2016’s Offense Might Feature the Fastest Group of Skill Players We’ve Seen Under Dan Mullen

There’s a lot of questions about this offense. Who is going to win the quarterback job to replace Dak Prescott? Will a running back emerge and become an every down bruising back that Mississippi State needs? Can the Bulldogs find a receiver or tight end big enough and commanding enough to replace De’Runnya Wilson AND Gus Walley?

But one thing that this offense certainly does have is speed. It’s got several guys that are really, really quick. And as a group, they might just be the fastest group of running backs and receivers that we’ve seen under Dan Mullen.

Brandon Holloway is the first guy that many people will think of. And rightfully so. The Tampa native came to Starkville as an undersized running back/sot receiver hybrid and has become an all purpose yard garnering machine. But there are other guys on this offense that will make the offense much more intimidating because of their quickness.

Fred Ross is certainly worth noting. He’s quickly becoming one of Mississippi State’s best receivers in school history and a huge asset for him has been his agility. His insane reception against Arkansas where he snagged the ball in midair and took off down the sideline is the perfect example of his athleticism and quickness.

Add Gabe Myles and Donald Gray into the mix. Billy Gonzales raved about what they bring to the table and how they increase the overall speed of the offense when both of them see the field.

Malik Dear has a solid amount of speed as well. Though he’s not as quick as the guys listed above and he doesn’t have but a fraction of the game experience that they do, his athleticism and stocky build that allows him to bash into tacklers will more than likely earn him playing time.

It’s possible that we’ll see a lineup that features Holloway, Ross, Myles, Gray, and Dear. And that should frighten opposing defenses. These guys are all incredibly versatile and possess the ability to line up at various spots on the field, giving Mississippi State potential matchup advantages.

As a group, these five guys might make up the fastest group of skill position players that we’ve seen from a Dan Mullen offense. That isn’t something that’s easy to quantify without actual group averages of say a 40 yard dash time, but it’s hard to think of another group under Dan Mullen that featured this many guys that were known for being quick.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be the best offense we’ve seen under Dan Mullen. But it should be somewhat encouraging to folks that are concerned about this year’s offense. The talent and potential to gain plenty of yards and score is clearly here.