STARKVILLE — Will Coleman could have gone and played immediately at a handful of other schools.
The Mississippi State junior defensive end considered going to Arizona State and Kentucky after playing two seasons in junior college in 2014 because playing time was going to come early and often for him at those programs. He weighed his options and decided to attend MSU even with the possibility of a redshirt. Looking back on his decision, he’s happy with it and says he probably wouldn’t be where he is if he attended one of the two other schools.
“I wouldn’t be fully prepared and I wouldn’t have been strong,” Coleman said. “I just think that whole year being off and being able to be a student of the game has really helped me grow tremendously.”
Coleman was redshirted last season as the Bulldogs rose to No. 1 for five weeks and won the first nine games of the season. He has been playing this season and will be with the Bulldogs (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) as they play Arkansas (6-4, 4-2) 6 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday night at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Tyler, Texas native said he really matured and grew up last season as he went through practices and watched his teammates.
Geoff Collins was the defensive coordinator when Coleman came in, but he left to take the same position at Florida in December of last year. Manny Diaz was hired at the beginning of the year and that meant a lot of what Coleman had learned under Collins was obsolete.
Although he says there are differences between Diaz and Collins, there are also some similarities.
“It’s still attack, attack,” Coleman said. “A lot of the schemes (are different). It’s more on one person doing his job too, that can mess up the whole defense. It’s a little bit more responsibility, as far as, asking each position to do a little more than what we used to.”
Although he saw limited action early in the season, Coleman’s role has increased lately, especially in the last two games. Against Missouri two weeks ago, he totaled two tackles in the victory. In the loss to Alabama this past Saturday, he recorded three tackles, including one for loss.
Diaz and Bulldog coach Dan Mullen aren’t surprised with his play the last couple of weeks.
“He’s a guy that the game is slowing down week in and week out and he’s just getting more comfortable of playing in the SEC, making that jump from junior college into this,” Diaz said. “It’s kind of what the normal tale for guys that come through the ranks that he did.”
Diaz says they are beginning to see the physical attributes of the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Coleman in the last couple of weeks.
For the season, Coleman has 12 tackles (2.5 for loss), one pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries.
“We’ve always seen big games out of our players in their first year,” Mullen said. “We’ve seen his comfort in the system and also out there on the field playing.”
In the last two games, Coleman said he has stopped thinking and has been trusting his technique and his instincts more and more. He said he is not worried about what he’s supposed to do on a certain play, but he’s thinking about how he’s supposed to attack the offensive lineman in front of him.
He is beginning to see all the hard work he has put in the last year and a half pay off.
“It’s starting to feel good,” Coleman said. “It’s actually coming together. That whole year learning the playbook, getting bigger, getting stronger, it’s all coming together showing that all of that was worth it. The progress is showing too from all that hard work I put in.”
Coleman was a two-year letterwinner at Tyler (Texas) Junior College for coach Danny Palmer. During his second year with the Apaches, he totaled 66 tackles (eight for loss), four sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
He played at Tyler High School, but made the move to defensive end his senior year. While at junior college he got more and more comfortable with the new position.
“Playing junior college kind of got me into the rhythm of defensive end and it was a learning curve for me,” Coleman said. “I think it prepared me pretty well. As far as technique, you don’t really get that at that level.”
Coleman also participated in track in high school by throwing discus. He won the District 11-5A title with a toss of 175-09.
He joked that the discus has helped him with his spin move.
Coleman will get a chance to be a starter next year as senior Ryan Brown is in his final season. But for the rest of the season, Coleman’s fine with being a backup.
“I take pride in that,” Coleman said. “I know I’m not a starter, but I just take pride whenever I can go relieve Ryan or (junior defensive end) A.J. (Jefferson). I try to do it to the best I can and show coach I can be trusted.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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