Photo by: Jaden Powell/MSU Athletics
Anderson Shines In State's First Scrimmage
August 12, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State defensive coordinator Matt Brock met with the media on Saturday afternoon prior to the Bulldogs' first fall scrimmage.
During that session, Brock sang the praises of sophomore defensive end Deonte Anderson.
"The guy that's impressed me as much or more than any of (the defensive linemen) is Deonte Anderson," Brock said. "He's played more physical. He's always been a natural pass rusher. But in the run game, he's starting to show the violence at contact and the things that we want to see at that level of the defense."
During Saturday night's scrimmage, Anderson showcased the very skillset that his defensive playcaller had been lauding earlier in the day. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder finished with five tackles for loss including a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.
"I was most definitely trying my hardest tonight to prove to the coaches and my teammates that they can trust me on the field," Anderson said. "But I know that I still have work to do. It's feels good to be recognized. But honestly, I don't try to overpraise myself. I just try to do my job."
One of the highlights from Anderson's breakout performance was blowing up a Bulldog back behind the line of scrimmage with a hit so hard that it jarred the football free so that Nathan Pickering could pounce on it.
Anderson is entering his third season at MSU after arriving as a four-star prospect and high school All-American out of Miami, Florida. He did not see any action in 2021 but appeared in five games last fall - primarily on special teams – and made a pair of tackles for the Bulldogs.
"This camp, I'm trying to earn as many reps as I can," Anderson said. "I'm trying to get a spot on the field. I've been playing some on special teams, but I also want to play on defense too."
Although Anderson shined on Saturday, he was not the only defensive player to do so. DeShawn Page paced the defense with a pair of sacks while Pickering, Jett Johnson and Nic Mitchell also sacked the quarterback.
Page, Johnson, Mitchell and Kalvin Dinkins all recorded two stops behind the line of scrimmage while Isaac Smith, Khalid Moore, Javae Gilmore, Marcus Banks, Joseph Head Jr., Jaden Crumedy, DeCarlos Nicholson and Avery Sledge also made tackles for loss.
Will James picked off a pass in the end zone and returned it 60 yards. Gilmore, Trent Singleton and J.P. Purvis also provided interceptions for the defense.
The Bulldogs still have two scrimmages remaining before they open the season against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2 and the competition in camp remains fierce. Not only are the players battling teammates at their position for playing time, but also competing against other positions on defense for reps as well.
"We've got a couple of young defensive ends who are making a pretty strong case to me and coach Brock that we might be better off playing a little bit more four-down front and getting a linebacker off of the field," said head coach Zach Arnett. "Then there are times in personnel groupings when the offense gives some heavier sets, I could see us being a 4-3 and take a safety off the field.
"We had a little meeting on defense that you're not just in competition with the guys in your position group. A lot of times you're in competition with guys in a different position group on what personnel do we actually put out there from play to play."
During that session, Brock sang the praises of sophomore defensive end Deonte Anderson.
"The guy that's impressed me as much or more than any of (the defensive linemen) is Deonte Anderson," Brock said. "He's played more physical. He's always been a natural pass rusher. But in the run game, he's starting to show the violence at contact and the things that we want to see at that level of the defense."
During Saturday night's scrimmage, Anderson showcased the very skillset that his defensive playcaller had been lauding earlier in the day. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder finished with five tackles for loss including a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.
"I was most definitely trying my hardest tonight to prove to the coaches and my teammates that they can trust me on the field," Anderson said. "But I know that I still have work to do. It's feels good to be recognized. But honestly, I don't try to overpraise myself. I just try to do my job."
One of the highlights from Anderson's breakout performance was blowing up a Bulldog back behind the line of scrimmage with a hit so hard that it jarred the football free so that Nathan Pickering could pounce on it.
Anderson is entering his third season at MSU after arriving as a four-star prospect and high school All-American out of Miami, Florida. He did not see any action in 2021 but appeared in five games last fall - primarily on special teams – and made a pair of tackles for the Bulldogs.
"This camp, I'm trying to earn as many reps as I can," Anderson said. "I'm trying to get a spot on the field. I've been playing some on special teams, but I also want to play on defense too."
Although Anderson shined on Saturday, he was not the only defensive player to do so. DeShawn Page paced the defense with a pair of sacks while Pickering, Jett Johnson and Nic Mitchell also sacked the quarterback.
Page, Johnson, Mitchell and Kalvin Dinkins all recorded two stops behind the line of scrimmage while Isaac Smith, Khalid Moore, Javae Gilmore, Marcus Banks, Joseph Head Jr., Jaden Crumedy, DeCarlos Nicholson and Avery Sledge also made tackles for loss.
Will James picked off a pass in the end zone and returned it 60 yards. Gilmore, Trent Singleton and J.P. Purvis also provided interceptions for the defense.
The Bulldogs still have two scrimmages remaining before they open the season against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2 and the competition in camp remains fierce. Not only are the players battling teammates at their position for playing time, but also competing against other positions on defense for reps as well.
"We've got a couple of young defensive ends who are making a pretty strong case to me and coach Brock that we might be better off playing a little bit more four-down front and getting a linebacker off of the field," said head coach Zach Arnett. "Then there are times in personnel groupings when the offense gives some heavier sets, I could see us being a 4-3 and take a safety off the field.
"We had a little meeting on defense that you're not just in competition with the guys in your position group. A lot of times you're in competition with guys in a different position group on what personnel do we actually put out there from play to play."
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