Take it to the bank? Here are some near-certainties for Mississippi State football as training camp begins

A look at some of the things that it appears the Bulldogs can count on headed into the 2020 football season.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that absolutely nothing is for sure. You just never really, truly know.

It's no different in sports, but as Mississippi State gets set for its preseason training camp starting with its first practice on Tuesday, there are some things that seem like near-certainties for this year's Bulldogs. Let's take a quick look at four things it seems like State can take to the bank and feel good about as things ramp up in the days ahead.

Kylin Hill should shine

Okay, if you wanted to, you could pick this apart a little. Hill has just 44 career receptions over his first three seasons at Mississippi State. In new head coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, he's probably going to need to get at least that many catches this season alone. However Hill has averaged 20 receptions a season over the last two years and he used to line up as a slot receiver some in high school, so he's shown time and time again he has the skill set to be the pass catcher he needs to be in 2020. And it's not like his running days are done anyway. It feels like a safe bet that Hill will still get his on the ground to some extent. No, he won't lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing yardage in the regular season as he did a year ago. But like running backs coach Eric Mele told Hill several months back, he might just lead the SEC in all-purpose yardage. He should be among the leaders for sure.

The O-line should be solid

Mississippi State's offensive line could shake out in a number of different ways, but it sure appears that no matter who MSU settles on as its starters up front, the group is in a good place. Maybe the biggest question mark of the whole unit revolves around freshman tackle Charles Cross and if he's truly ready to be a starter. And he came to the Bulldogs as a five-star prospect out of high school. Any time that your biggest uncertainty is a five-star talent, that's not a bad spot to be in. Yes, MSU will have to settle things at a couple of spots. But the fact of the matter is among names like seasoned veterans Greg Eiland and LaQuinston Sharp and Alabama grad transfer Scott Lashley, one or two of those guys probably won't even start and will simply be depth for the Bulldogs. Sure feels like a group that can get the job done.

K.J. Costello should excel

Find a starting quarterback that has played under Leach and didn't put up huge numbers. Costello is likely about to etch his name in the Mississippi State record books. Maybe the only thing that might keep him from some of the top spots is he'll be playing in a 10-game, SEC-only schedule as opposed to the traditional 12-game slate with four non-conference affairs. Still, with Leach calling the shots, the Bulldogs are going to be passing the football somewhere around 70 percent of the time and Costello will be the man racking up the passing yardage. Add in the fact he's older, he's seasoned and he could play his way into being a high NFL Draft pick come April and all the pieces are in place to expect big production. Yes, he'll need State's receivers to step up and help him, but Costello – even though he's never played a game in maroon and white – seems like a pretty sure thing to be a star for the Bulldogs.

Mike Leach should do what he always does

And that is rack up the yardage and points. Maybe the most comforting thing for the Bulldogs should be that Leach, every single year wherever he has been, has had productive offenses. That's an 18-year track record as a head coach. Could his 19th season as a head man be the year where things fall apart and his team can't move the football? Sure, it's possible. But it doesn't seem likely. There's not much you can guarantee in the ever-changing world of college football, but Leach having an offense that advances the ball down the field and puts up points is about as close as you can get. For Leach (and Costello), a lot does hinge on Mississippi State's receivers stepping up. The Bulldogs haven't had a 500-plus-yard receiver since 2016. However the safe bet is that Leach is going to find the right guys to make his offense click. Because he always does.

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