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Mississippi State senior Branden Jennings encouraged by linebackers' progress

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby:Paul Jones•04/09/25•

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Mississippi State LB Branden Jennings (Photo by Jared Thomas, Maroon and White Daily)

Last season saw Branden Jennings make his return to the Power 4 ranks and he did so with immediate success. The Mississippi State linebacker began his college career at Maryland where he earned Freshman All-American honors. After a brief stop at UCF, Jennings played one season in the Mississippi juco ranks before taking his talents to Mississippi State.

In that first Bulldog season, Jennings led the team with five tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries. The Jacksonville, Fla., native also ranked fourth on the team with 58 tackles.

These days, Jennings is nearing the end of his final spring session at Mississippi State. Last week he talked with the media about the changes this spring on defense as well as his position group:

Q: Where all are you working this spring?
Jennings: I am inside the box at the Jack position. We are off the edge, a lot of field and boundry stuff, just moving us around and showing some versatility.

Q: How much more comfortable are you this spring compared to your first year?
Jennings: Oh it’s really good. Besides players, we brought in a lot more coaches and I have a lot more guys working with me. Coach Mac (Mike MacIntyre) has a lot of experience and Coach (Vincent) Dancy. So I am getting a lot of on-the-ball and off-the-ball stuff and I feel like that is really going to help better my game. I’m just trying to take in everything they are coaching me and step it up a level.

Q: How did you think the first scrimmage went?
Jennings: I think it went great. I am just trying to get in our camera crew as much as I can and get around that ball. That’s really my main goal. I want to be in the camera crew every time there’s a snap on the field.

Q: What have you seen out of Zakari Tillman this spring?
Jennings: I feel like Zakari is stepping it up. He is going to develop a role as a leader and just trying to come into the building upgrading his knowledge as a young player and get more experience. He is going to be pretty good for us this year.

Q: What are some things you have shared with the newcomers this year?
Jennings: Just take in every day with the coaches. You got to trust your coaches, believe in everybody on this staff. I believe in everybody on this staff and I feel like that will help us upgrade everybody’s game. Get all these players in and make sure everybody is taking accountability and just stepping it up every day. Try to get better each practice and I think we will be good.

Q: Last year you were one of the best pass rushers on the team. What do you see from this group that will help you get more in that aspect?
Jennings: We are going to have a lot of interior pressure that will help me and allow me to get vertical. I am going to come off that ball even faster than I did last year. I think that inside presence will definitely help, of course, just eating up that interior. We need that and I am pretty sure we will be good. On third downs we will be coming, too.

Q: Is that your motto this year to stop the run, rush on third downs?
Jennings: If you turn the tape on, I am setting edges out there and I am getting vertical. We’re going to do our thing. I am going to feed the big boys, too, so they will like me.

Q: What other linebackers have caught your attention this spring?
Jennings: Well of course, my guy Nic Mitchell is coming around. He is going to catch a few more picks this year and he is a great cover guy. DG (Derion Gullette) has been doing good. We got JB (Ja’Bryis Stewart) coming in from Mississippi Delta. Jalen Smith from Tennessee is doing really good. He’s trying to get to that camera crew, too. But I’m going to try to be the first on that camera crew and that’s the main goal.

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