Back To Football: Bulldogs Open Spring Practice Thursday
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Over two months removed from a school-record seventh straight bowl appearance, the foundation of the 2017 Mississippi State football team has begun to take shape. The Bulldogs will go through the first of 15 spring practices beginning Thursday afternoon at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
The practices are closed to the public. MSU will work out in helmets and shorts before putting the pads on next week. Head coach Dan Mullen, who agreed to a four-year contract extension Monday, enters his ninth season with the program and stands just 12 victories shy of tying Jackie Sherrill’s school record for victories.
“We are eager to get going,” Mullen said. “It’s always an exciting time of the year, returning to practice, getting reps and teaching out there. We have a good group coming back but also have a lot of new guys who will be learning and processing what we are doing. It’s important they learn quickly and improve every day in their development.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs return 23 letterwinners and eight starters headlined by junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, the 2016 Southeastern Conference leader in total offensive yards, begins his fourth spring practice after enrolling in January 2014. The Richmond Hill, Ga., native accounted for 3,798 yards of total offense and 37 touchdowns last fall.
“I’ve seen the improvement and work he’s put in this offseason,” Mullen said. “I’ve said it before that this is the most important offseason for him because now there are expectations. He’s been a starter. He knows what he’s getting himself into and what the season holds and how hard it is. We haven’t practiced yet, and that’s where we are going to see the big steps taken.”
Fitzgerald’s top returning target is senior wide receiver Donald Gray. Gray hauled in 41 passes for 709 yards and five touchdowns in 2016 and is an explosive playmaker. Fitzgerald will have an ample backfield led by the return of junior running back Aeris Williams. The West Point native averaged 102.8 yards per game in the last five contests of 2016.
New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham takes over a Bulldog defense that welcomes back 22 letterwinners and seven starters. Grantham’s linebacker corps is deep, featuring 2016 Freshman All-American Leo Lewis, seniors J.T. Gray and Dez Harris and juniors Gerri Green and Traver Jung. Lewis is MSU’s top returning tackler after leading all SEC freshmen in the category last fall (79).
The secondary features a trio of athletic juniors in Mark McLaurin, Jamal Peters and Brandon Bryant. Veteran cornerback Tolando Cleveland returns after suffering a torn ACL in fall camp. Several freshmen who redshirted in 2016 are expected to make an intriguing impact defensively, including cornerback Cam Dantzler, linebacker Erroll Thompson and defensive lineman Kobe Jones.
Grantham will be one of four assistant coaches who go through their first MSU practice in their new roles, including safeties coach Ron English, tight ends coach D.J. Looney and quarterbacks coach Brett Elliott. Both Looney and Elliott return to the familiar sites of the practice field after serving as graduate assistants and quality control earlier in Mullen’s tenure.
All 13 of the Bulldogs’ early enrollees will practice this spring. Five of the 13 are defensive linemen who could make an impact instantly.
MSU’s early start to spring ball will allow the Bulldogs to get four practices in before spring break (March 13-17). The Bulldogs will scrimmage twice (March 25, April 1) before hosting the Maroon and White Game at 3 p.m. on April 8 as part of Super Bulldog Weekend.
For behind-the-scenes coverage of spring practice, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
2017 MSU Spring Football Dates
Thursday, March 2
Sunday, March 5
Tuesday, March 7
Thursday, March 9
Tuesday, March 21
Thursday, March 23
Saturday, March 25 (scrimmage)
Tuesday, March 28
Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Saturday, April 1 (scrimmage)
Tuesday, April 4
Thursday, April 6
Saturday, April 8 – Maroon and White Game 3 p.m.