College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

Dan Mullen has departed to take the Florida job, but hope still runs high in Starkville this season. With a roster stacked with redshirt juniors and seniors, Mississippi State returns 17 of last year’s 22 starters for the 2018 season. While challenging Alabama for the SEC West crown will be tough, the Bulldogs could put themselves in position for a New Year’s Six berth.

Nick Fitzgerald is back at quarterback after his gruesome ankle injury in the Egg Bowl against rival Ole Miss last Thanksgiving. So too is 1100-yard rusher Aeris Williams. The only starters from last year’s offense who are no longer with the team are tackle Martinas Rankin and receiver Gabe Myles. That leaves plenty of pieces in the cupboard for new head coach and former Penn State offensive mastermind Joe Moorhead.

Moorhead also has a strong defense to employ in his first season. Eight starters return to the unit after a year where they ranked 10th in yards allowed and gave up an average of fewer than three touchdowns per game. Look for the Bulldogs to slot in somewhere in the high teens to low 20s when the first AP Top 25 is released on August 20.