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Mississippi State Bulldogs safety Brandon Bryant runs a 4.25 time in the 40

By Jake Wimberly

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Mississippi State Bulldogs safety Brandon Bryant could be the next big thing in the SEC after he was timed in the 40 with a staggering time of 4.25 seconds.

Mississippi State time and again throughout the preseason has been picked at the bottom of the SEC West, left for dead by most pundits, despite returning All-SEC quarterback Dak Prescott and a ton of talent that played meaningful minutes for the Bulldogs in 2015.

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The Bulldogs list only nine returning starters back from last years 10 win team, but the Bulldogs rank 31st in number of underclassmen who played a season ago. One of the trademarks of a Dan Mullen team is to find those diamonds in the rough and develop them through hard work and the “process.” The Bulldogs have now done this time and again over the last few years with guys like Johnthan Banks, Benardrick McKinney and Preston Smith, among others who are now in the NFL.

The Bulldogs Achilles heal a year ago was in the secondary, where big play after big play hurt the Bulldogs. It was those big plays that ultimately derailed the Bulldogs undefeated season and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

While the Bulldogs do return two corners in Will Redmond and Taveze Calhoun, the Bulldogs will be looking for help at safety. All signs point to a healthy Kendrick Market returning and Kivon Coman has some valuable snaps in the back end of the defense. The Bulldogs expect true freshman Jamal Peters to see some time, but one player most people have no idea about or forgot about is redshirt freshman Brandon Bryant.

Bryant, who was a three-star prospect out of Rosa Fort High School in Tunica, Mississippi received only one other offer besides the Bulldogs and he could be the next great diamond in the rough find for Mullen.

According to Michael Bonner of the Jackson Clarion Ledger, Bryant is now 6-0 and 210 pounds after putting on a whopping 23 pounds after a redshirt year in Starkville, but his speed is what’s most eye-popping.

"Beyond the headlines, none of the defensive backs are thicker than Bryant, who gained 23 pounds from last year and now weighs 210 pounds. None can top Bryant’s 4.25 in the 40, which is the best on the team.“Now a days you have backs like Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry. It just gives you a boost,” Bryant said. “If you’re 6-foot, 210 and run a 4.25, that’s a lot of force going at a 230-pound back. It just helps me with a lot.”"

Bryant, who has the fastest forty time on the Bulldogs Iron Dawgs board could see lots of time as a special teams player, and if his cover skills come around, he could be a deadly force and a great addition to the Bulldogs secondary.

You already know by now there are several guys like Bryant that Mullen has on campus, waiting to roll out come game time. Bryant could be the next big surprise out of Starkville and another feather in the cap of the Dan Mullen “process”.

Next: Top 10 Most Important Freshmen to Watch in 2015

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