STARKVILLE — When Dak Prescott became the Mississippi State football team’s quarterback in 2014, many began to wonder what the 2016 season would be like.
Fans and coaches wanted to enjoy Prescott’s two seasons leading the Bulldogs, but there always was the thought of what would be next. That curiosity increased after Prescott broke 38 school records and led MSU to a victory against North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl last December.
Life without Prescott became a reality when the Dallas Cowboys selected him in the NFL draft in April.
Since then, MSU coach Dan Mullen has been trying to find a successor. None of the four quarterbacks in competition to replace Prescott has separated themselves from the pack, so many are still wondering who will be MSU’s starting quarterback?
“The biggest thing for us is who can make the play every single snap and consistently
perform at a very high level, not look at the spectacular plays they can make but can they make the average plays,” Mullen said. “I know they have talents, but who is the consistent performer.”
That was Mullen’s first comment about the quarterback competition last Monday at MSU’s media day. It didn’t provide much
detail into who will lead the offense, but Mullen hasn’t announced
whether junior Damian Williams, sophomores Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley, or redshirt freshman Nick Tiano will be the starter.
At Tuesday’s first practice, Fitzgerald took the first snaps with the first-string offense. It wasn’t an indication he won the quarterback competition. He merely won a game of rock-papers-scissors, a game children use to determine who wins an argument. For the rest of the week, the four quarterbacks shared time taking first snaps. The plan was to split the reps equally, with each quarterback getting 25 percent with the first, second, third, and fourth strings.
Performing well with the first team won’t help. Mullen and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson want to see how the quarterbacks perform with the second, third, and fourth strings.
“You put them in a bunch of adverse situations,” Johnson said. “You might get a rep with the third group and there might not be much blocking going on and you’ve got to find a way to get the ball out, manage the offense, and make other guys around you better.”
Following the first week, Mullen reiterated he didn’t feel any of the quarterbacks had separated themselves from the pack and didn’t feel he was any closer to naming a starter.
After playing as a freshman, including a start against Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg, the 6-foot-1, 229-pound Williams was redshirted last season. In his first two seasons, he was 37-for-70 with 434 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has 175 yards rushing on 53 carries and one touchdown.
With Prescott entrenched as the starter, the reason to redshirt Williams was simple: give him two more years. It also offered him a different perspective.
“That allowed him to become a better football player, especially mentally,” said Johnson, who was redshirted after two seasons at Utah. “Normally when you redshirt as a true freshman, you don’t know much anyway. To have some experience and understand the game, and to be able to sit back for a year and watch it after you know a little bit, I think it helps you mentally to learn a little bit more and kind of understand from a more macro perspective of the game.”
Fitzgerald and Staley acted as Prescott’s backup, with Fitzgerald getting more playing time. In eight games, Fitzgerald was 11 of 14 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. He had 127 yards rushing on 23 carries and three touchdowns.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald arrived at MSU in December 2013. He went through bowl prep with the Bulldogs and spring drills in 2014. Prescott served as his guide in that time.
“I did everything I could to learn from him,” Fitzgerald said. “I really didn’t think too much into the future of what it was going to be. I was just trying to better myself every day and whatever happens in the future is going to happen.”
Fitzgerald said the key to winning the job is being consistent.
Staley, who gave up basketball in the spring, said he has improved his work ethic, which was lacking. He saw on film where he could have been more consistent in the spring.
In two games, the 6-foot-6, 249-pound Staley was 3 of 5 for 51 yards and one touchdown. He had 18 yards rushing on three carries.
He said he still keeps in contact with Prescott through text messages. Like Fitzgerald, he said he gained a wealth of knowledge in the last two seasons.
“(Prescott) taught me how to approach the game, how to approach practice, and how to approach treatment,” Staley said. “He taught me to grow up and mature.”
Tiano has the least experience, but he is in the mix. Johnson said the coaches wouldn’t give him 25 percent of the reps if they didn’t think he was an option.
Talking to the 6-foot-4, 239-pound Tiano, he seems confident in his ability to take over the position. He admitted he was nervous last year nearly every day at practice and felt lost. The experience he gained at practice, in spring camp, and in the team’s summer conditioning program has increased his confidence, but he admits he still has a lot to learn.
“I’ve never stayed the night with the team in the hotel, I’ve never gone to the game-plan meetings, and I’ve never prepared to play a game, but I feel like from a football standpoint I can hang with these guys,” Tiano said.
With Fitzgerald being the main backup last season, many fans and media members believe he is the favorite. But Williams has the most experience and he has started a Southeastern Conference game.
Mullen said he might not name a starter until the week of the first game. He also said he might wait until the team has played a few games. Either way, Mullen said the job will be won on the field.
“I think they already know that if they make a great play it doesn’t mean they have won the job, and if they make a bad play that means they didn’t lose the job,” Mullen said. “It means over the course of training camp they have to consistently perform. Hopefully it defines who our guy is.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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