Greenwood’s Marquiss Spencer is among those competing on a loaded Mississippi State defensive line.
Brian Baker, MSU’s defensive line coach, said it’s a “great problem to have” with so many players to choose from.
Baker has a plethora of defensive linemen who could make major impacts at just about every university across the nation, but he only has four places he can put them on a football field. Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said Monday he’s very conscious of the dilemma.
“I’m actually thinking of turning in my offensive play calling card and moving over to defense,” MSU head coach Joe Moorhead joked at SEC Media Days.
Shoop has a hardline approach to dealing with it. He said not everyone is going to be happy with the distribution of snaps week to week. He had a similar conundrum in 2015 at Penn State: a lot of bodies, four spots to stick them. That defense went on to lead the country in sacks per game.
“I think we have a good idea how to utilize the tools that we have,” Shoop said.
“It’s not intramurals and it’s not Pop Warner football where it’s going to be even reps,” Shoop added. “We’ve got to play our best players.”
As of now, seniors Montez Sweat and Gerri Green are listed as starters at the two end spots, but Spencer, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound junior, is also expected to be an impact player.
Shoop’s arrival from Tennessee elicits a change from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, meaning Spencer has moved from outside linebacker to end.
Spencer, a Greenwood High School product, juniors Chauncey Rivers and Fletcher Adams, sophomore Kobe Jones and freshmen Aaron Odom, Jaden Crumedy and Fabien Lovett are all taking snaps at end.
Spencer and Jones are bound to see the field based on prior production. Rivers is likely to register meaningful snaps after redshirting in 2017.
Spencer played in 12 games last season, recording 19 tackles, including 41/2 for loss and one sack with two pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. As a true freshman in 2016, he played in nine games, registering 17 tackles, including three for loss and one sack.
Sweat and junior defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons are locked in as starters. Green and Cory Thomas or Braxton Hoyett will fill the other two spots on the end and in the middle, respectively.
Safety Mark McLaurin led everyone in tackles last year. Playing just behind the d-line, he has a valid vantage point to determine just how menacing the guys up front will be.
“We’re going to be very nasty,” he said with a grin.
Baker treats Simmons and Sweat the same way he treats the others. In practices, he coaches first-year freshmen with the same fervor he uses with fifth-year seniors. He wants the group’s mentality to be uniform and sound. So far, the guys are receptive to his methods.
Depth is a good thing, Green said.
“It lets me know that I can go out there and give it my all for however many plays I can go,” he explained. “And when I come off the field, somebody is going to be able to do the same without worries.”
Just how much rotation Baker employs remains to be seen. How ever it shakes out, this group appears ready from top to bottom.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
