This Saturday against Alcorn State University, sophomore Dak Prescott will start his first game for the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Prescott, a 6-foot-2-inch 230-pound dual-threat quarterback will line up under center. Prescott was heavily recruited out of the Louisiana prep ranks, and ultimately chose the Bulldogs over LSU.
At Haughton High school, Prescott led his team in an undefeated regular season and a trip to the 4A state quarterfinals. He completed 62 percent of his passes his senior season and passed for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also ran for 951 yards and 17 touchdowns to claim the title of a dual-threat quarterback. In the same season, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association named Prescott to the All-Louisiana state team.
To gain a better understanding of the MSU offense, Prescott was red-shirted his first year. Last season he played back up to Tyler Russell, who is sidelined with a concussion, and mostly saw time in short-yardage situations. He threw four touchdowns last season and ran for four more, as well. He is also only one of five freshmen to throw a touchdown against both LSU and Alabama in the past decade.
Last weekend against OSU, Prescott played almost the entire second half due to Russell’s injury, but failed to get much offense rolling. He was 7-of-17 for 89 yards and an interception.
Prescott is used to the leadership role. He has been running the same offense as Russell all summer and was already expected to play a bigger role in the offense. Now he gets his chance.
“I’m excited. It’s an opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” he said. “It’s not exactly under the exact circumstances I wanted it to be, but it’s an opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Russell said he has full confidence any time Prescott steps on the field.
“Dak is the other quarterback, not the back-up,” he said.
The coaching staff consistently said Prescott can run the offense just as well as Russell. On the difference between the two players’ leadership styles, head coach Dan Mullen said Prescott brings a different motivational element to the huddle.
“Where Tyler has more of the business approach and get it done, Dak is more of a rah-rah guy,” Mullen said. “Dak has had a big leadership role amongst our team already. When Dak goes into it, the guys see him as someone who has been in a leadership role all year.”
Prescott has been known to be the more vocal and emotional leader of the two and can rally the team behind him. Prescott also brings another dimension to the team — he can tuck the ball and run at any moment or make something out of nothing, which can open the playbook for a more unpredictable offense.
Most of the time if two quarterbacks compete to play in games, there can be tension between the two; this is not the case for Russell and Prescott. Prescott said he sees Russell as a brother, and he knows Russell is behind him 100 percent.
Gabe Jackson, All-American offensive left guard, said no matter who plays the position, he feels comfortable with both quarterbacks under center.
“I’m confident in either one of them, Dak or Tyler,” Jackson said. “I know what they do in the summer. I know how hard they prepare and work. I don’t have any doubt in either of them. Either one of them can play.”
Prescott has been waiting for this moment for his entire collegiate career, his first start. Against a less-than-stellar opponent in the Alcorn State Braves this weekend, he has a recipe for success. This weekend, Dak will get the chance to show the fans what, exactly, the “other” quarterback can do.
