Mississippi State football releases spring depth chart

No, it's not Labor Day yet, but we do already have some football for the 2013 year.

Spring practice kicked off at MSU yesterday afternoon, and along with it came the release of the pre-spring practice depth chart.

Now, even coach Mullen will tell you that this depth chart means little, if anything, but for us -- the average fan already ravenous for a taste of pigskin -- it's something to review, over-analyze, and debate as spring practice commences.

So, for those of you eager to see it, here's how the depth chart shook out going into this week's practices:

Spring Depth and Roster

• Most of what we see here isn't a surprise in the way of who is in front of who at most positions.
• I was a bit surprised to see Ryan Brown listed at the DE position after he played primarily at LB last fall. Also, you'll notice that Kaleb Eulls has shifted inside to the DT spot, and is listed ahead of Nick James. Again, it's spring practice and a long ways from fall, so take that with a large margarita-sized grain of salt.
• To me, the position to watch this spring will be the entire DB position group. MSU lost a ton in the defensive backfield from 2012 going forward, so there should be several spots that are wide open for someone to take. Although Jamerson Love and Cedric Giles are listed as the favorites, these should be spots that we see battles go on for well into fall practice.
• Justin Cox is immediately listed as a starter at one CB position, and that's not surprising in the least. Cox is ultra-talented, and we all knew he could come in and contribute immediately. He will certainly get that chance, it seems.
• I'm still a bit surprised that we haven't seen either Beniquez or Richie Brown poke their heads through on the two-deep, but it's early yet. With the talent both possess, I wouldn't be surprised to see them work their way in there somewhere either by the end of spring practice or by the time that fall rolls around.
• State fans have to be happy to look at that offensive front listed starter group and be happy. With the return of Gabe Jackson for his senior season, State will return four of five starters from 2012, and really five starters, with Justin Malone playing a good portion of 2012 for the often-injured Tobias Smith. I was rooting for Tobias to come back and give it a try for a 6th season, but understand completely his decision to move forward.
• Besides DBs, the position group that I am most looking forward to watching this spring are the WRs. With the loss of Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark, and Chris Smith, MSU is breaking in a brand new set of starters, but many aren't new faces to State fans. I am interested to see how Fred Brown, who is coming off a redshirt, and Jeremey Chappelle, a JUCO transfer, challenge Morrow and Robert Johnson this spring. Both are talented, and could challenge for starting spots. Also, it will be intriguing to see if Brandon Holloway can challenge Jameon Lewis for the hybrid-WR spot in MSU's offense. Word is that Holloway is a lighning bolt of quickness on the field.

For those State fans interested, remember that all practices are open to the public this spring. Courtesy of HailState.com, here is your full practice schedule for the spring:

Thursday, March 21 - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 - 12 noon

Tuesday, March 26 - 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 28 - 4 p.m.
Friday, March 29 - 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 2 - 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 4 - 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 6 - Scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium - 12 noon

Tuesday, April 9 - 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 10 - 4 p.m.
Friday, April 11 - Scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium - 3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 16 - 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 18 - 4 p.m.
Friday, April 19 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 - Maroon/White Spring Game - Davis Wade Stadium - 1 p.m.