Breaking down Mississippi State's roster: Quarterbacks

The Mississippi State offense has been run through Nick Fitzgerald for the past two seasons. Guys like running back Aeris Williams have been excellent complementary pieces, but there's no doubt the quarterback position has been the key cog in the Bulldogs' offensive success.

Possessing a stable of running backs that includes Williams (1,107 rushing yards, 6 TDs) and Kylin Hill (393 yards, 2 TDs) means that new coach Joe Moorhead won't have to put as much on his quarterback's shoulders in 2018 -- if he doesn't want to. But if Moorhead's usage of Trace McSorley (4,061 yards, 39 total TDs) at Penn State is any indication, expect a balance that results in a lot of success.

Moorhead couldn't ask for a more talented group of quarterbacks, either. For the first time in awhile, Mississippi State has multiple players who are capable of being an impact player at the position.

2017 Stats: 159-of-286 (55.6%), 1,782 passing yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs, 984 rushing yards, 14 TDs

Breaking down Fitzgerald: The first thing that gets brought up when talking about Fitzgerald is his ability as a runner. That part of his game is obvious. In 33 career games, the Richmond Hill (Ga.) native has rushed for 2,486 yards and 33 touchdowns.

That's great, but there's not enough people talking about Fitzgerald as a potential passer. Now, the keyword in that last sentence is potential. There are obvious issues with consistency, which is evident from his 55.4-percent career completion percentage.

There's been flashes of brilliance from the 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior, however. He's showed the necessary arm strength is there, and now that he's teamed up with Moorhead, the expectations are for him to take a major step forward in 2018.

There are at least two new things you can expect: 1) Fitzgerald will push the ball down the field more frequently under Moorhead and 2) he should have more success doing it. Last season, the Bulldogs' receivers, outside of Jesse Jackson, lacked the size to go up and win 50-50 balls. With JUCO WR Stephen Guidry (6-4, 190) expected to line up opposite Jackson (6-2, 215), that should change moving forward.

If this team can live up to expectations, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Fitzgerald in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December.

2017 Stats: 32-of-66 (48.5%), 388 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 446 rushing yards, 6 TDs

Breaking down Thompson: Thompson's emergence after Fitzgerald's unfortunate leg injury was a welcomed sight late last season. It proved that Mississippi State had depth at the position. With the way Fitzgerald likes to run the football, having a guy like Thompson could be crucial to the team's potential Playoff chances.

Similarly to Fitzgerald, Thompson is a lot more advanced as a ball carrier than he is as a passer, but there's talent. The former four-star prospect showed that in the spring game when he threw for 316 yards and one touchdown while completing 59.1 percent of his passes (26-of-44). He also showed an improved level of comfort working within the pocket, which means he's on the brink of taking the next step in his development.

Thompson will continue working as the No. 2 quarterback for one more season before being the heavy favorite to take over the starting job in 2019. If he's called upon to step up before then, he's showed enough potential for fans to feel confident in his ability.

2017 Stats (High School): 139-of-222 (62.6%), 2,179 passing yards, 27 TDs, 2 INTs, 816 rushing yards, 13 TDs

Breaking down Mayden: Landing Mayden early in the recruiting process really helped Mississippi State's class in 2018. Four of the six receivers in that group picked the Bulldogs after the Sachse (Tex.) quarterback gave his commitment in May of 2017.

Now, it looks like all of them are going to have the chance to grow together.

Mayden, who's already up to 220 pounds after being listed at 196, is known for producing big numbers despite limiting his mistakes. As a high school senior, he accumulated 40 total touchdowns (27 passing, 13 rushing) while only tossing two interceptions. In fact, he only threw 15 interceptions in three seasons as the starter (9 of those came as a sophomore).

The most impressive part of Mayden's game is that he's a true dual-threat. He can put numbers on the ground (816 rushing yards, 13 TDs), but he's not going to be a guy looking to run at the first sign of trouble. He trusts himself to go through his reads and make plays with his arm.

More than likely, Mayden is going to need to take a redshirt this season. That's only because of the guys ahead of him, however. He has a chance to be a star down the road.