SEC Football: Realistic 2019 season goals for every team

Mississippi State Bulldogs: Replace Nick Fitzgerald

Nick Fitzgerald has been the face of Mississippi State football for the past couple of years. He might not be a fantastic prospect, but he had the ability to have a few great performances against key opponents. He was a mobile quarterback with arm strength, although his accuracy was not always there on the deep throws when he needed it.

Now that Fitzgerald has graduated from Mississippi State, there comes the need to replace him at quarterback. Fitzgerald is the last quarterback to receive quality training from Dan Mullen, the same man that turned Dak Prescott into the man he is now. The next quarterback will be a project for the new head coach and his offensive staff.

The frontrunner for the job is Keytaon Thompson, the only quarterback to throw more than two passes last year besides Fitzgerald. Thompson had to start an early game this year when Fitzgerald was suspended, but otherwise hasn’t seen the field much. In terms of all the returning players, the junior Thompson has the best shot.

The main competition that Thompson will face will be Tommy Stevens, a graduate transfer from Penn State. Stevens never played much behind Trace McSorley, but he is still a mobile threat who will be familiar with Joe Moorhead’s offensive system.

It doesn’t matter who the starting quarterback is for the Bulldogs this season. They just need to make the right decision. Both players have potential, but one of them needs to be prepared to be a starting quarterback in the SEC West if Mississippi State has any chance to succeed this season.