SEC Football: Spring 2019 storylines for every SEC team

Mississippi State: The Joe Moorhead era officially begins

You hear it a lot when coaches are tasked with tough rebuilding projects that the first year is really “year zero” and the clock doesn’t even begin ticking until year two. That wasn’t necessarily the case for Joe Moorhead as he inherited a talented team left behind by Dan Mullen, and the Bulldogs went 8-5 in what was sort of a disappointing year relative to the talent on hand.

Decorated quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was a square peg in a round hole in Moorhead’s offense, with neither functioning to their capabilities with one another. With Fitzgerald gone, the real Moorhead era can officially begin as he looks to install the offense in Starkville that made him such a highly sought after name as a coordinator at Penn State.

The QB-competition to replace Fitzgerald figures to be a three-way battle through spring practice. Junior Keytaon Thompson has the edge after serving as Fitzgerald’s backup for two seasons, but in 105 career pass attempts, he’s completed only 47% of his throws. Like Fitzgerald, he might not be a seamless fit for what Moorhead wants to do offensively, either, but there might not be a better choice on the roster.

Redshirt freshman Jaylen Mayden is a former four-star recruit who saw action in three games last season while maintaining his redshirt season.

The biggest competition for Thompson, though, is expected to be from four-star freshman Garrett Shrader, who was the nation’s No. 7 ranked dual-threat quarterback according to the 247 composites. Shrader may be the best fit in Moorhead’s sytem with his passing ability, and he obviously has the ability to make plays with his legs as well.

Finding the right fit at quarterback will be paramount with the Bulldogs replacing a lot of talent from last season’s defense, a unit that was No. 1 in the nation in defensive S&P+. With key players such as Montez Sweat, Jeffery Simmons, and Jonathan Abrams gone, Mississippi State is likely going to need to score more points next season if they want to get back to eight wins. If not, don’t be surprised it they are teetering on the edge of bowl eligibility, which would likely seriously crank up the heat on Moorhead heading into year three.