STARKVILLE — Cedric Jiles knows what is expected of him.
As one of the veterans in the secondary on the Mississippi State football team, Jiles is being counted on to assume a bigger leadership role after the departures of Taveze Calhoun and Will Redmond, who are expected to be taken in the NFL draft.
Now it’s time for Jiles and fellow senior Tolando Cleveland’s to emerge at cornerback. The duo will get a chance to show how much they have improved as players and leaders at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPNU) in the annual Maroon and White spring game.
“It’s like a whole new level of leadership,” Jiles said. “You have to lead yourself, lead the other seniors and juniors, and lead the underclassmen. You have to lead everybody. It’s challenging at times because you need somebody to lean on, too, but you just have to make it happen and make it work.”
Calhoun became a starter as a sophomore in 2013 and had three interceptions and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in interception return yards (101). He had 45 tackles (33 solo). Redmond missed his freshman season and the first five games of his sophomore season due to an NCAA violation. He was a backup as a junior and became a starter as a senior. He missed the final five games last season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Like Redmond, Jiles has experienced hardship. The Clinton native played three games as a freshman but broke a finger that kept him sidelined. He played in 11 games a redshirt freshman. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound defensive back missed the 2014 season with a hamstring injury, but registered 15 tackles and four pass breakups as a junior last season.
Terrell Buckley, who took over as cornerbacks coach after Deshea Townsend left for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, said it’s nice to have upperclassmen like Jiles and Cleveland to lean on during his transition period from Louisville. He has been really impressed with Cleveland so far.
“He’s one of those guys you would love to have on your team no matter where because he’s going to do what is expected and then some,” Buckley said. “He’s going to play hard, going to hustle, and all the little things you want out of a player he does.”
Cleveland, who became a starter after Redmond’s injury, had 42 tackles (four-and-a-half for loss), one sack, and three pass breakups last season.
Buckley said he doesn’t want to assess his position group until spring practices are over, but he is encouraged and excited about the future because of Jiles and Cleveland.
Even though members of the secondary have had to transition from Townsend to Buckley, Jiles has been impressed with how they’ve handled it.
“It’s really nothing new,” Jiles said. “It’s just about teaching the young guys because they’re going to be the future of this program. We have to install the mind-set to attack every day and just come out and get better every day.”
Last season, Calhoun was the vocal leader and Redmond led by example. Early on, Jiles has been the vocal leader and Cleveland had led by example.
Calhoun has been at a few practices and Jiles has been picking his brain.
“(He told me to) just work on all the small things because the big things will come. He’s exactly right,” Jiles said. “(He said to) take on everything with no fears, no doubts.”
Outside of Jiles and Cleveland, junior Jamoral Graham has the most experience. After being moved from wide receiver to cornerback following his freshman season, Graham has played sparingly. Maurice Smitherman and Chris Stamps were redshirted as freshmen last season and will try to provide additional depth.
Junior college transfer Lashard Durr also has been going through drills. Jiles and Buckley have been impressed with how the Copiah-Lincoln Community College product has transitioned to Division I football.
“He works extremely hard. He’s attentive,” Buckley said. “I think it’s been great, especially his attitude. If you have a player with a great attitude, you can take him a long way.”
Jiles said the mental side of the game is the tougher part for younger players to adjust to. He said thought processes have to come fast for the young guys to be successful.
Buckley has told his players there are two statements — “make me want to play you” and “I can’t take him out” — they want to hear from their coach . Jiles is trying to live up to those statements, but, at the same time, he is trying to make sure all the other cornerbacks are developing in the right way.
Even though Jiles understood how tough this spring was going to be, it hasn’t made it any easier.
“It was a little tough at first because when you get tired it’s hard to lead then,” Jiles said. “But you have to remember why you’re doing this, what’s the purpose and all those things. It makes it easier from then on out.”
n In other football news, former Bulldog Chris Jones will attend the NFL draft, a NFL spokesperson tweeted Tuesday.
Jones, who decided to forgo his senior season, will be in Chicago’s Auditorium for the first round Thursday, April 28. The second and third rounds are April 29. Rounds 4-7 will be April 30. Jones could be in attendance for the final two days if he isn’t taken in the first round.
Jones, who had 44 tackles (seven-and-a-half for loss), two-and-a-half sacks, four pass breakups, and five quarterback hurries as a junior, is rated as the 30th-best draft prospect, according to ESPN.
Alabama’s Reggie Ragland, Jarran Reed (former East Mississippi Community College standout), and A’Shawn Robinson and Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell, and Laremy Tunsil will join Jones at the draft.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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