The Bulldog defense has not received nearly the attention that its offensive counterparts have garnered this offseason. This comes as no surprise with the new hire of Dan Mullen, an offensive guru, and the fact that he is bringing in an electrifying and highly publicized spread offense. However, the fans should see just as much aggression and innovation in a revamped defense this fall led by the likes of Carl Torbush who favors a pressure oriented defense that will see a shuffling of bodies at all three phases of the defense. The Bulldog’s base defense is a 4-3, that is four defensive linemen and three linebackers, but the fans will see some three man fronts with four linebackers and will also see a multitude of individuals lining up in those front seven positions. These variations of schemes should provide aid to young defensive backs that will need quarterbacks to have a limited amount of time in the pocket.
With a little help in the rest department from the Bulldog offense, the defense could be one of the better in the conference. With new schemes and a more aggressive mindset there will be no lack of excitement. The defensive line and linebackers should pressure the quarterback more than years past, which should help a young secondary mature and improve. If the cornerbacks can provide quality play, and the defensive line holds up in the run game, then look for our defense to gain notoriety as a defense that should throw a wrench in the opposing teams gameplan.
Defensive line: The D-line is anchored by newcomer Pernell McPhee, a junior transfer from Itawamba Community College, and a quarterback’s nightmare. At 6 feet 3 inches, and a toned 275 pounds, McPhee should be an instant catalyst for a team that, last season, was outsacked by the opponent 19 to 36. Charles Burns and Kyle Love are the other two tackles that should earn a majority of the snaps, and they are no slouches themselves. Burns, a sixth-year senior, has battled back from previous injury and contributes his speed as a converted defensive end. He will be a huge asset for the Bulldogs and provide even more versatility as he and McPhee can both be moved from their usual tackle positions, down to defensive end in certain situations.
Kyle Love is a more traditional defensive tackle who has been a mainstay for the Bulldogs the past three seasons. Although limited to just 13 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss during an injury-plagued junior campaign, Love figures to be a big piece of the puzzle on the defensive front with his run-stopping ability and relentless attitude. These three big men will be relieved by a stable of young, but talented defensive tackles such as Lamarcus Williams who has bulked up and focused hard this summer and could earn increasing playing time as the season progresses. Rodney Prince is another versatile defensive linemen that should be hungry after serving a year suspension. Joshua Jackson is one of our bigger tackles and figures in pretty heavily in run stopping situations. Reggie Odom is a hard-working senior who will be more involved with special teams as the main punt protector this season. Fletcher Cox, Josh Boyd and Johnathan McKenzie are three freshmen who have earned respect this fall, but will have to get accustomed to the speed of the SEC. Cox and Boyd were highly-touted prepsters while MckKnzie was signed as more of a project, but no one told him that. All three have been more than expected and are a bright spot for the future.
The tackles will be flanked by many faces this fall, but some of the usual suspects will be Brandon Cooper, a weathered senior who has bided his time and now plans to be a major contributor for the Bulldogs and Sean Ferguson should benefit from his “freshman 25” that, combined with his speed, provides him with the type of ability that can make coaches look good. These guys will share fairly equal snaps with Nick Bell, Trevor Stigers and Devin Jones who were all redshirted last season and look to have made the most of it. Devin Jones is a speedster with a big motor that always seems to be running, while Bell and Stigers are more balanced defensive ends that excel in run stopping as well as pass rushing. Shane McCardell, also a redshirt freshman, provides even more speed off the end, and while he may be the fastest of them all, he has battled to keep his weight up so he can fight with big SEC tackles. Look for him to gain more playing time as the season goes along and he improves his moves.
It’s clear that the Bulldog defensive line has speed to burn this season, but some questions remain about them because of their size. Boasting just two 300 pounders, they could be on the lighter side when battling teams such as Florida, for example, that average 6 feet 5 inches and about 328 pounds along the offensive front. As the season progresses, this question will be answered, but look for this problem to not be as big of an issue as some anticipate because of versatility with the defensive line and a superior linebacker core.
Linebackers: Perhaps the most talented unit for the Bulldogs this season, the linebackers are a deep group that should provide a solid anchor for the defense. The linebackers are headlined by the return of Jamar Chaney who was sidelined with a broken leg in the 2008 opener. Chaney is a big, fast, body that is equally proficient rushing the passer and stopping the run. Running backs will get to know him quite well, and his athletic ability is mirrored by his leadership among this crew and the entire defense alike. K.J. Wright is a phenom at 6 feet 4 inches tall and a solid 245 pounds with speed to go along with it. Wright will start alongside Chaney, and figures to be a premier pass rusher in the SEC from his outside linebacker position. Chris White, a junior college transfer All-American, will complete the starting group of linebackers. He has all of the physical and mental tools to excel this fall, and he participated in spring practice so he grasps the defense well. Look for sophomores Jamie Jones, Bo Walters and Terrell Johnson to provide quality depth at all three positions as the Bulldogs linebacker crew will see some shuffling in both the first units and second units. Karlin Brown, a junior who has seen sporadic playing time over the years, could be a specialist in certain situations with a smaller frame and big time speed that is taylor-made to rush the passer. Torbush likes the versatility to create mismatches in the passing and running game and uncertainty for the quarterback. Mike Hunt, a redshirt freshman, will feel his way around this fall and probably provide more help in the special teams department than anything else, but he has a bright future. True freshman Deontae Skinner may redshirt this fall because of a late arrival; however, if he can get up to speed with defensive schemes and get into playing shape, then he could be an instant factor with his large frame built for impact. Mark Lynn, Brandon Wilson and Tyler Gregory are hard-working walk-ons that should contribute in some special teams situations and provide even more depth to an already long group of linebackers.
Secondary: The MSU defensive secondary is one of the more inexperienced groups for the team this season, but there is a plethora of athleticism and untapped talent. Zach Smith and Charles Mitchell will be the starting safeties this season while Wade Bonner figures to earn his share of snaps as well. Smith is a junior who played early and improved steadily since his arrival. He has the speed, size and leadership ability to really make an impact this season, and his love for contact is invaluable at the safety level. Mitchell was a highly-touted high school prospect who played in all 12 games last season. He has the ability to be an all conference type performer even as a sophomore. Bonner, who was moved to running back last season for speed purposes, is another safety who has the physical ability to make a difference. His speed could be a factor if he finds himself in position to capitalize on a turnover. Emmanuel Gatling is a junior safety who puts his hard hat on and goes to work. His strong showings in spring practice, summer workout sessions, and fall camp have earned him a full scholarship. Cameron Lawrence is another defensive back that figures into the backup role this season. Lawrence, a true freshman, is a prototypical safety at 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds with plenty of speed. As he grows more comfortable at this level, look for his playing time to increase. The cornerbacks are led by senior Marcus Washington who has had trouble with the deep ball at times in the past, but has steadily improved over his first three seasons. He is a sure tackler and a hard worker who provides a good example for the other young cornerbacks, and he looks to continue on his path of improvement and hopefully have a big senior season. The other starting cornerback looks to be Damein Washington, a sophomore, and a player who the coaches are very enthusiastic about. As a freshman last year he eased his way into some playing time that should prove very valuable for this season full of new responsibilities for the young cornerback. These two will be backed up by redshirt freshmen Louis Watson and Corey Broomfield. Both are very capable backups who will have to provide some depth this season with so many teams moving to a more pass-happy spread offense. Watson is a balanced cornerback while Broomfield is a cover corner who has to continue to add weight to keep up in the SEC. Marvin Bure is a walk-on who has the caught the coaches’ eyes with his speed and playmaking ability. Walk-ons Chris Cameron and Robert Gurley add depth in the secondary and continue to work hard for the chance to play. Both have a more immediate future in the special teams game, but could see playing time in the future.