Camp underway at MSU
The summer is winding down. Fall will soon be in the air.
That means football is back and on Friday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, Mississippi State began putting the first touches on its 2019 season as practice got underway for the new campaign. It was a welcome occurrence for second-year head coach Joe Moorhead.
“It was great,” Moorhead said of his team returning to action. “You kind of have that time off, but there's only so many Little League games you can go to until it's time to get back out on the field.”
The opening of camp signals the beginning of MSU'S quarterback battle. Both veteran Bulldog Keytaon Thompson and graduate transfer Tommy Stevens spent time running drills with the ones and twos at Friday's practice as the two begin competing for the starting job. Moorhead insisted after practice Friday that both guys had positive starts, as did the younger quarterbacks behind them.
“I think not just (Thompson) and (Stevens), but Garrett (Shrader) and Jalen (Mayden) and even Logan (Burnett) had their moments,”
Moorhead said. “It was one practice in helmets and shirts and we installed about four or five passes, so they all had their moments. We're just excited to see how the competition plays out.”
The quarterback battle is this August's headline-grabbing storyline, but there are other battles as well all over the gridiron. MSU'S players are well aware of that fact. Moorhead said the most positive thing of all as practice began was that his guys seemed to understand they can't afford to take these moments lightly leading up to the August 31 season opener.
“One of the things I was most encouraged by (Friday) is how the sense of urgency and the execution has been increased because of the enhanced competition at every position,” Moorhead said. “You can go across the board at different spots where there are battles going on. Guys want to get on the field. They kind of look behind them or in front of them and say, ‘I've got to be on top of my game throughout the course of practice if I want the opportunity to play.' I think with the situation at receiver and others across the board, that's one of the most positive things I saw.”
Walker expected soon
Moorhead said Friday he is still expecting running back Kareem Walker to join the Bulldogs soon. Walker, a former Michigan player, spent last year at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas and was part of MSU'S most recent signing class. However he wasn't with State on the practice fields Friday.
“He'll be here,” Moorhead said of Walker. “He's just finishing up a few administrative items academically. It should be very, very early next week.”
Waitman’s appeal denied
Another player not on the practice fields with MSU on Friday was punter Corliss Waitman. Waitman, a transfer from South Alabama, was expected to compete for Mississippi State's starting punter job this fall, but his waiver for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. That puts his Bulldog career in jeopardy, though nothing is final yet as there is an appeal process to go though.
“We found out (Thursday) Corliss had his waiver for his sixth year of eligibility denied through the NCAA,” Moorhead said. “So right now, he's not with us. He's meeting with his family right now and exploring some options.”
King Ani out
Freshman defensive end Izuchukwu King Ani remains out for the Bulldogs as he recovers from multiple injuries.
It's unknown if the four-star recruit will be able to contribute for Mississippi State this season.
“It all depends,” Moorhead said. “He's got a couple of things – upper body and lower body – that he's got fixed. He's working to get healed up. Hopefully (he's back) at some point this season and if not, he's a great redshirt candidate, but he's a guy, when you looked at him physically, he just had some things from high school that he had to get fixed.”