379729%2F8608129

OFFENSE

WR De'Runnya Wilson So./Fred Brown So.
WR Robert Johnson Sr./Joe Morrow Jr.
WR Jameon Lewis Sr./Gabe Myles Fr.

LT Blaine Clausell Sr./Cole Carter So.
LG Jamaal Clayborn So./Kent Flowers Fr.
C Dillon Day Sr./Archie Muniz Sr.
RG Ben Beckwith Sr./Devon Desper So.-1L
RT Justin Malone Jr./or/Damien Robinson Sr./Jake Thomas Fr.

TE Malcolm Johnson Sr./Darrion Hutcherson Jr.

RB Josh Robinson Jr./Nick Griffin Sr./or/Ashton Shumpert So./or/
Brandon Holloway So.

QB Dak Prescott Jr./Damian Williams So.

DEFENSE

DE Ryan Brown Jr./A.J. Jefferson So.
DT P.J. Jones Sr./Chris Jones So.
DT Kaleb Eulls Sr./Nelson Adams So./or/Curtis Virges Sr.
DE Preston Smith Sr./A.J. Jefferson So.

LB Matt Wells Sr./Zach Jackson Jr.
LB Benardrick McKinney Jr./Richie Brown So.
LB Beniquez Brown So./Dezmond Harris Fr.

CB Jamerson Love Sr./Will Redmond Jr.
SS Kendrick Market Jr./or/Jay Hughes Sr./Kivon Coman So.
FS Justin Cox Sr./Deontay Evans So.
CB Taveze Calhoun Jr./Cedric Jiles So.

SPECIALISTS
PK Evan Sobiesk So./Westin Graves Fr.

KO Devon Bell Jr.

P Devon Bell Jr.

SN Winston Chapman Jr.

HLD Dak Prescott Jr./Damian Williams So.

KR Jameon Lewis Sr./Robert Johnson Sr.

PR Jameon Lewis Sr./Will Redmond Jr.

[FISHDAWG]

gonna lose a lot of seniors after this season but looking at the depth a lot of those guys already have acquired a fair amount of PT

[msstate7]

Pj gonna have his work cut out for him to keep his spot

[Coach34]

That thing is gonna change a little before kickoff

[mic]

Lots of guys on that depth chart that will be on a NFL roster...

[HancockCountyDog]

That is a scary right side of the OL. Is this projected by the CL or was this put out by MSU?

As wooly as I am about the defense, that OL depth chart is a little scary.

[HancockCountyDog]

That thing is gonna change a little before kickoff

You mean Chris Jones isn't going to be a backup? lol

It looks like the coaches are looking to motivate the young man. I wonder where Nick James is?

[HereComesTheSpiral]

You mean Chris Jones isn't going to be a backup? lol

It looks like the coaches are looking to motivate the young man. I wonder where Nick James is?

Wheres Fred Ross?

[MSUDawg4Life]

That is a scary right side of the OL. Is this projected by the CL or was this put out by MSU?

As wooly as I am about the defense, that OL depth chart is a little scary.

The only concern I have is RT. I think we're good at RG.

Also concerned about PK, but hopefully we have that problem shored up. DL is crazy deep. I would still like to see another DE like Torrey Dale step up. The secondary is crazy deep. LBs are good across the board.

[FanninDawg]

What's the story on Justin Malone? I saw him a few weeks ago and he looks like a mountain.

[HancockCountyDog]

Wheres Fred Ross?

My guess would be 3rd string behind Morrow. He is not a slot WR. I wonder if he stayed in town during the offseason or if he went home. If he went home, this could be the coaches' way of getting his attention.

There is no way that the guys listed on the 2nd team OL are in fact our 2nd team OL.

[MSUDawg4Life]

What's the story on Justin Malone? I saw him a few weeks ago and he looks like a mountain.

Wondering about Justin Senior and Jocquell Johnson also.

[Goat Holder]

Notables missing: James, Malone, Johnson. No matter the reasons, that ain't good, especially on the OL. It means they are either hurt, need motivation or aren't ready. Ie we aren't counting on them at the moment.

[Le Big Mac]

My guess would be 3rd string behind Morrow. He is not a slot WR. I wonder if he stayed in town during the offseason or if he went home. If he went home, this could be the coaches' way of getting his attention.

There is no way that the guys listed on the 2nd team OL are in fact our 2nd team OL.
He's in Starkville... He was in my psychology class this summer.

[thf24]

No Senior or Malone anywhere on the list. I hope that doesn't mean anything.

[engie]

Just your usual, screwy MSU depth chart. Go back and look at the ones we put out from game to game last year -- not even close to accurate...

[preachermatt83]

if Justin Malone is not starting on the OL he better be hurt.. If not somebody needs slapping

[mic]

That thing is gonna change a little before kickoff

Correct.. And it will change throughout the season... It's basically meaningless

[Homedawg]

There is no reason to pay attention to this. It's for show- that's it.

[messageboardsuperhero]

There is no reason to pay attention to this. It's for show- that's it.

Yup. It's going to look pretty damn different by the time we kick off against USM (or it should anyway).

[War Machine Dawg]

The only concern I have is RT. I think we're good at RG.

Also concerned about PK, but hopefully we have that problem shored up. DL is crazy deep. I would still like to see another DE like Torrey Dale step up. The secondary is crazy deep. LBs are good across the board.

If McGrath isn't the starting K for USM, I will question Mullen's sanity. And he'll be ripped mercilessly in WMD's USM ACQB.

[War Machine Dawg]

Just your usual, screwy MSU depth chart. Go back and look at the ones we put out from game to game last year -- not even close to accurate...


There is no reason to pay attention to this. It's for show- that's it.


That thing is gonna change a little before kickoff

Exactly. No way that's our OL 2-deep or that Fred Ross doesn't move ahead of Stone Hands.

[engie]

If McGrath isn't the starting K for USM, I will question Mullen's sanity. And he'll be ripped mercilessly in WMD's USM ACQB.

We brought in 4 new kickers this year... Will be interesting to see, but I don't think it should be defaulted to McGrath, although I think he's likely to win it.

It'll be meltdown time if Special Teams isn't greatly improved this year. Especially with some truly elite ST coaches/recruiters out there that don't have jobs right now...

[NCDawg]

That is a scary right side of the OL. Is this projected by the CL or was this put out by MSU?

As wooly as I am about the defense, that OL depth chart is a little scary.

Agreed, and the left side is uncertain. A lot of unproven players.

[MSUDawg4Life]

Of course, the position is not going to be given to McGrath. Somebody is going to have to earn it. I don't care who earns it. I just want them to perform considerably better than last year.

[engie]

That is a scary right side of the OL. Is this projected by the CL or was this put out by MSU?

As woolly as I am about the defense, that OL depth chart is a little scary.

The (real) depth chart on the OL is the deepest we've been under Mullen...

[mic]

Agreed, and the left side is uncertain. A lot of unproven players.

Left side is unproven?. A 3 year starter at LT and a soph that stepped in last year as a frosh and played like a veteran and some say could be as good if not better than Gabe...

[CadaverDawg]

Malone, Senior, James, Ross, Johnson, will all be on the 2 deep come the USM game. I understand the coaches wanting to motivate guys, but for the sake of keeping fans from going "WTF?", I almost wish they just wouldn't put one out. This depth chart is totally useless. The ledger could have gotten a more accurate depth chart by going to Genespage and asking for a depth chart, than printing this one.

[messageboardsuperhero]

We brought in 4 new kickers this year... Will be interesting to see, but I don't think it should be defaulted to McGrath, although I think he's likely to win it.

It'll be meltdown time if Special Teams isn't greatly improved this year. Especially with some truly elite ST coaches/recruiters out there that don't have jobs right now...

And I still don't understand why we didn't pick one up and move Sallach to a desk job. Unless he's just lighting it up on the recruiting trail (he may be, I don't really know), Sallach just doesn't seem to bring much to the table IMO.

[War Machine Dawg]

We brought in 4 new kickers this year... Will be interesting to see, but I don't think it should be defaulted to McGrath, although I think he's likely to win it.

It'll be meltdown time if Special Teams isn't greatly improved this year. Especially with some truly elite ST coaches/recruiters out there that don't have jobs right now...

Didn't realize we brought in 4 new Ks. That's awesome, and it should definitely be an open competition. But the bigger point I was making is that if Sobiesk or Bell is our K against USM, Mullen should have his ass chewed. And it would tell me that STs isn't a priority for him and giving it to Knox was purely a token/cosmetic move.

[War Machine Dawg]

And I still don't understand why we didn't pick one up and move Sallach to a desk job. Unless he's just lighting it up on the recruiting trail (he may be, I don't really know), Sallach just doesn't seem to bring much to the table IMO.

That was the most confusing part of our offseason to me. We tried moving him to an administrative position in 2013 so we'd have both Brewster & Gonzo as coaches/recruiters. But as we all know, Brewster bolted, forcing us to put Sallach back on the field. Why we didn't move him this time for a badass ST/TE coach is beyond me. If anyone is Mullen's McCorvey on this staff, it's Sallach. I really don't know of anything of value he's adding to our staff.

[MSUDawg4Life]

I think Bell is going to focus on punting and kickoffs which will probably be best for all concerned. I think he can actually excel at those two things.

[War Machine Dawg]

I think Bell is going to focus on punting and kickoffs which will probably be best for all concerned. I think he can actually excel at those two things.

That seems to be the case, and I'm all for it. He can be an elite punter. But my general point still stands. If we're stuck with anyone that kicked last year as our K this year, and it inevitably costs us a W, Mullen should have to endure a public whipping from the fan base.

[Political Hack]

If McGrath isn't the starting K for USM, I will question Mullen's sanity. And he'll be ripped mercilessly in WMD's USM ACQB.

Sobiesk has really only missed 1 FG if I'm not mistaken. I think 2 we're blocked/mishandled snaps and 1 was a miss. He's still got a chance to be decent IMO. The only thing that scares me about him is that some of his makes on PATs looked shakey. I worry about that more than I do those missed FGs.

[DudyDawg]

Sobiesk has really only missed 1 FG if I'm not mistaken. I think 2 we're blocked/mishandled snaps and 1 was a miss. He's still got a chance to be decent IMO. The only thing that scares me about him is that some of his makes on PATs looked shakey. I worry about that more than I do those missed FGs.

I'm also worried about his leg strength. Maybe stats show he had some, maybe they don't, but from the stands it didn't look like it.

[Coach34]

The guys that didn't practice this Spring aren't on the list- that's why Malone isn't there. J. Johnson hasn't practiced- so no way to have him on a 2-deep

This is just for show and motivation

[Big4Dawg]

http://issuu.com/hailstate/docs/fb_14mg?e=6379729%2F8608129

[GreenheadDawg]

The guys that didn't practice this Spring aren't on the list- that's why Malone isn't there. J. Johnson hasn't practiced- so no way to have him on a 2-deep

This is just for show and motivation

But why the hell isn't Nick James on there? this worries me. He could really make a difference on our D-line

[thf24]

But why the hell isn't Nick James on there? this worries me. He could really make a difference on our D-line

Hard to put a guy who hasn't played in over a year ahead of a senior. I wouldn't worry. By all accounts he's doing great.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Or ahead of 2 guys who made numerous plays as freshmen last year (Jones & Adams).

[Todd4State]

My thoughts:

On the o-line. Let's stop worrying about 2015 o-line for now. Guys like Desper, Carter, Thomas, Flowers etc. were only freshmen or redshirt freshmen last year. They have this year and an entire spring to develop. By 2015, those guys will have been in the program for 3-4 years. And I would pump my brakes on just going out and getting a ton of JUCO's especially when you look at our history of JUCO o-linemen under Dan. Joey Trapp? Dylan Holley? Charles Siddoway was OK. Historically speaking we have a much better track record developing our own freshmen compared to going after the quick fix. Clausell sucked as a freshman. Gabe Jackson went from 2 star to NFL pick. Day, Malone, etc.

Malone will start for Robinson if he is healthy. I wouldn't look for a whole lot from Jocquell Johnson this year. If he is really, really good he might supplant Beckwith, and even then I doubt it. Best case scenario for us would be if he could play center and possibly redshirt, and I have no idea if he can play center or not. Either that or rep the hell out of Desper until he fixes whatever his problem is with snapping the ball. Day should be a good mentor for him.

As far as Nick James- if we listed NT on the depth chart, I'm pretty sure he would be our number one. When we go to a 3-4 front it's going to be Preston Smith, Nick James, and Chris Jones. And I hope we use Chris Jones a lot more at DE than I assume that we will. Why Eulls is starting over Chris Jones is going to be an ongoing discussion this fall.

Gerri Green is going to play a LOT at OLB if he is healthy. We'll probably start him out slow like we did with Bear and Chris Jones and then by the end of the year, he will be a major player. I'd like to take this time to thank Greenville-Weston High School for being morons and not allowing him to graduate early so that he could go through fall drills.

As far as kicker- I think it's going to be open competition. Don't be surprised if Dan goes back to Bell to start the year though. He thinks he is a combination of Morten Andersen and Ray Guy. "I mean he looks good in practice".

[Bo Darville]

Note that Hughes is a senior and Malone is a junior. After exhausting their 5 years of eligibility, they can apply for a 6th year because of last year's injury.

Cole Carter passed Justin Senior in the spring. I wouldn't be surprised to see Senior take back the backup spot.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Note that Hughes is a senior and Malone is a junior. After exhausting their 5 years of eligibility, they can apply for a 6th year because of last year's injury.

Cole Carter passed Justin Senior in the spring. I wouldn't be surprised to see Senior take back the backup spot.

If this is true, I feel good about OT- because Senior is pretty damn good, IMO.

[Coach34]

If this is true, I feel good about OT- because Senior is pretty damn good, IMO.

Hev likes Carter and Thomas...thinks they will both play some good football before they are done.

Jo Johnson is going to be redshirted if at all possible. Didnt practice this Spring due to injury. That tells me that Mullen and Hev have alot of faith in the guys we already have for 2014. If they were worried at all- Johnson wouldnt even be talked about as RS'ing.

[Schultzy]

Not listing Chris Jones as a starter is so us, I hate it we do this and motivation has nothing to do with it. He was a team leader at least Bama game forward last year. Some have listed him 1st team All SEC and we can't even list him first team?

Chris Jones' elite talent is overwhelming.

It's just a pet peeve of mine, this 2nd team crap, when the opposite is so obvious. He deserves better and has earned that respect. Rant over.

[smootness]

A few observations just from flipping through that media guide:

1) At 6'6" 267, Sobiesk must be the biggest kicker of all time.
2) Justin Senior has the smallest head I've ever seen for an OL.
3) Kaleb Eulls on the cover...my gosh. He is gigantic.

[PassInterference]

Check out Redmond at PR.

He had a great Egg Bowl. Gave Treadwell hell and made some plays.

I haven't heard the first thing about him as a return guy.

[engie]

Check out Redmond at PR.

He had a great Egg Bowl. Gave Treadwell hell and made some plays.

I haven't heard the first thing about him as a return guy.

Would have been first string last year had he not began on suspension. He is solidly electric -- and will be the best punt return guy we've had under Mullen IMO, a position we've either had "electric with disaster potential" like Jameon and Holloway or just been "solid" like Bumphis and Banks, but not yet had a combination of both.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Graham getting reps on these as well early...

[sbcmortgageman]

I like how Hutch is automatically 2nd team. That means one of two things:

1. He's a beast.
2. It's what Sameul transferred (spelled wrong on purpose if you're keeping score at home)