What we learned about Mississippi State after spring football, from Will Rogers to kickers

STARKVILLE – It's hard to overstate what a full spring season meant for Mike Leach heading into his second season as coach of Mississippi State football.

He was hired in 2020 just a couple months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. He was forced to teach a new team how to run the Air Raid, a repetition-based offense, without an offseason. The season that followed was an ugly 4-7 campaign.

Last season, MSU got to show what time and practice meant for this coaching staff’s system. Mississippi State took significant strides in all phases besides special teams and finished with a 7-6 record along with four SEC wins.

Another spring is in the books for Leach following the Bulldogs final practice and scrimmage Tuesday.

Here’s what we learned this spring from Mississippi State.

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Expectations are high for Will Rogers

Leach repeatedly reminded those who criticized Will Rogers last season of the quarterback’s youth. When Rogers took the field in a mid-October loss against Alabama, he was a game shy of a full season’s worth of career starts.

Leach noted that in his push for patience, and it showed in the latter half of the season. Rogers wound up breaking numerous Mississippi State single-season passing records and built a name for himself.

There will be few excuses in place for Rogers heading into the 2022 season, and he knows it.

“The pressure can build up sometimes, but I try not to hear the outside noise,” Rogers said. “Coach Leach says all the time to ignore the noise. That’s gonna be my goal for this season, probably just to shut off social media. I don’t wanna see the good, the bad. I don’t wanna see any of it.”  

FanDuel has Rogers at No. 22 in its Heisman betting lines, just a couple spots behind Alabama linebacker Will Anderson — a potential No. 1 pick in the 2023  NFL Draft. The odds are lofty (+8,000) but it’s a testament to how his name has grown in national conversations.

He was the undisputed starting quarterback during spring practice and will be moving forward. The question is if his game can continue to progress with reps.

Defensive front has plenty of depth

Mississippi State’s front six on defense is stacked with Jordan Davis, Jett Johnson and Cameron Young. And those are only the players who were limited in the spring.

MSU expects to have a plethora of depth up front after owning one of the best rushing defenses in college football last year.

Mississippi State had good depth at linebacker last season with Tyrus Wheat as the standout and a mixture of Johnson, Nathaniel Watson and Aaron Brule rotating in the other two spots. Brule transferred to Michigan State but DeShawn Page has taken a clear step to help replace him.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has ensured this group of linebackers can play in any slot, giving MSU a chance for fresh legs while also providing a security blanket for injuries as was seen with Johnson missing much of the spring with a fractured hand.

So, what about kicker?

Mississippi State might have itself a kicker this season. The Bulldogs added a plethora of legs after their notorious struggles at kicker last season.

The leader in the clubhouse for the starting spot appears to be Massimo Biscardi. The Coastal Carolina transfer has been consistent in spring scrimmages – making all three kicks Tuesday from 38, 42 and 47 yards.

Ben Raybon missed a pair of kicks in the final scrimmage, but he didn’t sell himself short. Raybon made a 57-yard kick last season with Northern Colorado. If he can find accuracy, he could add another dimension to special teams.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.