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It isn’t like new Mississippi State defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon is preparing his team to face a quarterback gauntlet in 2016.
The Bulldogs will start the season against a South Alabama team breaking in a new signal-caller. Their first SEC game against South Carolina comes against a Gamecocks team battling injuries and trying out a mix of part-time quarterback starters, plus a freshman and redshirt sophomore.
That theme doesn’t get a ton harder as the schedule continues. For example, Oct. 8 against Auburn, with the Tigers quarterback options aplenty. And Mississippi State isn’t lighting up interest with its non-conference slate, unless Tom Brady comes out for UMass at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 24.
But there are a few guys who can be a problem for Sirmon’s talented defense.
1. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
The undisputed king of SEC quarterbacks in 2016 comes from the Bulldogs’ biggest rival. Kelly is coming off a 4,000-yard season in which he broke or tied 14 school records, beat Mississippi State in his first try and was the MVP of the Sugar Bowl.
Losing Laquon Treadwell hardly makes any defense smile when they see the loaded arsenal Kelly has to throw to in 2016. It should be a fun Egg Bowl as Mississippi State’s promising defense should be at peak performance by Thanksgiving, and especially if Kelly and the Rebels have survived a brutal early schedule and have a playoff chance on the line.
2. Trevor Knight, Texas A&M
Knight is the only quarterback in the SEC who can boast about having a love interest with an international pop star. When Katy Perry confessed her love for Knight on the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay” at Ole Miss, Knight was losing his job at Oklahoma.
At Texas A&M, he has arguably the best receiving tandem in the conference in Christian Kirk (80 receptions, 1,009 yards in 2015) and Josh Reynolds (51 catches, 907 yards), both in the SEC’s top five in receiving yards per game last season. That doesn’t include Ricky Seals-Jones, who was overshadowed with an impressive 45 catches for 560 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Knight’s biggest problem has been consistency. He should be able to consistently get the ball to this set of receivers.
3. Brandon Harris, LSU
More is expected out of Harris in his junior season. He was seventh in the SEC with 2,165 yards and threw nearly half as many interceptions (6) as he did touchdowns (13), but that sophomore performance wasn’t enough for fans.
The terrifying part about Harris is the assets around him. He has the best running back in the league in Leonard Fournette and potential 1,000-yard receiving threat Malachi Dupre, whose catches and yards made huge leaps from his freshman to sophomore season.
4. Austin Allen, Arkansas
Told you Mississippi State isn’t exactly facing the quarterback gauntlet. But Arkansas has been pretty consistent giving the Magnolia State fits, both Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Allen threw three passes a year ago but does have one of the SEC’s most talented sets of receivers. If Keon Hatcher can ever stop having foot surgery, he will be among a group that featured a pair of top receivers from last season. Senior Drew Morgan had 63 catches for 843 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Dominique Reed caught 28 for 535 and 6 touchdowns.
Allen won’t be inexperienced with the 10 games he’ll have played by Nov. 19, having already seen TCU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and LSU.
