Bulldog assistant coach Corey Bell inherits mixture of young talent and transfers at cornerback
In his first season at Mississippi State, Corey Bell has an interesting mixture in his cornerbacks’ room. First and foremost, Bell has to replace last year’s starters in Decamerion Richardson and DeCarlos Nicholson.
Bell does return some talented yet inexperienced cornerbacks in the secondary and the Bulldogs also brought in several cornerback transfers in Tre Wright, Montre Miller and DeAgo Brumfield. Earlier this week Bell broke down his group and shared his thoughts on the cornerbacks’ position:
Q: What led you to Mississippi State?
Bell: The opportunity itself was appealing because of the head coach himself. Good friend of mine and he and I worked together before. It was a no-brainer for me and an opportunity to get back in this league was great and fascinating.
Q: How has Montre Miller adjusted so far this summer?
Bell: I tell you what, it’s been unique for him. But he’s done a great job of adjusting and getting around the guys and building (chemistry), which has been great for him. Doing the things we’ve asked him to do and it’s been pretty smooth for him.
Q: Is DeAgo Brumfield working at cornerback?
Bell: He is working at corner. He’s a hybrid guy so he can go in and out. But currently right now, he is working at corner.
Q: How is Kelley Jones doing after getting some confidence in the spring?
Bell: That’s the thing, it remains to be seen. He’s been doing a great job in the offseason. Making the transition from the spring to now, it’s been enlightening. It’s been great to see and I expect big things from him moving forward.
Q: How does being 6-foot-4 help Kelley Jones?
Bell: Not only size but he’s athletic. He can move and bend and he has tremendous speed. So all those things help him a lot. Now it’s about cleaning up the little things, which he and I discussed and we are on the same page with that. He’s doing a good job with that and you’re right, you don’t find a lot of 6-foot-4 corners. When you have one it is a unique situation. There’s some adjustments to it in terms of what’s comfortable with him. Not only with his technique but also making sure he gets his speed back and is comfortable doing the things we are asking him to do.
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Q: What are some questions you want answered in training camp?
Bell: There’s a lot of question marks because you’re going into real game play. You haven’t seen these guys in live action against other opponents. So there’s a lot of questions marks related to that. But the guys are doing what they’re supposed to do, doing what we ask them to do and making good progress. But that being said, it’s just a matter of stalking the ball and going and play ball.
Q: What are your impressions of Khamauri Rogers?
Bell: Khamauri has done a great job of doing the little things, getting his body prepared. Trying to put on more weight but other than that, he’s been making a smooth transition.
Q: How is it working with Coleman Hutzler and what’s his mindset on defense?
Bell: Aggressive, attack, enthusiasm, energy, which I love. Great to be around him each and every day. You know what to expect and he’s going to hold everyone accountable. With all of that, he’s a great guy to be around.
Q: How’s Brice Pollock coming along?
Bell: He’s doing great, doing really good. He’s another guy that’s making strides. He understands what is expected of him. I know he’s a guy that played a little bit last year. You always want to take that into account but at the same time, everything is new and he has a fresh start. He’s doing the things I asked him to do. It’s been very enlightening to see him grow from the spring up until this point. Now we’re moving into fall camp and it’s about taking the next step and I think he’s ready to do that.
