As Dak Prescott led the Mississippi State Bulldogs to their second-straight top-10 win over the weekend, many national sports analysts began to draw the comparisons between him and another number 15 who was also in Starkville this weekend.
“I actually asked to wear number 15 when I first came here because of Tim Tebow, and it was an honor to get to meet him (Friday). Our games are kind of similar, but I’m a different player, and I have my own type of game, but I still want to mimic him in some ways,” Prescott said.
Dan Mullen coached Tim Tebow in Florida when he was an offensive coordinator. In Mullen’s offensive system, Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 after posting offensive records. Now, Mullen engineers a similar offense with a similar quarterback in Starkville. The offense is built around a stable of running backs, fast receivers that can win a one-on-one matchup and a strong quarterback that can make multiple decisions in a split second.
“We were both physical runners,” Tebow said. “We both played in Mullen’s offense. We both like to sling it around a little bit. The thing that I really like about Dak is that there is something more about him. When you get a chance to be around him, and you get a chance to watch him, it’s not just, ‘oh you know I’m the quarterback of Mississippi State,’ it’s, ‘I believe in this program. I believe in these guys. I want to lead them.’”
The two have the physical abilities to run Mullen’s offense, and they also have the ability to lead the team.  Mullen said after Prescott’s first start last season, his teammates naturally follow him.
 “He told me the earlier (Friday) he was visiting his girlfriend, and he stopped by the Georgia Dome because he wanted to see where he was going to be playing in the SEC championship game, and I do not say this to make him sound arrogant,” Tebow said. “That is what you love to see. That is a confidence that you have to have as a quarterback. The team has to know that you have that confidence, and if they see that then they will have that confidence.”
Through the first five games of this season, Prescott’s numbers compare very well to Tebow’s first five games of his Heisman campaign. However, Prescott has amassed 1,713 total yards of offense, while Tebow had 1,730 over the first five games. Prescott has had more touchdowns with 20 total touchdowns on the season. Tebow only had 19.
The two will always have comparisons drawn between them because of their number, play style and coach. If Mississippi State continues to succeed on Saturdays, and if Prescott continues to put up impressive numbers, another similarity between the two play-callers may come as well. A Heisman could very well be in the future for Prescott.