Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
Bulldogs Building Depth On Defense
April 23, 2022 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State brings back nine starters on its defense.
But just because the Bulldogs return a wealth of experience on that side of the ball does not mean those nine players will receive as many reps as they did in 2021. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has been awfully impressed with several reserves this spring who are pushing for more playing time this season.
"In spring, you have to find some guys that have taken the next step in their games and show that they're ready to be big-time contributors and potentially win starting jobs," Arnett said. "We've had a few guys emerge that have flashed all the potential and that's the reason you recruited them. Now they're playing really good football and I'm really excited to see them come fall."
MSU's starting front six remains intact entirely. Along the defensive line, Randy Charlton, Jaden Crumedy and Cameron Young are all returning along with Jordan Davis. Davis was projected to start at defensive end in 2021 but sustained a season-ending injury during the Bulldogs' first fall scrimmage.
Another defensive end pushing for playing time is former four-star recruit and U.S. Army All-American Deontay Anderson. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound redshirt freshman did not see the field last season and has not only raised his own stock but also the level of play for the unit as a whole.
"I feel really good about what Deonte Anderson has shown progress-wise," Arnett said. "It's funny anytime you've got a young guy that starts flashing some ability to make plays, all of a sudden the whole group plays better because you've got a young, hungry guy coming for some playing time. I've really been pleased with the way he's flashed."
Nathaniel Watson, Tyrus Wheat and Jett Johnson are all back at linebacker. Johnson led the team with 87 tackles last season, followed closely by Nathaniel Watson with 84. Wheat was State's sack-leader with 7.5 and Watson finished second with five sacks.
That amount of production and playing time returning has allowed Arnett and linebackers coach Matt Brock to work more extensively with some of the up-and-coming players at the position like DeShawn Page, J.P. Purvis, John Lewis, Nic Mitchell, Ty Cooper and Timar Rogers this spring.
"When you've got guys like 'Bookie' (Watson), Tyrus and Jett that played that many snaps, they don't need a million reps in the spring," Arnett said. "That allows you to saturate more reps for those young guys that you need to develop because obviously they're going to need to be big-time special teams contributors and you can get them some more reps in the scheme."
Page saw action in every game last season as a reserve and on special teams. But expect Page's role to increase this year thanks to his stellar showing this spring.
"There's three veteran linebackers in 'Bookie' Tyrus and Jett who'd better be ready because DeShawn is ready to take some reps away from them with the way he's playing right now," Arnett said.
The Bulldogs lost cornerback Martin Emerson to the NFL Draft but have one of the program's all-time interception leaders coming back in Emmanuel Forbes. Forbes has picked off eight passes during his first two seasons in Maroon and White and has taken three of those back for touchdowns.
Junior Decamerion Richardson has emerged as a candidate to replace Emerson at corner. Richardson saw action in all 13 games year and recorded 15 stops.
"Decamerion Richardson has probably had the best spring of anybody on the defensive side of the ball," Arnett said.
Collin Duncan and Jalen Green are both back roaming the secondary at safety but Arnett will have to find a replacement for Fred Peters, who was lost to graduation. The coaching staff brought in West Virginia graduate transfer Jackie Matthews to try and do just that.
Matthews was fifth on the Mountaineers with 42 tackles last season while also adding 6.5 stops for loss, one sack and one interception.
"Jackie has played a lot of football," Arnett said. "But obviously as a transfer we're excited about his ability to come in and learn the playbook, move around and make plays."
Arnett is also high on one of his homegrown talents at safety as well. Corey Ellington came on at the end of last season as a true freshman and even started in the Liberty Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has carried his progression into spring practices.
"Corey Ellington just continues to impress every day," Arnett said. "He has a very bright future ahead of him."
Mississippi State will hold its final practice of the spring on Tuesday.
But just because the Bulldogs return a wealth of experience on that side of the ball does not mean those nine players will receive as many reps as they did in 2021. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has been awfully impressed with several reserves this spring who are pushing for more playing time this season.
"In spring, you have to find some guys that have taken the next step in their games and show that they're ready to be big-time contributors and potentially win starting jobs," Arnett said. "We've had a few guys emerge that have flashed all the potential and that's the reason you recruited them. Now they're playing really good football and I'm really excited to see them come fall."
MSU's starting front six remains intact entirely. Along the defensive line, Randy Charlton, Jaden Crumedy and Cameron Young are all returning along with Jordan Davis. Davis was projected to start at defensive end in 2021 but sustained a season-ending injury during the Bulldogs' first fall scrimmage.
Another defensive end pushing for playing time is former four-star recruit and U.S. Army All-American Deontay Anderson. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound redshirt freshman did not see the field last season and has not only raised his own stock but also the level of play for the unit as a whole.
"I feel really good about what Deonte Anderson has shown progress-wise," Arnett said. "It's funny anytime you've got a young guy that starts flashing some ability to make plays, all of a sudden the whole group plays better because you've got a young, hungry guy coming for some playing time. I've really been pleased with the way he's flashed."
Nathaniel Watson, Tyrus Wheat and Jett Johnson are all back at linebacker. Johnson led the team with 87 tackles last season, followed closely by Nathaniel Watson with 84. Wheat was State's sack-leader with 7.5 and Watson finished second with five sacks.
That amount of production and playing time returning has allowed Arnett and linebackers coach Matt Brock to work more extensively with some of the up-and-coming players at the position like DeShawn Page, J.P. Purvis, John Lewis, Nic Mitchell, Ty Cooper and Timar Rogers this spring.
"When you've got guys like 'Bookie' (Watson), Tyrus and Jett that played that many snaps, they don't need a million reps in the spring," Arnett said. "That allows you to saturate more reps for those young guys that you need to develop because obviously they're going to need to be big-time special teams contributors and you can get them some more reps in the scheme."
Page saw action in every game last season as a reserve and on special teams. But expect Page's role to increase this year thanks to his stellar showing this spring.
"There's three veteran linebackers in 'Bookie' Tyrus and Jett who'd better be ready because DeShawn is ready to take some reps away from them with the way he's playing right now," Arnett said.
The Bulldogs lost cornerback Martin Emerson to the NFL Draft but have one of the program's all-time interception leaders coming back in Emmanuel Forbes. Forbes has picked off eight passes during his first two seasons in Maroon and White and has taken three of those back for touchdowns.
Junior Decamerion Richardson has emerged as a candidate to replace Emerson at corner. Richardson saw action in all 13 games year and recorded 15 stops.
"Decamerion Richardson has probably had the best spring of anybody on the defensive side of the ball," Arnett said.
Collin Duncan and Jalen Green are both back roaming the secondary at safety but Arnett will have to find a replacement for Fred Peters, who was lost to graduation. The coaching staff brought in West Virginia graduate transfer Jackie Matthews to try and do just that.
Matthews was fifth on the Mountaineers with 42 tackles last season while also adding 6.5 stops for loss, one sack and one interception.
"Jackie has played a lot of football," Arnett said. "But obviously as a transfer we're excited about his ability to come in and learn the playbook, move around and make plays."
Arnett is also high on one of his homegrown talents at safety as well. Corey Ellington came on at the end of last season as a true freshman and even started in the Liberty Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has carried his progression into spring practices.
"Corey Ellington just continues to impress every day," Arnett said. "He has a very bright future ahead of him."
Mississippi State will hold its final practice of the spring on Tuesday.
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