My Breakout Player

[sbcmortgageman]

Gabe Myles. He's coming off an ankle injury and I expect him to have a huge year putting up numbers right under Fred Ross.

[PassInterference]

Ross on the outside with Myles in the slot could be very productive. They would open things up for each other.

[DownwardDawg]

Fitz

[Tbonewannabe]

Donald Gray is my breakout this year. One thing is sure, we are probably going to have more speed at wideout this year if everyone is healthy. We lose size but Myles, Gray, Thomas, and Dear have a lot of speed. We should be able to stretch the field.

[Reason2succeed]

Aeris Williams or out on a limb Nick Gibson. We're gonna run it a lot and if one of these guys gets hot they could have a monster season. There are so many WRs that catches will be evenly distributed but a hot hand a RB could get fed this year.

[reno hightower]

I'm going to say Keith Mixon

[Coach007]

To be honest, I don't think we have a break out player, but a group of players that step up.

1- Fitz
2- Gray
3- Myles
4- Williams
5- Dear
6- Lee
7- Johnson


It's going to be a complete break!

[Political Hack]

I agree it's going to be Myles. People have no clue what's coming with that guy.

[Bothrops]

Mixon, Murphy and Gibson could bring recognition to the offense. I also think Bryant is going to have a killer season.

[OlePissSux]

I think Tolando Cleveland will have a huge year. He seems to be the quiet leader type. I also think you could see Jamal Peters show out on offense as well as defense at WR. Dude is one of the best athletes around.

[msujan]

GABE is, after all, his father's son.

[maroonmania]

Just because I'm pissed off about the whole situation I'm going with Jeffrey Simmons. I hope he wreaks havoc across the SEC and we get to hear from all the talking heads about how he shouldn't even be playing. Then I can just sit back and tell them to "suck it".

[ShotgunDawg]

One thing to watch this season is how everyone steps up due to the lack of superstar

Some of the best teams I ever played on or have witnessed were teams that lost a superstar the year before. When you have a superstar on the team, many times everyone looks to him for leadership & to make a play, but, when the team loses that superstar, many times about 10 different people step up & say, "It's my time now. I've got to step up." This leads to a team now having 10 leaders instead of just one or two & ultimately leads to a more balanced, better led team.

You guys have mentioned about 8 or 9 different players in this thread. What happens if all of them breakout & step up?

[RiverCityDawg]

I think it's Donald Gray. He'll breakout like Ross did and be talked about next year like Ross is now. Maybe not quite the same production since he's not in the slot and the QB situation is different, but I think he's just as talented or moreso.

[Johnson85]

Gabe Myles. He's coming off an ankle injury and I expect him to have a huge year putting up numbers right under Fred Ross.

I like Myles, but if we have a WR breakout and it's not Mlik Dear, we've wasted an opportunity. I think he is really the only player on offense that can act as a game changer. Even though Ross is better overall, I don't think we'll be able to utilize him as well with new QBs and I think Dear is more dangerous once he gets the ball.

[Dallas_Dawg]

I wish Dan would get Myles the ball like he did against aTm in 2014. Bubble screens and let him use his moves to get by DBS. Seems like we never did it again after that game. Myles is a beast, needs the ball in his hands. Dear also

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Malik Dear

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

To be honest, I don't think we have a break out player, but a group of players that step up.

1- Fitz
2- Gray
3- Myles
4- Williams
5- Dear
6- Lee
7- Johnson


It's going to be a complete break!

I think Brandon Bryant might end up being the best player on the team

[msstate7]

I hope it's an olineman or a cornerback

[MSUDawg99]

Mixon, Murphy and Gibson could bring recognition to the offense. I also think Bryant is going to have a killer season.

I'm super excited/anxious to see what Bryant does this year. Based on AJ's SECMD talks he mentioned some guys that have stepped up in the offseason & he mentioned Bryant as one, but also said this per Bobby C's recent article:

"Jefferson was also asked who the new leaders are on the team after such an important senior class leaving following last season. On offense, he mentioned wide receivers Fred Ross and Donald Gray, offensive lineman Justin Senior and quarterback Damian Williams. On the defensive side, he singled out linebackers Richie Brown and Gerri Green and defensive backs Tolando Cleveland and Kivon Coman.

- Here, it’s worth sharing some notes on Green, the talented redshirt sophomore linebacker who has drawn comparisons to former MSU linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Jefferson said Green has become a new person this offseason, stepping into more of a leadership role and being quite active about it, in much the same vein as McKinney a few years ago.

“He carries himself as if he’s been here four or five years,” Jefferson said of Green.

Also notable: Jefferson said that when the team ran the stadium this week, the 250-pound Green finished second on the entire team, ahead of dozens of defensive backs, receivers and running backs.

- Jefferson shared some thoughts on a few other teammates, as well.

On sophomore safety Brandon Bryant, “He’s one of the best players in the SEC,” Jefferson said. “He’s the best athlete on our team … and all the women love him.”

Jefferson also singled out true freshmen defensive linemen Kobe Jones and Jeffery Simmons as being extremely eager to learn since arriving at the beginning of the summer.

On Simmons, Jefferson said “he might be the strongest defensive lineman in there.”

[archdog]

Stronger than Big Nick. No way.

[millerdog]

I really hope it's Aeris Williams and our entire offensive line. I think if we can establish the run it'll allow Fitz to use his legs some and open up opportunities for our receivers.

[Reason2succeed]

I think we have the most all around talent of any team at Mississippi State since I've been a student back in the late 90s. If we can put it all together and find a QB to lead they can be special.

[beretta]

offense:

Nick Gibson

Defense:

Gerri Green

these two are my annual "my boys" picks for this year....

[djaymsu5]

Gabe Myles. He's coming off an ankle injury and I expect him to have a huge year putting up numbers right under Fred Ross.

He's too injury prone

[sandwolf]

Then I can just sit back and tell them to "suck it".

Haha, rep points for making me laugh.

[Todd4State]

Malik Dear is mine.

As far as the WR's what I would do is go with Ross and Myles on the outside, Gray in the slot and then use Dear like Percy Harvin in the slot and at times at RB. I would put Dear in motion a good bit pre snap- either at slot and then motion to RB or vice versa. I would also try to figure out which one of the new 6'5" freshmen WR's is the closest to being ready and play them a good bit even if it's a limited role.

[Barking 13]

Dear and Green

[Corn Bread]

Aeries Williams, give him the damn ball. Kang style runner.

[Behrdawg]

I have a good feeling that Gabe Myles will have a huge year this year. He's coming off the injury and I personally believe he has something to prove.

[msbulldog]

One thing to watch this season is how everyone steps up due to the lack of superstar

Some of the best teams I ever played on or have witnessed were teams that lost a superstar the year before. When you have a superstar on the team, many times everyone looks to him for leadership & to make a play, but, when the team loses that superstar, many times about 10 different people step up & say, "It's my time now. I've got to step up." This leads to a team now having 10 leaders instead of just one or two & ultimately leads to a more balanced, better led team.

You guys have mentioned about 8 or 9 different players in this thread. What happens if all of them breakout & step up?

I hope your right and all step-up!

[Johnson85]

Malik Dear is mine.

As far as the WR's what I would do is go with Ross and Myles on the outside, Gray in the slot and then use Dear like Percy Harvin in the slot and at times at RB. I would put Dear in motion a good bit pre snap- either at slot and then motion to RB or vice versa. I would also try to figure out which one of the new 6'5" freshmen WR's is the closest to being ready and play them a good bit even if it's a limited role.

That's almost the exact opposite order I'd have it in. To me Gray is the closest to a clear outside receiver, then Ross, and then Myles. I just see Ross in the slot a lot rather than Myles because I think Mullen relies on having somebody in that position to read defenses and give his QB an outlet.

[RAYn_Man]

Everyone seems to be forgetting about Holloway. I know he's not an every down back but he's a great change of pace and turned it on at the end of last year. I think he bails out our young QBs this year on a some swing passes he'll take to the house.

[maroonmania]

Picked dead last in the SEC. Guess we will have no breakout players. ***