Our defense

[Ozarkdawg]

Yeah. I get that injuries have left us thinner than paper on the DL, but how the hell did we ever let ourselves get into a position where a couple of injuries just decimated us like this?

Is 3-3-5 a function of it? If you aren't playing 4 DL you dont have 8 to be 2 deep. And if you are only playing 3, it makes it harder to get more guys in who will even develope because they know the playing time is even harder to come by???

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

They did good concentrating on TE...lol. They got a true freshman OL playing TE as he burns his redshirt

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

From what I saw in person yesterday, we appear to have done no strength training or agility/speed training since the season began. We are weak and slow. Those are huge problems with an SECW schedule.

 

[eckie1]

Is this the worst in our history? Croom even had good defenses.

Ron Cooper’s defenses were worse than not even fielding a defense. We aren’t there yet, but we really suck. And we didn’t lose tons of players, so it’s definitely all coaching.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Yeah. I get that injuries have left us thinner than paper on the DL, but how the hell did we ever let ourselves get into a position where a couple of injuries just decimated us like this?

Here’s a summary:

In the 3 recruiting classes of the Leach / Arnett regime (2021-2023), there have been a combined 25 defensive prospects in the Top 15 of MS prospects each of those years, per 247 (out of 45 total players).

MSU has landed 13 of the 25, which initially sounds pretty decent. But 7 of those 13 were in the 2023 class - and they aren’t ready. That’s the first huge issue - our only potentially talented players are too green to get out there.

The 2021 class was particularly problematic for defensive prospects in MS. It was a very lean year in the state for defense - only 4 of the top 15 prospects were defensive players, and we only landed 1 of the 4 - John Lewis - who has been a total bust. So that’s the current true juniors and redshirt sophomores. The guys who should be energing and carrying the team right now. And we essentially struck out on the entire class for defense here. 2nd huge issue.

Finally, lets look at the truly elite defensive players. Top 5 overall players in the state each year. 8 total out of the 15 over those 3 years played defense. MSU eventually landed 4 of the 8, which again initially sounds pretty good. But lets look closer. 1 of those 4 is the aforementioned John Lewis (#2 MS prospect in 2021 - bust). 1 is Khamari Rogers who initially went to Miami but came back in the portal after not seeing the field. Thus far seems like he’s a bust too, if you’ve seen our secondary. 1 is Trevion Williams who is out for the rest of 2023. And the last one is Issac Smith who is a true freshmen that’s played a little bit but not enough to judge anything yet.

So, we have no upperclassmen talent at all from Arnett’s 3 defensive classes, we have not very much Mississippi talent period on defense in the past 3 years, and the few elite defensive players we’ve signed have been either busts, injured, or are too young to truly help us. Its been a slow moving train wreck on the recruiting trail, somewhat due to bad luck with limited options in MS, and somewhat due to us not being able to pony up and land more players with NIL, etc. Ultimately, MSU football goes as Mississippi high school talent goes, and its been slim pickens lately on D.

 

[MSUDOG24]

Here’s a summary:

In the 3 recruiting classes of the Leach / Arnett regime (2021-2023), there have been a combined 25 defensive prospects in the Top 15 of MS prospects each of those years, per 247 (out of 45 total players).

MSU has landed 13 of the 25, which initially sounds pretty decent. But 7 of those 13 were in the 2023 class - and they aren’t ready. That’s the first huge issue - our only potentially talented players are too green to get out there.

The 2021 class was particularly problematic for defensive prospects in MS. It was a very lean year in the state for defense - only 4 of the top 15 prospects were defensive players, and we only landed 1 of the 4 - John Lewis - who has been a total bust. So that’s the current true juniors and redshirt sophomores. The guys who should be energing and carrying the team right now. And we essentially struck out on the entire class for defense here. 2nd huge issue.

Finally, lets look at the truly elite defensive players. Top 5 overall players in the state each year. 8 total out of the 15 over those 3 years played defense. MSU eventually landed 4 of the 8, which again initially sounds pretty good. But lets look closer. 1 of those 4 is the aforementioned John Lewis (#2 MS prospect in 2021 - bust). 1 is Khamari Rogers who initially went to Miami but came back in the portal after not seeing the field. Thus far seems like he’s a bust too, if you’ve seen our secondary. 1 is Trevion Williams who is out for the rest of 2023. And the last one is Issac Smith who is a true freshmen that’s played a little bit but not enough to judge anything yet.

So, we have no upperclassmen talent at all from Arnett’s 3 defensive classes, we have not very much Mississippi talent period on defense in the past 3 years, and the few elite defensive players we’ve signed have been either busts, injured, or are too young to truly help us. Its been a slow moving train wreck on the recruiting trail, somewhat due to bad luck with limited options in MS, and somewhat due to us not being able to pony up and land more players with NIL, etc. Ultimately, MSU football goes as Mississippi high school talent goes, and its been slim pickens lately on D.

That was well done, thanks for taking the time to methodically answer how something like this happens. A lot to chew on as to what we might have done differently, if anything. Assume "the staff" knows/see all of this and why some of our portal moves seemed odd to me but I don't pretend to know the other multiple variables they are dealing with that they know and I don't. Certainly seems roster management can become a game of whack-a -mole.