One for the Bulldogs

Mississippi State is going to have to play catch up after missing the entire spring ahead of head coach Mike Leach’s first season in Starkville, but the Bulldogs are back to work in the weight room and going through summer workouts.

With its third coaching staff in the last four years, several MSU players will have to adjust yet again to a different style. The offense will have to implement the Air Raid and the defense a 3-3-5 alignment. It all makes for a hectic few months leading up to a football season that has already been in question.

Before the fall practices arrive on Monday, the depth chart is beginning to come together under Leach’s direction. It’s hard to map out some of it without the benefit of watching a spring under the new staff.

The safety position is one of the most interesting on the team just because it features former West Point High School player Marcus Murphy.

Arnett’s group important in 3-3-5 defense scheme

When former defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn ran the 3-3-5 at MSU back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the defensive line and linebackers were a big part of things, but there were some very memorable safeties in that group as well.

This group under Zach Arnett will be just as important as the coach will essentially have three safeties with one playing the “Dog” safety role as a hybrid defender. Importance will be levied on the group to both play the run and the pass game well and bring the thunder from the secondary and they certainly have the athletes that are capable.

The depth, however, is questionable. There are more sheer numbers at the safety position than at the cornerback spot, but there’s still some rehabbing from injuries and lack of playing experience to overcome. They’ll rely heavily on some players that are upperclassmen.

It starts with the Dog safety and free safety spots.

Murphy should fit the mold of the Dog safety perfectly for Arnett bringing a mix of power, instincts and athleticism to the defense. Murphy was a pure athlete coming out of West Point and helped his team to back-to-back Class 5A State championships with Most Valuable Player honors in both wins. He played mostly special teams as a freshman and was suspended most of last season after violating team rules, but he’s ready to get a full season of defense in this year.

In just five games last year, he had 26 tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, one tackle for loss and an interception returned for touchdown. During his last three games against Arkansas, Ole Miss and Louisville, he produced all of those numbers as he failed to record stats in his other two games back. It showed that he was ready to take the next step as a player in 2020 and he’s been focused in the offseason.

Behind Murphy at Dog will be a couple of youngsters with bright futures and a similar path as athletes out of high school. Redshirt freshman J.P. Purvis and true freshman Janari Dean were both the focal points of their offenses at Pelahatchie and South Panola and now they’re transitioning fully to defense. Purvis had a major car wreck during bowl prep last year but seems to have healed and is ready to compete for playing time with Dean, who has been impressing in workouts and conditioning. Both could be valuable parts of the defense and special teams.

At free safety, MSU will return a couple of seniors. Former junior college standout Fred Peters became a starter late in the year when C.J. Morgan went down with injury against Alabama and he shined bright as a full-time defender. All of Peters production came in the final four games, like Murphy, as he made 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. Both he and Murphy should have plenty of confidence from the end of their seasons to springboard into this year.

Morgan would have likely been the starter again this year had he not gone down with injury and now when he returns is still in question. Morgan had doubled his numbers from his first two years when he made 59 tackles in just nine games before his injury and he’s one of the leaders of the defense. Getting him back is important for leadership and for the depth of the safeties, but they’ll need to be careful.

With Morgan out, it looks like junior Landon Guidry will get a shot to back up Peters. Guidry is a freakish athlete but he’s still trying to get back to where he was before he was injured in a fall practice leading up to the season his freshman year. He played eight games as a freshman and 12 last year when he made six tackles.

Strong safety is where concern really creeps in just based on the lack of playing time. In workouts, sources have spoken often about the three players that will contend there but none of them have much experience on the defensive side.

Sophomores Shawn Preston Jr. and Collin Duncan are contending for the starting spot the most. Preston played in one game of mop up duty as a freshman and redshirted. He did make 25 tackles as a reserve, including five against both LSU and Texas A&M and a career-high eight of them against Abilene Christian. He’s had more reps than any of the strong safety contenders on defense.

Duncan had his redshirt removed last year due to his play on special teams. He played in 11 games but made just one tackle. There’s also redshirt freshman Dylan Lawrence, who was recruited by former cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley to play corner, but he’s been moved to safety and has been impressive in workouts. He has the frame and skill to be a standout at safety and this year he should be able to get a taste this year.

There’s also an incoming signee that has yet to arrive to campus and that’s Mississippi Delta Community College defensive back Kyle Cass. Sources have said that Cass will be at safety with his 6-2, 195 pound frame. It’s unsure where exactly he’ll end up and he’s expected to be at school soon as he finishes up coursework.