STARKVILLE – For Tyler Russell, it’s amazing how long three years can feel.
Two years into the program, the first quarterback that Dan Mullen recruited is now teaching the younger player at his position.
For the redshirt sophomore signal caller, it feels natural to pay it forward.
“They just have to grow up quick,” Russell said with a laugh and devilish smile. “It will help me to work with these young guys and have them learn from me.”
Russell, who shared time with senior Chris Relf and Dylan Favre behind center during the 2011 season, completed 69-of-129 passes for 1,034 yards and eight touchdowns. The Bulldogs were 3-1 in the four games that the former Parade All-American got the start.
“(Tyler) has been around here for a while and I’ve seen his face for the last few years,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “He better start getting older in a hurry. Those guys, that were in my first recruiting class need to start being the leaders now.”
While Relf shared snaps with the first-team offense in Monday’s bowl preparation, Russell has spent most of the first two days trying to get back into a rhythm with his receivers and giving tips to highly-acclaimed true freshman prospect Dak Prescott.
“It’s so much easier for me to teach now because I’ve been in the program but also I’ve been in (Prescott’s) shoes and what he might mess up on,” Russell said. “We talk it out and we’re cool about everything.”
While Mullen will likely wait the three more weeks to announce a starter for the 2011 Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 against Wake Forest (5:40 p.m., ESPN), the two quarterbacks shared first-team snaps through the first two days back on the practice field.
“Chris will take the first string snaps at first and then I’ll take the rest with the guys that should be first string players next year,”
Russell said, “It’s good to see what the young guys are capable of doing.”
Prescott was unavailable to the media because of team policy restricting interview access to first-year players.
“He’s real physical and can throw it so all he’s got to do is learn the playbook and get more comfortable and he’ll be fine,” Russell said.
Prescott, who enrolled at MSU early during the spring of 2011 after choosing Bulldogs programs over LSU and TCU. Prescott was named first-team all-state by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association after completing 62 percent of his throws for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns during his senior season of high school while he’s rated as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation.
MSU head coach Dan Mullen made the announcement Saturday third-string quarterback Dylan Favre would be transferring from the Bulldogs program but declined to give the redshirt freshman’s motivation for the move.
“Dylan has decided to transfer and we wish him the best,” Mullen said.
“He has our full support in everything and did a great job for us during his time here.”
The Dispatch learned the redshirt freshman quarterback,who is the nephew of former National Football League quarterback Brett Favre, gave the indication to MSU’s compliance department he would be transferring to Pearl River Community College so he could be eligible to play next season.
Favre’s decision this week to transfer to another school allows the chance for Prescott, a former 3-star recruit out of Haughton, La., to get snaps with the backups similarly to how Russell got experience last year during the Christmas break while preparing for the 2011 Gator Bowl.
“A lot of young players have not been in the mix,” Mullen said. “They don’t even understand practice all the time. This week gives them an opportunity to understand what spring’s going to be like when we’re counting on them to take that next step forward.”
Once Russell arrived on campus, he said Saturday he began modeling his game after Relf and then senior quarterback Tyson Lee and the answered questions after every practice helped his development.
“How to do it, when to do it and then why we do it — is the three-step process everybody in this program has to figure out,” Russell said.
“Being able to think like Coaches Mullen and (MSU offensive coordinator Les) Koenning is critical to being successful out there. I’m at the last stage where now I’m just playing football.”
n Fletcher Cox named 1st team All-American, won’t talk NFL Draft
MSU junior defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was named as a first-team All-American selection Monday by Pro Football Weekly magazine.
Cox, who has already been named first-team All-Southeastern Conference by the Associated Press, had 49 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during the 2011 campaign.
The 6-foot-4 and 295-pound prospect that is projected by some national analysts as a first round draft pick in the 2012 National Football League Draft this April was named as the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times during the season.
Cox, who said at the 2011 SEC Media Day in August he would be back for the 2012 season, declined after practice to discuss his status or whether he would be back for his senior season at MSU.
n Highly touted prospect Damien Robinson moved to right tackle
Redshirt freshman Damien Robinson was working with the first-team offensive unit during Monday’s bowl preparation.
When the Olive Branch product arrived on campus, he was considered a possible replacement at one of the tackle spots sure to be open in the near future. Mullen said putting the 310-pound offensive lineman at right tackle was part of testing him at a possible starting spot for the 2012 season.
“We’re trying to find out how young players fit the best because now they know what they’re doing,” Mullen said.
Two years ago Robinson was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio at left tackle and was named first-team All-State in Class 6A high school football by the Mississippi Association of Coaches. A former four-star prospect chose the Bulldogs over Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and UAB.
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