Nic Mitchell, Bulldog defense preparing for battle in the desert
Nic Mitchell has been putting in his work behind talented Mississippi State linebackers for the last three years, but it’s his turn now.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native spent three seasons learning from players like Jett Johnson and Bookie Watson and he contributed in 27 ball games. His impact was mostly felt on special teams and he made a total of 15 tackles in the first three seasons.
Last Saturday it was different for Mitchell. He was playing a major role for State’s defense and made four tackles with a 0.5 tackle for loss. It was a thrilling feeling for a player that has spent a lot of time and effort behind the scenes.
“It was a lot of fun,” Mitchell said of the win against Eastern Kentucky. “We were flying around, having fun and just playing ball. It felt good. We just can’t be satisfied. We’ve got to flush it and prepare for this week. Keep being violent and flying around and know that we have our hands full coming up.”
Mitchell stepping up his leadership for State defense
It’s a massive role change for Mitchell this season. He went from helping State sparingly on defense and spending most of his time on special teams to being one of the leaders of the linebacker room.
Both Mitchell and South Carolina transfer Stone Blanton are new leaders for the linebackers and they’ve slid into those positions without an issue.
“That’s my boy. That’s my weightlifting partner so we built a good relationship over the summer and the spring,” Mitchell said of he and Blanton. “We wanted to make sure that everybody was aligned and being vocal leaders out there.”
Along with some new faces on the field this season, State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler is also putting a lot of players out there as his rotation has been more loose than Zach Arnett and Matt Brock.
26 different players had tackles alone on Saturday. The second leading tackler on the team was backup linebacker and sophomore Zakari Tillman. There were also several more young players that impressed like Kai McClendon on the defensive line and another LB in Joseph Head Jr.
“Everybody needs to be fresh. That’s what coach Hutzler’s trying to do is keep everybody fresh and fast,” Mitchell said. “(The younger players) flew around, especially Zakari. That man flew around and set the tone on special teams. And Joe Head, that’s what Joe Head does. That’s nothing new.”
A 52-6 win over the Colonels was nice, but Mitchell and company will be challenged in a major way this week.
The Bulldogs left on Thursday to start preparations for playing in the desert heat at Arizona State. The Sun Devils had an impressive first week of their own with a blowout win over Wyoming. Both teams are looking for replica performances and the Bulldogs especially want to conquer the heat and the ASU offense.
“It’s a mentality thing,” Mitchell said of the trip to the desert. “You make sure your hydrated and it should be good. We know it’s going to be a long flight and we’ve got to stay hydrated.
If Mitchell and his team can get one step better this week, things drastically improve for the Bulldogs moving forward.
It’s already been a dream come true for the talented defender to get on the field and make a difference for an SEC team. Dwelling on what he’s accomplished isn’t Mitchell’s style, however.
“It feels good to see your hard work pay off,” Mitchell said. “There’s a lot of football left and I’m just getting started. I’m not satisfied with that at all, so I’m going to keep going.”
