Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
Bulldogs Blessed With A Deep Defensive Line
August 13, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State may as well be known as Defensive Line University for its successful stretch of producing NFL talent at that position.
The Bulldogs currently have 11 former defensive linemen on NFL rosters including some of the league's best and brightest like Fletcher Cox, Chris Jones, Jeffrey Simmons and Montez Sweat just to name a few.
So leave it to State to lose two defensive ends to the NFL from last year's squad – Kobe Jones and Marquiss Spencer – and still manage to find a way to be deeper and potentially more talented.
"There's a lot of depth and a lot of great leadership," said defensive line coach Jeff Phelps. "(Strength and conditioning) Coach (Tyson) Brown and his crew have really done a great job putting a little bit of size and speed into those guys. They're out here hungry, getting after it and working hard to get better."
The only starter back for the Bulldogs is junior nose tackle Jaden Crumedy. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder started all 11 games in the middle last season and finished with 31 tackles, 3.5 stops for loss, two sacks and two pass break-ups.
"When I first came in, I thought it would feel different being a veteran," Crumedy said. "But it's really just the same, you're just playing more."
Cameron Young, who served as Crumedy's back-up last season, is also returning for his junior year. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder recorded 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack in his reserve role.
"They've made a huge jump and one that was needed obviously with the departure of Marquiss and Kobe," Phelps said. "They've stepped in from not only a reps standpoint, but also from a leadership standpoint. That's been great for our group, great for our defense and for our team. I'm looking forward to seeing them do a lot of great things and provide a lot of big plays we'll miss from the production of Kobe and Marquiss being gone."
MSU also gets Nathan Pickering back in the mix as well. Pickering – a 2019 Freshman All-SEC selection and former four-star recruit – opted out after appearing in five games a year ago.
"Pickering is very athletic, very quick and very strong," Phelps said. "Right now, we're working on just the consistency part of that and bringing the best game at each and every opportunity that he gets."
Redshirt freshman Armondous Cooley rounds out the Bulldogs' depth at defensive tackle.
Although Jones and Spencer were lost off the edge, Mississippi State has a bevy of talented ends waiting to replace them. Senior Jordan Davis has had a huge fall camp after switching from outside linebacker in his first season in Starkville as a junior college transfer.
"You saw his improvement when we moved him to defensive end from Sam 'backer over the course of last season," Phelps said. "He's obviously been working hard at it over the spring and it's showing out here on the field now."
Senior Aaron Odom is the only other defensive end with extensive action, having appeared in 16 career games and earning two starts last year. He tallied four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in 2020.
Jack Harris received limited reps across eight games as a redshirt freshman last year but has already turned some heads in fall camp, notching several sacks and even an interception in scrimmages.
"He is one determined young man," Phelps said of Harris. "He's a die hard, get after it, hard-nosed guy. He brings his lunch pail to work every day and gives it everything he's got until he just about has to drag himself off the field."
Junior Randy Charlton is also pushing for playing time having transferred in from Central Florida during the spring semester. The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder started six career games for the Golden Knights and has 33 games of FBS experience under his belt.
Sophomores Izuchukwu King Ani and De'Monte Russell along with redshirt freshman Jevon Banks all bring depth at defensive end after sitting out last season. Russell does have three games of experience as a true freshman in 2019 and joins King Ani as a former four-star prospect.
MSU also inked a talented duo of defensive ends in its 2021 class. Deonte Anderson was a high school All-American and Tre'von Marshall played for former Bulldog and NFL star Jerious Norwood early on in his prep career.
"We are satisfied with the recruiting opportunities that we had," Phelps said. "Obviously with the COVID year and not having them on campus and not seeing them live, that makes you worry a little bit. But when they stepped on campus, you're like 'okay, they look good'. They've worked hard with coach Brown and his crew over the summer."
In just the second fall in Zach Arnett's defense, Phelps can already tell a difference in the amount of time he has had to spend explaining and teaching the scheme and can now concentrate on fine tuning things.
"There are a lot less corrections that we have to do," Phelps said. "We're working on a lot more technique things and that's where continuity comes into play."
And the players absolutely love just how aggressive and attacking Arnett's 3-3-5 defense is.
"Coach Arnett is a very physical man no matter who is in front of us," Davis said. "We're going to get after it, especially when it comes down to blitzes. You've got to be aggressive and go in headfirst. Now that we're all comfortable and know the system, I feel like we're going to have some head busters."
The Bulldogs currently have 11 former defensive linemen on NFL rosters including some of the league's best and brightest like Fletcher Cox, Chris Jones, Jeffrey Simmons and Montez Sweat just to name a few.
So leave it to State to lose two defensive ends to the NFL from last year's squad – Kobe Jones and Marquiss Spencer – and still manage to find a way to be deeper and potentially more talented.
"There's a lot of depth and a lot of great leadership," said defensive line coach Jeff Phelps. "(Strength and conditioning) Coach (Tyson) Brown and his crew have really done a great job putting a little bit of size and speed into those guys. They're out here hungry, getting after it and working hard to get better."
The only starter back for the Bulldogs is junior nose tackle Jaden Crumedy. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder started all 11 games in the middle last season and finished with 31 tackles, 3.5 stops for loss, two sacks and two pass break-ups.
"When I first came in, I thought it would feel different being a veteran," Crumedy said. "But it's really just the same, you're just playing more."
Cameron Young, who served as Crumedy's back-up last season, is also returning for his junior year. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder recorded 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack in his reserve role.
"They've made a huge jump and one that was needed obviously with the departure of Marquiss and Kobe," Phelps said. "They've stepped in from not only a reps standpoint, but also from a leadership standpoint. That's been great for our group, great for our defense and for our team. I'm looking forward to seeing them do a lot of great things and provide a lot of big plays we'll miss from the production of Kobe and Marquiss being gone."
MSU also gets Nathan Pickering back in the mix as well. Pickering – a 2019 Freshman All-SEC selection and former four-star recruit – opted out after appearing in five games a year ago.
"Pickering is very athletic, very quick and very strong," Phelps said. "Right now, we're working on just the consistency part of that and bringing the best game at each and every opportunity that he gets."
Redshirt freshman Armondous Cooley rounds out the Bulldogs' depth at defensive tackle.
Although Jones and Spencer were lost off the edge, Mississippi State has a bevy of talented ends waiting to replace them. Senior Jordan Davis has had a huge fall camp after switching from outside linebacker in his first season in Starkville as a junior college transfer.
"You saw his improvement when we moved him to defensive end from Sam 'backer over the course of last season," Phelps said. "He's obviously been working hard at it over the spring and it's showing out here on the field now."
Senior Aaron Odom is the only other defensive end with extensive action, having appeared in 16 career games and earning two starts last year. He tallied four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in 2020.
Jack Harris received limited reps across eight games as a redshirt freshman last year but has already turned some heads in fall camp, notching several sacks and even an interception in scrimmages.
"He is one determined young man," Phelps said of Harris. "He's a die hard, get after it, hard-nosed guy. He brings his lunch pail to work every day and gives it everything he's got until he just about has to drag himself off the field."
Junior Randy Charlton is also pushing for playing time having transferred in from Central Florida during the spring semester. The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder started six career games for the Golden Knights and has 33 games of FBS experience under his belt.
Sophomores Izuchukwu King Ani and De'Monte Russell along with redshirt freshman Jevon Banks all bring depth at defensive end after sitting out last season. Russell does have three games of experience as a true freshman in 2019 and joins King Ani as a former four-star prospect.
MSU also inked a talented duo of defensive ends in its 2021 class. Deonte Anderson was a high school All-American and Tre'von Marshall played for former Bulldog and NFL star Jerious Norwood early on in his prep career.
"We are satisfied with the recruiting opportunities that we had," Phelps said. "Obviously with the COVID year and not having them on campus and not seeing them live, that makes you worry a little bit. But when they stepped on campus, you're like 'okay, they look good'. They've worked hard with coach Brown and his crew over the summer."
In just the second fall in Zach Arnett's defense, Phelps can already tell a difference in the amount of time he has had to spend explaining and teaching the scheme and can now concentrate on fine tuning things.
"There are a lot less corrections that we have to do," Phelps said. "We're working on a lot more technique things and that's where continuity comes into play."
And the players absolutely love just how aggressive and attacking Arnett's 3-3-5 defense is.
"Coach Arnett is a very physical man no matter who is in front of us," Davis said. "We're going to get after it, especially when it comes down to blitzes. You've got to be aggressive and go in headfirst. Now that we're all comfortable and know the system, I feel like we're going to have some head busters."
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