Mullen Previews 2017 Season At Annual Media Day

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State football held its annual media day on Tuesday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.

Ninth-year head coach Dan Mullen, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy as well as select players addressed the media.

Dan Mullen – Media Day 7/25/17

Opening Statement…
"I hope everyone is doing well today and ready to get cranked up in football. We get out there for our first practice today. We are pretty excited about that. We have 29 opportunities to get out on the field to improve ourselves, practice as a team and get ready to prepare for this season. I am excited about the attitude our team has. We have some young players on the roster with only, I think, 12 seniors on the roster. We have a young football team but we have some guys that have played some football in the past that have some experience. I want to see the energy that we attack this training camp with and the passion that we have every single day to improve as players and improve as a football team to go out there and have a successful football season."

On adjusting to the new practice schedule…
"I have talked to other coaches, and we are one of the earliest starting teams in the country. Everything we did was based on player safety. One of the first things I did was throw a calendar down in front of Dan Jacobi, our head trainer, and Nick Savage, our head strength coach. I said not to worry school or anything else. Don't worry about installation schedule. Let's look at player safety, player health and player recovery and how you would spread out the practices. I took that information and tried to apply it, combining it with the coaches and how they would like to install and then compare to the summer school class schedule, fall class schedule and everything else. This is what we came up with. For example, this week, we will practice the next two days in helmets, then we will take a day off. Then we will go three days with shoulder pads then will take a day off. What it is doing is creating a lot of recovery days in between for health."

On the challenges of no two-a-days…
"I think it's different. I have a better feeling having never have done it. My wife asked me if I would be able to come home for dinner every day. From the schedule, it looks like I might be able to. There are days on the new schedule that the players are completely off. We can't even do a life skills meeting with them, so I guess we'll do some extra film study or go play golf. As a staff, I have to figure out what to do. It'll be a big learning curve for us in what goes on this year, whether we like it or not. There are concerns. In the middle of training camp, there is no school and the players have a whole day off. So, I hope they're well-behaved."

On Elgton Jenkins being a possibility at center in the fall…
"He has played tackle and guard for us. He is a veteran guy and pretty smart football player. He can get all the right calls made for the line and put everyone in the right position. He has the athletic ability to be able to do it."

On where the starting point is for the offensive line…
"I will check with Coach Hevesy today. To me, we will all do some mix-and-match combinations throughout training camp. It is a great thing if at the end of the year, you can start the same five guys on the offensive line every single game. It is a pretty positive thing but also to have the ability to roll some guys through. If we can stay that healthy, that will lead to a very successful year, usually. We have to prepare for guys to get used to playing with each other. We'll have to get guys ready. If you look at Martinas Rankin and Elgton Jenkins who have played a whole bunch, you feel confident about those guys. There are a bunch of guys that we expect to be in the rotation that haven't played a whole lot, so we will see over the next 29 practices how they improve and get themselves ready."

On Gabe Myles' improvement prior to his senior season…
"Like a lot of guys, he is attacking the year and is desperate for his senior season. For everybody, there is not a light at the end of the tunnel, there is just an end of the tunnel coming at the end of your football career. For a lot of guys, they hope it goes beyond that. I think a lot of guys get into their senior year and realize that there are couple of months left and that could be the end of football. What am I going to do in those couple of months to maximize my career? It is easy to say, 'I only have this many games left to play. But until you get to the point where you say, 'this is it,' it's hard to get that desperateness. Gabe is a guy who has worked hard and realizes that desperate feeling of 'I have to finish my career the right way.'"

On how his relationship with Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham has progressed since spring practice…
"I think Todd is an excellent football coach and is extremely knowledgeable. I think he has fit in really well to the staff but is also extremely professional in understanding what he needs to do to get his defense to be successful as well as what my expectations are in the program. I think his professionalism and experience have helped and merged really well. I am excited to see our defense."

On the younger receivers…
"I think there's obviously a learning curve in what the standards and expectations are. I can sit and talk all day long about what we expect. When they get to see one of their peers actually go out and do that on a daily basis, it emphasizes and is the best way to learn what needs to get done. I think Donald Gray is setting the bar. Wherever he sets the bar, that will be what we reach this year. As the young players look up to him, this is what is expected and that is how high we go. You don't usually expect anyone to surpass the leader, and hopefully they realize it and even surpass that and take over being the leader. It would be great for the future."

On Tolando Cleveland…
"He's not the most vocal leader or our most outspoken person, but when he speaks, he holds a lot of power because of the respect guys have around the locker room. To a lot of our fan base, 2014 doesn't seem that long ago. Not many people who played in games that season are still here. He is one that did play in a lot of those games. He has played against Top 10 teams. When he speaks, guys listen because he has that experience."

On Malik Dear's status...
"The trainer said he is ahead of schedule. We don't expect him to be able to participate in camp. He is here and will continue to rehab through training camp but he isn't in our 105 out there because we don't expect him to be cleared for practice for a couple of more weeks. As our trainer said, we think he is ahead of schedule. It is something we are going to look at probably at the end of August to see where he is at and his ability to get on the field and play this year for us and when that would be."

On the defensive line roles…
"You see the real maturing and growing in guys like Jeffery Simmons and Cory Thomas who are really trying to step up and be leaders within the defensive line. I've seen Braxton Hoyett make a bunch of improvement. He realizes it is time for him to take that next step. He has to be a productive player for us. Grant Harris has to step up now and become a productive player for us. But also, the young guys, know that the opportunity is there for them. Guys like Fletcher Adams and Kobe Jones, there is a great opportunity now for those guys to step out on the field and go play. Those guys have always been tremendous motor-effort guys that bring it every day. They have that chance to get out there and go compete for playing time and I'm excited to see how they are going to compete through this training camp."

On balancing playcalling duties with head coaching responsibilities…
"One thing that has helped is that we have been together for so long if you look at the offensive staff and the continuity that we have had for a long time. That makes the room run very smoothly. It allows me to do what I need to do to call the plays and prepare myself to be a play caller on game day without having all of the offensive coordinator duties. I have other head coaching responsibilities. When you have John Hevesy and Billy Gonzales who have all been together for so long. The other things that have to get done, they're taking care of. The job gets done because we have been together for so long. I'm not worried about being the offensive coordinator, but instead have prepared myself to be the play caller. We all kind of share those duties up among several people to get the job done and I think the familiarity we have with each other allows it to run very smoothly."

On what he is looking for in the receiving corps…
"One void is the playmaking (Fred Ross) made. I think Donald Gray has done a good job of being that leader and setting that bar really high. Gabe Myles is a hard worker. Jesse Jackson may not be a main guy as far as production goes on the field statistically, but is a tremendous worker every single day. I think all those guys realize that the leadership of Fred is gone, but we are going to pick up that part of it all. There is a great opportunity for the production. That is really motivating those guys to have a much bigger role in the offense."

On how training camp changes without a quarterback battle…
"I think it is a little easier on how you divide the reps. You are more preparing for the season, and I want Nick to be ready to take another step as a starter. You have Keytaeon Thompson who you have to accelerate to get ready. There are other young guys here who are either improving to be decide who the next guy in a game is going to be. It does change. It gives you more flexibility within the reps of how you want to do things. Maybe you are not worried about getting the exact evaluation off of everybody to determine who the starter will be. You have a good feeling who that is. You want experienced guys to help prepare guys for the season."

On the junior college transfers who have played at the Division 1 level before…
"It's a little different because our program is probably different from where they came from. I think having been in a Division I program and seeing what we do from day to day and understanding the balance of class, weight room and practice makes it an easier transition for those guys. I will say they have really transitioned well into the program."

On freshmen that will get reps…
"We will put them in a lot of situations to see what sticks early on. I want to see what they cam do. Today is our first day that we are going to get to see any of those guys do something new. They have run sprints, lifted weights and other things over the summer. They are going to put a helmet on and do some football things today. It'll be interesting to see what they can do football-wise. With all young players, the biggest thing is how fast they transition mentally in picking things up and physically to the speed of the game at this level. Most of these guys, anytime they stepped onto the field last fall, they were best player on that field. They are going to step on the field today and they are not going to be. Everyone around them is going to be at that level or better and it'll be the first time they've been in that situation."

On Nick Fitzgerald's leadership ability…
"I think he is improving on it. This is his first time as a starter in camp. I want to see how he takes the reins in each stage. This was his first offseason as a starter. This time last year, he was competing for the job. He has improved on it but he is also going through a learning curve of how to lead. This is his first training camp as the starting quarterback. I expect his leadership to be much better this year than last year and I have seen that from him. This time next year, I expect him to be at a much higher level because he went through it. If he makes a mistake, it'll be the first time he's doing it. When he does something well, he can learn from that. It's always a process and learning curve for him to work to try to be a better leader but he's still going through it for the first time as a starter."

On using tight ends…
"We always look and research. We are always studying. When we started doing the spread offense how ever many years ago, the foundation of it was to create mismatches and make the defense defend the whole field. Our goal was to mismatch our players anywhere on the field. We wanted to make them defend all 11 guys from sideline to sideline and create positive matchups in our advantage. That's a lot of the game of football. Our system is to try to create mismatches and utilize players and talents. The Patriots do a fabulous job of using the personnel they have. A couple of years ago, they had some athletic tight ends out there. We can be in two different sets at the same time without having to take guys off due to their skillsets and that is something we are looking to do with our tight ends out there."

On Todd Grantham's coaching style…
"Before his interview, the Todd Grantham I knew was what I saw on game day. He was a pretty fiery guy and at times, maybe controversial. I loved the fire, energy and passion he had. When I met him, I realized that it was the competitive spirit coming out on game day. Him as a teacher is slightly different. I think sometimes people look and have one glimpse of somebody, but our players see somebody that is an excellent football coach and knows how to get guys into the right position who is also going to hold them to a very high standard. That is the side that a lot of people don't see, which is as a mentor to a lot of guys."

On what he expects out of his defense…
"I want people, when they watch your defense play, to see an intimidating defense. I want people to see 11 guys flying to the ball with a chip on their shoulders and a nasty disposition to get after it. When you are led by a guy who is that way, your defense is going to play that way. That is the kind of defense that I want us to play. When you look back on our great defenses, that is the type of defense that we have that is going to come out and play physical, hard-nosed football. If we play somebody and their offensive kids are still in the cold tub two days later—that's Mississippi State defense."

Todd Grantham – Media Day 7/25/17

Opening Statement…
"It is that time of year again. I am really excited to get rolling and get working. The summers are always fun to spend time with your family. My daughter, Olivia, has been in travel volleyball. My son, Corbin, has been able to get acclimated to Starkville and travel baseball. Actually, he has practice today at Starkville High School. My wife has the great task of unpacking a lot of boxes as we have moved in; that seems like a pretty good chore from where I am sitting. She probably has the hardest job. Anyways, it is that time. It is here. We're excited to get rolling. I am very pleased with the way the guys have worked this summer to continue to improve themselves the weight room and their knowledge of our system of what we have to do. Now really comes a time in training camp. The first phase of it is to evaluate some of the new players we have been able to add to our roster. We also have to continue to develop and work on the habitual traits that you need to play at the level we want to play at, so we will certainly continue to do that. We are always going to focus on the things we need to do to play to our identity and the way we want to play, which we always talk about playing fast, physical and aggressive. It really starts today, and we are certainly excited to get onto the field, get to work, continue to develop and create the habits we need to be successful."

On how Coach Dan Mullen and him have meshed…
"I think we have meshed great. It is awesome. I really respect him. Coach Mullen is the CEO of the organization. If you look at what he has built here and the things he has established here, it is really unprecedented. I am just happy to be a part of his staff and be a part of what he wants to accomplish here. I really enjoy coaching and teaching and being around players that have a vision to be the best they can be. I like that. I want guys that want to be the best at their position. I want guys that want to play pro football. I want to be around guys that want to be the best defense in the SEC and do those kinds of things. In saying that, I think it is important to really get to know the whole person. Not only know the player on the field, but also get to know the player off the field. I think that helps you in coaching, learning how guys learn and what they are going through. If guys believe in you and what you are doing and know that you have your best interest at heart, they are going to play. Once you have that relationship, I believe it is a powerful tool. Guys can continue to push through barriers that they never have before. The hardest thing sometimes is having to go through a barrier that is unknown because you have never been there, but if you have the belief and confidence of the people around you, then you will take that step and try to get there."

On the transition for junior college transfers previously at a Power 5 school…
"Those guys have worked really hard in our program along with our other players. I think anytime you get guys in that transition mode of coming back to our system coming from the junior college level, there is a little bit of a humbling experience of being appreciative of what they have now. The facilities here are as good as anywhere. The ways the guys are able to eat from a nutritional standpoint and the way they are able to get in the weight room and develop themselves. I think that when you take all of that in and are able to play in a conference like this, I think all of that excites them. From that standpoint, I think it is something they are excited to do. As far as being here, they really mesh with our players well. They work hard and have adapted to the things we have asked them to do. They are really first year players like all our players. I fully expect those guys to be an important part of what we do. We will continue to mesh them with the other guys we have and put the best 11 players out there."

On his process of getting the players who have never played at this level ready…
"First of all, I think you have to play a lot of guys up front. If you are going to win a lot of ballgames, that means you are leading in the fourth quarter. Generally, if you are leading in the fourth quarter you will throw the ball and it takes a lot of energy to rush the passer, so I think it is real critical you keep guys fresh throughout the game to allow them to play at maximum effort at the end of the game. We are going to play a lot of players up front and rotate guys in, and as you do that, it is a way to ease guys who have not played a lot before into the game. They kind of get a feel, get a little taste, get out, get a little feel and come back. We will just put those guys into a rotation and try to play as many guys as we can to keep them fresh. I do believe you have to play a lot of guys up front, and we will certainly take that or the young guys that have shown the ability to perform for us and get them into the game."

On areas for improvement he noticed from last year…
"I think the biggest thing for us is to move forward and focus on this year. The first thing we want to do is be hard to run on. We want to find ways to stop the run. After that, it is really how can we make the quarterback play bad? I can talk about a lot of things about keeping points down and creating turnovers. All of those things matter, but at the end of the day it really gets down to don't let them run the ball and finding ways to make the quarterback play bad. Part of that is the defense making the quarterback not feel comfortable in the pocket. Our focus has really been to improve and create the habits needed to play at the level we want to. We really worked hard to establish the identity here of what we want to accomplish. We are working on things we can control now like looking to the upcoming schedule and working to play at the identity we want to play at."

On what Chauncey Rivers brings to the team…
"Chauncey is a guy that has size, quickness, twitch off the ball and suddenness which can help you create tackle for loss plays and can help you in the rush. He is a guy that has played in this league before so he kind of understands what it is about. I have been really impressed with his work ethic and his ability to adopt and play multiple positions for us. I certainly expect him to be a part of our success and our rotation of what we do. I am certainly glad he is here, and I look forward to continuing to work with him at training camp to continue to develop his skills set. He will be a guy that will be a major part of what we do."

On what he has seen from Aaron Odom…
"I have been really impressed with Aaron. Aaron is a guy that has come in and worked hard in our strength and conditioning phase to develop him. He is starting to change his body a little bit, which is normal for guys who enter the college realm, because now he is getting a full-time strength and conditioning department and nutritionist. I have seen a change in that. He has improved his conditioning since he has been here. He has done a great job of learning our system. Yesterday we were able to meet and kind of see where he was with some things for our day one installation. He was on top of it and I was very pleased with that. I think the key thing now will be how we can take that to the field and how he can continue to progress. Certainly, with his skill sets as far as a pass rusher and his twitch, he is a guy that we will look at to see where he fits with the combination of players we have and how he can help us. I have been really pleased with him so far."

John Hevesy – Media Day 7/25/17

Opening Statement…
"It's great to be here, going on my ninth season. I'm always looking forward to new kids coming in and stepping in; it's always a lot from the offensive line, offense in general. I'm looking forward to the season and getting started today, and the kids have had a great summer. They've been very productive and have been working on that ownership and leadership we've been looking for. We're looking forward to starting practice today."

On Elgton Jenkins' transition to center…
"Last year he played guard for us at the end of the season and played tackle for us at the beginning of the season. The year before that, he played tackle. During bowl practice he played a lot at center knowing that was going to be him going into this year with Jamaal [Clayborn] leaving last year. The question was, okay, who's going to be at that position? Through a lot of the bowl practice, Elgton played center and guard with Deion [Calhoun] being hurt going into the bowl game. It's a natural fit for kids who've seen the program. The first thing I always look for at center is, can they communicate? They're the center of everything. In all my years doing this, that guy is going to set both sides. To me, [Jenkins] has a great knowledge of the game. He's communicative and likes to talk. He did a great job at bowl practice of it, so to me he's got the right to acknowledge what's going on. He was playing different positions already. It's not much of a transition for him going in there. It's going to be wonderful watching him. He's done a great job all summer, talking to him as he's had the questions, like 'How it's going to be different?' At some parts it's easier because you've got two guys next to you. But that's the big communication that comes out at center. As a tackle, you tackle by yourself; but here, he's got to get them going the right way. That's the biggest thing for him."

On the right side of the offensive line…
"I flipped a couple guys over, right and left. I talked to Deion [Calhoun] about that, going over to the right side a little bit just to help get a sense of where the younger guys are. Darryl [Williams] played a little bit last year and has been around. He's had a lot of reps through the spring; he had a great spring. For him it was, 'Hey, go over there.' Martinas [Rankin] has more experience. It helps them with him being in the middle. It's going to help everybody. The biggest thing is the right tackle because it has the least amount of experience. To me, Deion has the most experience, so that's why he's over there to help them get through with calls and communication."

On Martinas Rankin's "light coming on" during the end of last season…
"I think weekly with him. I think each week he got better and better, and he's a terrific kid. He's very conscious about what he does. It's important to him both on the field and off the field with everything he does. He comes from a great family. To me, you saw it in recruiting with him; you saw it through his first year with his redshirt. When I learned a lot with him was after he got here in the spring out of junior college. A lot of kids come out of junior college planning on starting right away. You verbalize to them, here's the situation: you can go in not knowing half the stuff you're doing, or you can get a year under your belt with practice and all those other things. You're mature, and now you've got two full years. He understands it, he learned it and he wants what's best for him and for the program."

On the biggest part of the game for Martinas Rankin…
"Playing the way he's supposed to play. The preseason [accolades] is something we've discussed with him the last two weeks. But it's preseason stuff. They predict this every season. The media has a frenzy with what they want to put as preseason, like a first or second round pick. You've got nine months to work that out. Really, all that stuff means nothing until the next four months when you can figure out and play the way you're supposed to play and do what you're supposed to do. Don't worry about the stuff. That stuff's going to come after you perform and after you do what you're supposed to do. He understands that if you worry about those things, you'll have nothing in the end."

On Deion Calhoun and the depth of the offensive line…
"[Calhoun] will start on the right side today. We'll have the right tackle position with the least amount of experience. Deion has the most experience. He can play both [sides]; he has played both of them. So it will help him a little bit. Two years ago it was the same thing when I moved guys around. They will help each other get through. We can interchange with who's the best five. The best five are going to go out there, so what's the best scenario?"

On how many players will see action this season…
"Every year I come in with the same thing: you've got to have eight ready. Eight to nine, you can get ready for a game. Nine to 10 or 10 to 11 are guys that get that far if we have to get that far. Preparation for a game is walking out with eight guys that can go. You should look at it as three tackles, three guards and two centers. One of those eight guys has to be a third center. That's helped us along the way. The eight guys know what they're doing. Nine's great and 10 is even better, but you want three of each to walk out of camp. If 15 are ready to play, I'll play all 15. Usually it's just the experience of playing that gives you nine, 10 or 11 to get their feet wet during the season and start playing."

MSU Players - Media Day 7/25/17

LB Gerri Green

On what he expects from the defense this season…
"I expect us to come out and play fast, physical and aggressive and get back to being the guys we want to be; 11 guys just out there having fun on the field."

On his impressions of Coach Todd Grantham…
"He is a very fiery and passionate guy, and he comes with it every day on the field. He gets after players. You will hear him and the guys respond to it in a positive way. They don't hang their heads. They go out there and make plays off it."

On what Grantham brings to this year's defense compared to last season…
"We are focusing on this year, but Coach Grantham did come with the energy that we needed. Everyone wanted to forget about last year and just move forward. The way he came in and attacked the defense and challenged us to play faster and more aggressive, we really needed that."

On how last season motivates them to become a better defense this season…
"It's in the back of our heads, but we know we don't want to be that defense from last year. We know that is not us and that is not Mississippi State defense. We are going to use that as what we can be and show everyone what we want to be and can be."

On the differences he notices with Coach Grantham…
"We are getting after the quarterback with a lot of pressure from all angles. Really it's just different ways to get to the quarterback."

Martinas Rankin - OL

On how he feels about the position Coach Hevesy has everyone in going into camp…
"I am just looking forward to going out and getting better and also building great chemistry with the offensive line."

On Elton Jenkins playing center this fall…
"I expect what he always does. He's a great player and leader. He always talks. I expect big things out of him, and I know he expects big things out of me."

On Elton's communication skills…
"We all have to communicate. I have to communicate as tackle and he has to communicate as center. Playing as center he will get even better at communicating."

On how confident he is going into his senior season…
"I look forward to the camp. With this experience I have now I know what to expect and what to try to bring out of the other guys. Being around for awhile does help with my confidence."

On his preseason nominations…
"I don't worry about it. It's great to have it, but I have to focus on what's ahead. Honestly I feel like I have a lot of things to prove to myself so the stuff I see really does not phase me."

On his impression of the younger tackles…
"They are going to be great players in the future. They have a lot of talent, so they have to keep getting that experience so that in the future they will be something special."

#98 Jeffery Simmons – DL – So.

On the start of training camp…
"I feel way better. I am ready to attack it. This is all I've been waiting on. We have been working hard as a team, and I feel like everybody is ready."

On Coach Todd Grantham…
"I love him, his energy and his enthusiasm. He has a feeling for the players. Getting to know him was kind of easy,, but we are still trying to get him. I talked to him over the break we had, and I told him 'I want you to get me to be the top pass rusher in the SEC and be the best.'"

On the defense this year…
"I think we are closer this year. Being a football team, being a championship team, you have to be close and be one unit. I feel like we have come a long way. We worked hard this summer with everybody together."

On his leadership…
"Coming in after all the things that have happened to me, I have always been a leader from high school on and off the field. I feel like I can stand up to Coach Mullen's standards as being a leader. That is something I always wanted to do. I feel like I am getting to that point."

On his personal growth…
"I have developed a lot. Just putting everything behind me and moving forward to the SEC Honor Roll. Doing what I have to do in the classroom and being a leader on the team, I feel like I have grown a lot. It's like what Coach Mullen always says 'Focus on what you have in front of you right now.' That's what I have been doing."

On the newcomers…
"Those guys have been working. Kobe Jones, his motor has helped the d-linemen out because with his motor coming off the edge it will help me inside. Maybe I will not get double-teamed every play. With him coming off the edge it will help us a lot. With the JUCO guys, hopefully they will be ready to play."

#83 Jordan Thomas – TE – Sr.

On his excitement level…
"I am very excited. We are excited as a unit to get everything going both as a tight end group and as a team. We are excited to take all the running and working out that we have been doing during the summer and put it all together on the field. We are excited."

Gabe Myles – WR - Sr.

On advice for the new guys for camp…
"They just have to have the attitude to keep going when it gets hard. They are young and there is a lot of learning that has to go on, but as long as we continue to fight, trust and grow together, we will grow."

On Nick Fitzgerald…
"I see more assertiveness. I can't point out any negatives because we are still working and growing as a team."

On if there is pressure on the wide receiver group…
"I wouldn't call it pressure, but we do play with a chip on our shoulder. We may be one of the weakest groups, as other people say, but that opens up a challenge for us."

On the growth of new players…
"I have seen them grow. They are still making sure that they learn all the ins and outs of the offense, and I have seen more confidence. Before it was, 'I don't know what I want to do.' Now it's, 'I'm ready to get the ball and make a play.'"

On his leadership…
"I don't want say that I go in thinking that I have to be a leader because leading has to come naturally. I am not the vocal type, but I lead by example. I am going to work hard. If I feel that something needs to be said to you, I won't say it out loud but I will pull you to the side. If you lose sight of having fun, you lose sight of everything in the sport."

Brandon Bryant - DB - Jr.

On competition with the safeties…
"The competition will elevate everybody's style of play because we all are trying to get better at the end of the day. The goal of the season is to get better and have a good time on the field."

On Coach Todd Grantham…
"He is a great coach, and he is a hard coach on us at times. He's hard on us because we have to be good and do good. He sets the mood and pace for us every day."

On Coach Ron English…
"He is a good coach, a great guy, and a great motivator. It's not all about football with him, and that is what makes him a great coach."

On the upcoming season…
"This season is going to be special. Over the summer we came together, bonded and chilled together as one. I say this will be special because this is one of the best feelings I have had about a team since I have been here. We just have to find our identity. We want it to be fast, physical, and aggressive, and we are going to work towards that in camp this week. Every rep at a time we are going to give relentless effort. Once we form our fast, physical, aggressive identity, then we will play like that all the time."

Nick Fitzgerald - QB - RJr.

On his mindset this year vs. last year…
"Last year going into camp, I was in the mindset of beating other people out. I was more worried about what play this guy made or what throw he made instead of focusing on what I needed to work on to make myself better. Going into this camp, that's my main goal: focus on me and myself, trying to fix what I can fix and trying to make myself better."

On his leadership style as a quarterback…
"I think everyone has different ways to lead. Not everyone is going to lead the same way. Some guys are more up front and really loud. Some guys are just quiet. I think we all try to lead by example. I tend to think of myself as somewhere in between. I'm not really a yeller. I probably won't give a halftime speech. But I do expect people to take care of their business because I'm expected to take care of mine. I think I just need to be a little more vocal with it and better at patting people on the back."

On the work that quarterbacks and receivers have put in this summer…
"We worked almost every day. At least an hour, or an hour and a half, just out there on our own working, going over reads, defenses, different plays. We're just making sure that we're all in the same mindset when it comes time for the season."

On which receivers he expects to step up this fall…
"I think that Jesse Jackson is going to be a bigtime player this year. Jamal Couch is a big, athletic guy. Reggie Todd and Osirus [Mitchell] are two guys that I'm expecting to step us this year."

On the balance of Dan Mullen's offense…
"With our offense, it kind of all works together. If you can run the ball well, it's going to open up the passing. If you pass the ball well, it's going to open up running. Obviously, I have to become a better passer and be more consistent. We're still going to stay true to the run game and making plays with my feet though. I have great running backs, and they're going to take a huge load off me, and hopefully help me become an improved passer."

On Senior Wide Receiver Donald Gray, Jr…
"He's an integral part. He's probably the leader of this offense. He's vocal and out front. He's always the first guy in and the last guy out. He eats and breathes football. It's incredible to have him on our team and to have him leading our young guys. It's great to have him around because he's a great guy and a great teammate. He's definitely going to make big plays."

On if he minds camp being more spread out…
"Absolutely not. If that means we have to spread it out and have one more week of practice, then that's fine with me. It just means on some days that we will come in and lift and go to meetings instead of being on the field. I think it's going to help out a lot. Guys can watch more film or rest more before the next practice. We have more time to recover and make sure that our bodies recover right. That lets us go out and focus on having a good practice and make sure that nothing is limiting us from doing that."

On preseason expectations for the program…
"Mississippi State has always been doubted as a program. We've always played with a chip on our shoulder. It always feel like we are picked last. I think we've kind of embraced that. We've used that to motivate us. It doesn't matter what people outside these walls think because we know what we have is special. We know what we can do."

On the chemistry of this year's Bulldog squad…
"Last year, we may have not been as cohesive as a team. We may not have been as together as we should have. This year is completely different. The second that we came back in January, we knew that if we wanted to be good we would have to come together as a team. We knew we would have to build our chemistry up and be a team that cared a lot more about each other. I think that's what we've become. We all have great friends within the team. We hang out all the time, and I think that's really helped."

On Dan Mullen's former quarterbacks and what Coach Mullen has taught him…
"Those are some pretty special guys that he has coached. As far as my leadership is concerned, Coach [Mullen] has helped me become more vocal. He's helped teach me when to talk, when not to talk, or when to get on to someone or not to get on to someone. He wanted to show me that I can handle leading this team. He's helped me elevate my game and bring everyone together."

On the players that he met at Manning Passing Academy…
"I want all of them to do well. They're a great group of guys. Awesome dudes and a great group of quarterbacks, too. I wish each one of them the best of luck this season. In a way, we all support each other because we made all of those relationships at camp. I think we will continue to support each other."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Mullen Previews 2017 Season At Annual Media Day

Players Mentioned

Fletcher Adams

Brandon Bryant

Deion Calhoun

Tolando Cleveland

Jamal Couch

Malik Dear

Nick Fitzgerald

Donald Gray

Gerri Green

Grant Harris

Braxton Hoyett

Jesse Jackson

Elgton Jenkins

Kobe Jones

Gabe Myles

Martinas Rankin

Fred Ross

Jeffery Simmons

Cory Thomas

Jordan Thomas

Reggie Todd

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