The unknowns: Here are some questions needing answers as Mississippi State football begins training camp

Mississippi State is holding its first practice of preseason training camp on Tuesday. Over the next few weeks leading up to the September 26 season opener at LSU, the Bulldogs have some possible wrinkles to iron out.

Yesterday on Cowbell Corner, we delved into the things that seem like certainties for Mississippi State as training camp gets underway. YOU CAN SEE THAT BY CLICKING HERE. Today, let's take a look at some of the questions the Bulldogs are facing.

Can the receivers hold their own?

Mississippi State hasn't had a 500-plus yard receiver since 2016. For Mike Leach's Air Raid offense to work, not only will that streak have to snap, but multiple players will have to snap it. Last season alone at Washington State, seven different receivers caught 500 yards or more worth of passes. We're about to find out if MSU's lack of production at receiver the last few years has been because of the talent at the position or the offensive scheme. The guess here is that the Bulldogs find players to make plays. There are multiple options State can turn to and find who can shine the brightest. And at the end of the day, no matter where he has been, the Leach offense always seems to find receivers to rack up yardage.

Can State quickly adapt to the 3-3-5?

New defensive coordinator Zach Arnett finally gets to fully begin implementing his scheme, but will the Bulldogs pick it up and excel with it? It's an answer that won't really be known until Mississippi State starts playing games that count. If you want to feel good about MSU's chances though, there's this comment from Arnett when he spoke exclusively with Cowbell Corner back in June and noted some aspects of his style should be familiar to what the Bulldogs have done in the past:

"There are going to be some similarities," Arnett said. "I was talking and running position meetings. You can put some clips on of things they did defensively over the last couple years and you can say, ‘Hey guys, guess what. That call, you might have called it this. Well we call it this, but it’s really the exact same defense.’ Man-free is man-free. Line up on that guy and cover him wherever he goes. There are some similarities that hopefully will make the transition easier for some of the players."

Still, change is change and there will surely be a lot to learn for some Bulldogs over the coming days.

Who steps up in the secondary?

There may perhaps be no bigger question mark on the team than this one. Safety Marcus Murphy is one of the most athletic, talented guys on the team, but outside of him, there is uncertainty almost everywhere else in the defensive backfield. Yes, corner Martin Emerson is talented and gained some valuable experience a year ago, but is the sophomore ready to lock down his side of the field? And beyond Murphy and Emerson, who will the other three starters in the secondary even be? It's a situation where from a personnel standpoint, MSU could have really used Jarrian Jones had he not transferred to Florida State. But Jones is gone. Tyler Williams, who was likely to start at the corner spot opposite Emerson, has a football future that is unclear. He might not play in 2020. It's a group in need of someone – anyone – to step up.

Erroll Thompson and who else at linebacker?

Thompson is to the Mississippi State defense what running back Kylin Hill is for the offense. You just trust he's going to be productive, smart and make plays. But what other linebackers will be beside him to aid that position group's cause? Do junior college transfers Jordan Davis and Tyrus Wheat step right in and solidify the unit? Does redshirt sophomore Bulldog Aaron Brule take advantage of his biggest opportunity yet, now in his third season with the program? It certainly seems like the talent is there at linebacker. It's just a matter of State figuring out who to put in what role.

Can the line take steps forward?

Remember last preseason? Everyone was talking about how the defensive line was going to take a huge step backwards for Mississippi State. Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat were gone from the dominant 2018 MSU defense. In 2019, youngsters would have to step in. Well those youngsters now have grown up. Tackle Jaden Crumedy is in his third year with State. Tackle Nathan Pickering is coming off an All-SEC Freshman season. Then on the ends, there's experience. Marquiss Spencer and Kobe Jones are heading into their senior seasons and both have already shown flashes of their talent in previous years. If all those guys take steps forward, MSU has the makings of a strong defensive front and of course, in college football, that's a big part of the battle every Saturday. If the line is good, it also aids in answering some of the other questions on this list. If the line can create some pressure on quarterbacks, it takes some of the pressure off the secondary. And suddenly, Arnett's 3-3-5 becomes a lot more formidable.

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