Tuesday Dawg Biscuits
Logan's first biscuit: No doubt one of the top prospects in the state is Morton defensive tackle Quay Evans. As I mentioned Friday, he spent a lot of time hanging out with Channing Ward and the two genuinely seem to enjoy each other's company. He still has the Bulldogs out in front mainly because of defensive coordinator Chris Wilson but still has Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Oregon and USC still in the mix as well.
Logan's second biscuit: East Marion (Miss.) three-star running back Xavier Grindle was MSU's first commitment over the weekend. He told me as he was leaving Big Dawg Camp that he really looks up to the coaching staff here and believes in what they are doing in Starkville. Grindle brought his mom with him and he said her approval was what really put him over the top and made him commit.
Logan's third biscuit: Congrats go out to former MSU center J.C. Brignone who has inked a free agent deal with the Chicago Bears. Brignone played in 47 games during his Bulldog career drawing 35 starts on the offensive line.
Bob's fourth biscuit: Talking to defensive tackle Fletcher Cox a few days ago we got a lot of good information information on the defense, including this from Cox: "I'm gonna graduate. I'm gonna play four years at Mississippi State." Things could always change after the season if people tell him he could make millions by leaving early for the NFL, but it's good for MSU to hear that he plans to return for his senior year no matter how well 2011 goes.
Bob's fifth biscuit: More from Cox, he said the defense, especially for the defensive line, is exactly the same under new defensive coordinator Chris Wilson as it was under Manny Diaz last year. Cox said some terminology has changed, but that the scheme is mostly the same for the whole defense and it will remain an attacking style. Cox also said that Wilson looks to him as the leader now that Pernell McPhee is gone. I'll have more from Cox later.
Bob's sixth biscuit: also caught up with Vick Ballard, more on him later, too, and we got into a discussion about the type of running back he is. He said he wants to improve his power game and that he actually watches Alabama running back Trent Richardson for tips on that front. Ballard was a nominee for the media's preseason All-SEC team, so I asked him where he ranks among the SEC backs. He actually didn't answer, saying it's foolish to rank them in order. He said everyone has their own strengths, noting that his is scoring, as he led the SEC in scoring last year.