State linebackers ready to lead Bulldog defense into new era
With just a little over a week away from the opening kickoff, things are getting real for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs open up the Jeff Lebby era on Saturday, August 31, and there are some things that fans know about the team and some things they don’t. Lebby’s offense has high expectations due to the additions from the transfer portal and high school recruiting class and the coach has proven it before.
As for the defense, there are a few more question marks. Lebby and co-Defensive Coordinators Coleman Hutzler and Matt Barnes have a plan for that side of the ball and expectations are just as high for them as the offense.
“Energy, toughness, physicality and getting the ball out. That’s what we want. We want guys that play the game in a violent way. We want to get the ball out and get the ball back and have guys that play with relentless effort. I say it all the time but I’ve never seen a great play made without great effort. I think our guys understand that. That’s what we’re looking for. We want it to look like a defense that’s playing with its hair on fire every single snap.”
John Lewis, Bulldog linebackers leading the defense this fall
If the Bulldogs are to have a successful season on the defensive side of the ball, the linebackers look like they will lead the way.
It’s a group with, perhaps, the most “known” commodities as State brings back key reserves John Lewis and JP Purvis along with South Carolina transfer Stone Blanton among the leaders. There’s also players like former Freshman All-American at Maryland Branden Jennings and experienced backup Ty Cooper at the JACK spot.
That group helped usher in a different kind of preparation at the start of this week. It marked the end of the training camp and the beginning of the season for the Bulldogs with game week on the horizon.
“You can tell the energy has shifted. We’re locked in and getting ready for the first game of the season,” Lewis said. “We know what to expect. We came out (Monday) with a different mindset and everybody is locked in, focusing on the main thing.”
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The last actual practice of the training camp portion of the preseason came last Saturday when the Bulldogs were at Davis Wade Stadium for the second scrimmage.
In that scrimmage, Lewis saw a big jump from the defensive group in doing the fundamental things well. Specifically, State defenders got a better handle on the offensive skill players than the first scrimmage.
“We got way better with tackling,” Lewis said. “Everybody improved on a lot of things that no one else has seen. A lot of people improved from the first to the second scrimmage.”
The first days of preparation for Eastern Kentucky are almost complete and game week is just around the corner.
For Lewis, he’s been playing football long enough that it all comes naturally to him. The first game won’t be a shellshock to the talented defender, but it will be special. He expects his group to all be ready for their moment.
“We’re all ready. We’re prepared. I have faith in every linebacker,” Lewis said. “All of the linebackers can all have a breakout year. Whoever is on the field with me, I know what to expect.”
