Mississippi State Football

Five-star defensive end Jeffery Simmons has been admitted to Mississippi State University, with conditions, after he was charged with misdemeanor assault in March, the school announced Thursday. 

"After careful assessment, the MSU athletics department has determined Simmons may be a part of the football team, but he will be evaluated by the licensed professionals at the university’s Student Counseling Services and be required to complete any program prescribed by that office," the school wrote in a statement. "Additionally, he will be suspended for the first game of his college career."

According to the Clarion-Ledger's Sarah Fowler, Simmons was formally charged with simple assault and disturbing the peace after a video emerged that showed him striking a woman. 

The school's official statement says Simmons "used physical force against one of those involved in the altercation" after he attempted to break up a fight between his sister and another woman. 

Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin explained why the school admitted Simmons before the charges were resolved: 

Based on conversations our staff has had with school, community and church leaders in Noxubee County, this incident appears to be uncharacteristic of Jeffery. It’s a highly unique circumstance to administer discipline to a student for an incident that occurred prior to that individual joining our university. However, it’s important that Jeffery and other potential MSU students understand that these type of actions and poor decisions are not acceptable. 

We expect the structure and discipline Jeffery will be a part of in our football program to benefit him. Jeffery will be held accountable for his actions while at MSU, and there will be consequences for any future incidents.

Stricklin said the university decided that "five seconds of [a] really poor decision shouldn't preclude him from coming to campus," per Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.

"I would not express comfort with a situation like that," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said on Friday, per Brandon Marcello of SEC Country.

Citing a source, Tony Barnhart of the SEC Network reported "Simmons has been told he has no margin for error and will be 'monitored closely.'"

Simmons is No. 19 overall in 247Sports' class of 2016 composite rankings. He is also the top-ranked player in the state of Mississippi and the third-ranked strong-side defensive end in his class. 

Star rankings courtesy of 247Sports.

Jeffery Simmons, a 5-star football recruit who has committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, per 247Sports, offered an apology Saturday after a video emerged allegedly showing him hit a woman several times Thursday evening.

According to WCBI.com's Summer Rascoll, Simmons posted a message on Facebook and alleged that comments were made about his deceased family members.

Gridiron Now's Alex McDaniel shared the message via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AlexMcDaniel/status/713876069263282176

Rascoll reported that while law enforcement "is aware of the incident," the police have yet to comment on it and have not indicated whether legal action will be taken against Simmons.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Simmons is the class of 2016's top-ranked player in the state of Mississippi. Additionally, Simmons is the nation's third-ranked strong-side defensive end and 19th-ranked player overall.

Simmons received offers from 14 schools—including Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and Auburn—before committing to Mississippi State on Feb. 3.

The 2016 NFL draft class looks to be a meat and potatoes-type draft, loaded with talent at the essential positions needed to build a Super Bowl contender. While it’s not as deep with top-tier playmakers like some previous years, there’s an abundance of trench talent to be unearthed. One of the potential future Pro Bowlers on the defensive front is Mississippi State tackle Chris Jones.

The versatile defensive lineman isn’t one of the big names in the 2016 class at this time. According to CBS Sports, Jones is the 74th-ranked prospect. That would put the 6’6”, 310-pounder in the third round if the draft followed its board.

The draft results could end up that way, but Jones has the ingredients of a defensive force in the NFL. The 21-year-old from Houston,  Mississippi, came into his own in 2015 as he became an established starter for the Bulldogs. He transformed from raw, athletic freak to a tremendous football player.

Natural talent has never been a question for Jones. A former 5-star recruit, per 247sports, Jones was a rotational player his first two seasons with snaps in all 26 games and three starts. But his inconsistent effort and overall impact on games was lacking.

Midway through 2014, Jones acknowledged he wasn’t where he needed to be, according to Clarion-Ledger reporter Michael Bonner.

I still haven't reached my potential. I just feel like there's so much more I just have to do. I beat myself up a lot because I really haven't played as I expected to play this season. Coaches say I'm doing all right. I'm doing OK. But I expect more out of myself. I watch film, I take my mistakes very seriously. What I could have done on this play instead of that. How could I have changed the play? That's what I look at it.

His self-awareness and commitment to improve paid off in 2015 as he started all 13 games for the Bulldogs. While his 2.5 sacks were actually a career low, he was incredibly disruptive and created countless opportunities for his teammates to finish the play or force a negative play. Those numbers don’t show up in the stat book, but they were evident in each of the six games I watched of Jones.

Pro Football Focus found similar results, grading him as their second-best pass-rushing grade among draft-eligible defensive tackles. According to Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus, Jones did his damage from a variety of alignments, including 609 snaps over the guard, 68 snaps as nose tackle and 83 snaps as an edge-rusher. His versatility will benefit him greatly in the NFL as multi-front schemes can utilize him regardless of situation.

How Jones accomplishes this is what gives him such high upside and promise. While Jones made headlines for his NSFW spill in the 40-yard dash, he actually dominated the combine. According to Mock Draftable, Jones measured better than half the defensive tackle prospects in all but two areas since 1999.

His athleticism comparisons include Leonard Williams, the New York Jets' 2015 first-round pick; Jared Odrick, who scored a $42.5 million deal from the Jacksonville Jaguars last year; Muhammad Wilkerson, who could be in line for a $100 million contract; and two-time Pro Bowl tackle John Henderson.

The first-year starter quickly jumps off the screen when watching the talented Bulldogs defense, which has as many as five NFL draft prospects this year alone. He moves incredibly well for his density, beginning with his explosion off the line. He’s not just a snap-jumper who relies on timing to shoot gaps, which can mask a limited skill set.

Jones’ performance against Missouri in Week 10 was the most dominant individual performance I’ve seen from a prospect this year. It was reminiscent of Henry Anderson’s destruction of Oregon State in 2014. Anderson was a stellar rookie for the Indianapolis Colts last year after being selected in the third round.

Missouri’s interior offensive linemen couldn’t withstand Jones’ powerful hands and change of direction. On plays like the one above, Jones explodes off the snap with a low pad level into the center. He quickly establishes his hands inside the center’s chest then slides his right hand to the shoulder to execute a swim move. The center had no chance as Jones accelerates past him into the pocket, which causes the right guard to dive in a desperate attempt to slow him.

Jones was unable to finish the sack despite his positioning, which is the nagging concern in his game right now. He creates pressure with ease, and that is a huge positive to build off.

Later in the game Jones is able to show off his devastating swim move again and reach the quarterback in a mere 1.4 seconds. This time he aligns over the left guard, who barely gets a hand on Jones. Like before, the 6’6” Jones bursts off the line lower than the blocker. This time he went inside shoulder and got past the guard before the center could ever slide over to help. The play was over before it ever had a chance to succeed.

Jones is more than just a speed interior rusher, though. His ability to dip his hips and explode forward is rare for an athlete his size. He generates power off his speed and can extend his 34 ½” arms to fling blockers away from his frame.

He understands how to use his length well even with limited edge snaps. As with his interior rush wins, Jones shows great extension and constant leg movement. Below he’s aligned as the left defensive end and creates pressure with a bull rush to force the Missouri quarterback to scramble on third-and-long.

I was worried after watching the Missouri game that maybe Jones was just terrorizing linemen six months out of high school, but four of their starters were seniors. That includes legitimate NFL prospects in center Evan Boehm and left tackle Connor McGovern. Although Jones didn’t dominate to the same extent against other top competition like LSU and Texas A&M, there were more positive plays than negative overall.

Continuing with his pass-rush ability for now, Jones was able to get the best of Aggies senior center Mike Matthews on multiple occasions. Jones is very difficult to handle without help on either side because his strength displaces smaller interior blockers and forces them to re-anchor their lower bodies. Failing to properly adjust in a timely manner will allow Jones to keep his shoulders squared, but the blocker will be turned sideways and cannot recover.

His strength translates to the run game as well, especially as a 5-technique. Against LSU he demonstrated the ability to own the triangle on two key plays. His responsibility on the play below is to control the space between the right guard’s outside shoulder to the tackle’s outside shoulder and close any running lanes in that area.

Jones executes perfectly as he flows laterally while double-teamed, but he keeps his base spread enough to avoid a pancake. As running back Leonard Fournette approaches the line, Jones sheds the block from tackle Vadal Alexander and cuts inside to make the tackle on Fournette.

Later we see another example of Jones’ ability to destroy the outside running lane through penetration. This time he’s not concerned with the right tackle, but he needs to crash the outside shoulder of the guard. His quickness off the snap forces the fullback to attack him instead of paving a clear path. Then it was up to his teammates to swallow up the cutback lanes and finish the play.

There were a half-dozen good examples of Jones’ considerable upside throughout the 2015 games I watched, including the clips used thus far. The downside to Jones wasn’t hard to find, even if there’s reason to believe he’ll improve as he gains experience. As mentioned earlier, he really struggled to finish some of his pressures as he’d overpursue or just miss the tackle.

His inability to complete the play is concerning because quality NFL quarterbacks thrive on broken plays. It may not necessarily improve at the next level, but if it does, Jones has the ability to be a Pro Bowl player. He’s that disruptive and athletic.

He’ll also show the bad habits that led to his limited playing time in his first two years. He’ll happily shoot gaps upfield to make the big play. But this can backfire, and offenses will run a delayed handoff or inside zone to take advantage of the lane he created. This is something Los Angeles Rams tackle Aaron Donald has also faced early in his career.

Looking at Chris Jones’ current game and what he can become with more seasoning, he should be a top-20 pick in this class. He’s simply cut from a different athletic cloth than most players his size. His improved understanding of how to take advantage of his traits was the catalyst for his breakout 2015 campaign.

Jones can immediately enter a rotational role in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defensive front, although I like his fit as a 5-technique and occasional nose tackle most. This would allow him to star as a run defender and pass-rusher in multiple alignments.

The Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins would be perfect fits in the middle of the first round. If he falls to Day 2 of the draft, he may end up as the biggest steal in the class.

All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. 

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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Anyone who’s wondering what Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen’s primary message might be heading into the 2016 season only needs to look back to last year’s appearance at the Southeastern Conference’s media days for insight.

His team was coming off one of the best seasons in program history, and its prize quarterback had turned down an opportunity to leave early for the National Football League. Yet when the conference’s media poll came out with the annual predicted order of finish, it listed the Bulldogs last in the SEC West.

It led to Mullen channeling late comedian Rodney Dangerfield for another round of “No respect.”

“This is my seventh year coming here, and I think all seven years, they've pretty much picked us to finish last in the West,” Mullen said. “It's kind of like a tradition, I guess. We don't really worry much about that. I'm much more concerned with how we finish.”

Mississippi State subsequently wound up tied for fifth with only Auburn’s swoon resulting in a worse finish. Yet that didn’t mean that the Bulldogs had a bad season. They still went 9-4 while playing in college football’s toughest division and were ranked for six weeks in the Associated Press Poll.

All four losses came against division foes—No. 14 LSU, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 3 and eventual national champion Alabama and No. 19 Ole Miss—which was pretty reflective of Mullen’s time in Starkville.

Year	Record	SEC West
2009	5-7	T4th
2010	9-4	5th
2011	7-6	5th
2012	8-5	4th
2013	7-6	Tth
2014	10-3	2nd
2015	9-4	T5th
Totals	55-35

At 50-35, 30 of his defeats have been in conference games. He’s 29-5 against everyone else. Mullen’s teams are also a combined 11-3 against the SEC East, although it has to be noted that MSU’s permanent crossover opponent is Kentucky, and the Bulldogs haven’t faced Florida or Georgia since 2011.

Nevertheless, Mullen better get his one-man act ready because while still not deserving the distinction, Mississippi State could again be the pick to finish last in 2016.

Quarterback Dak Prescott has finally moved on to the NFL along with wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson, defensive lineman Chris Jones and cornerback Taveze Calhoun.

They were arguably the four players whom opponents were concerned with the most, although wide receiver Fred Ross was in that mix as well.

“I love that maybe people look past us, underestimate us, say they don't have much of a chance this year,” Mullen said. “We kind of like that role, that fits us, how to play with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder and go out there and prove everybody wrong.”

The Bulldogs have gotten good at that, because while just one of Mullen’s teams finished in the top half of the SEC West, none have ended up in the division cellar.

One could make the argument that each beat expectations, with the 2014 Bulldogs ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for more than a month, and then they played in the Orange Bowl.

It was the first time MSU had ever enjoyed No. 1 status, and the accomplishment was even more impressive when considering it was outside the Top 25 in the preseason poll. Moreover, the Bulldogs have had only one losing season under Mullen, his first year when they went 5-7.

All that has led to a lot of speculation that Mullen has reached his ceiling at Mississippi State.

He hasn’t, but changing that perception will be difficult.

Let’s make one thing straight: Mullen is a good coach, and he’s learned a lot during his first head-coaching job.

His players stay in school. He’s already third on the program’s list of all-time wins behind only Allyn McKeen (65) and Jackie Sherrill (75). The six straight bowl appearances is a school record.

Last year, MSU had five players selected in the NFL draft for only the second time since World War II. The program recently enjoyed a five-year streak of having someone named a first-team All-American, while Mullen was named the Maxwell Football Club’s National Coach of the Year in 2014.

This at a school that for years was really known for baseball and has never had more than 10 wins in any season. Overall, Mississippi State claims just one SEC title (1941), and it has played in a single conference championship game, losing to Tennessee, 24-14, in 1998.

Yet the cowbells have never been louder.

Mullen has a contract that paid him $4 million in 2015, which according to the USA Today coaching salary database made him the 16th-highest-paid coach in the nation (matching Steve Spurrier, who had won a national championship).

As long as Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin is around, he may have as much job security as any other coach in the SEC, and Miss State recently expanded Davis Wade Stadium to 61,337.

But when will that no longer be enough for Mullen?

He’s changed the culture at Mississippi State, there’s no doubt about it, and his name keeps getting mentioned for open vacancies. For example, just a few months ago, the Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde reported that Mullen interviewed for the Miami job that eventually went to Mark Richt.

Miami interviewed Mullen, Butch and Schiano. Talking with Richt today, per source.

— Dave Hyde (@davehydesports) December 1, 2015

Maybe being in the SEC West shadows is finally getting to Mullen, and one has to think an opportunity that’s too good to pass up will come along at some point. But in the meantime, he’s going to continue to use it with his players and defy critics.

“I think I like it that way, because I feel as if I’d rather be underrated than overrated,” former defensive end Ryan Brown said last season. “I like being a Bulldog and better than that, an underdog to prove ourselves and have that motivation.”

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh. 

It was a dominating effort for the Mississippi State Bulldogs as they beat the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 51-28, in quarterback Dak Prescott's final collegiate game. Prescott was phenomenal in this game, throwing for 380 yards and four touchdowns. 

It was also NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett's final college game, but it wasn't a fine farewell for the former Florida transfer. Brissett completed only 12 passes and threw two interceptions, mostly because he was constantly trying to get away from Mississippi State defenders. 

Mississippi State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after a Brissett interception on the game's first drive. The Bulldogs later went ahead 21-0 before NC State scored 14 unanswered points to cut the lead to seven. The Wolfpack made it a 31-21 game in the third quarter, but Mississippi State's offense was just too much. 

Head coach Dan Mullen's offense put up 569 total yards and was 9-of-17 on third down. 

The win gives Mississippi State consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in school history, while the loss drops NC State to 7-6 on the season. 

Miss St drops 51 points in Dak Prescott's final game as Bulldogs finish with 9 wins in back-to-back seasons. pic.twitter.com/MFXnFWN1cZ

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 31, 2015

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	A	A
Rushing Offense	B-	B
Pass Defense	A	B+
Run Defense	C	C+
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	A	A

Game Grade Analysis for Bulldogs 

Passing Offense

Prescott played one of his best games of the season, and the Bulldogs were able to move the ball at will through the air. They averaged 9.0 yards per completion, and they often took shots down the field against NC State's defensive backs. 

Dak Prescott: Mississippi State-bowl record 4 TD passes in Belk Bowl win over NC State

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 31, 2015

The Bulldogs get an "A" here because they threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns, and it just looked easy. Prescott looked comfortable in the pocket all afternoon, and he did a great job of leading this team. 

Rushing Offense

Mississippi State has not been a great rushing team all season, but it does enough with its run game. The Bulldogs totaled 189 rushing yards in the game, and they averaged 5.4 yards per carry. 

Prescott had 47 yards on the ground, and while he didn't break off any huge runs, his rushing ability was crucial to Mississippi State's success on third down. 

Pass Defense

The Bulldogs started the game off in dominant fashion by intercepting Brissett's first pass attempt of the game. The first half was much of the same, as the NC State quarterback had only three completions at halftime. 

The Bulldogs held Brissett to just 214 yards on 12 completions, and they also came up with two interceptions. 

[ESPN Video] J. Brissett pass intercepted,G. Green return for 0 yds:
Jacoby Brissett pass intercept... https://t.co/GaGOX9M2WM #Bulldogs

— Mississippi State (@BR_MissState) December 30, 2015

Run Defense

While Mississippi State defended well against the pass, NC State was able to find a little bit of running room. The Wolfpack totaled 210 yards, but it took them 51 carries to reach that mark. It was a pretty average effort for the run defense for Mississippi State in this game. 

Special Teams

There wasn't much going on with the special teams in this game. Mississippi State kicker Westin Graves made his only attempted field goal. He did miss an extra point, but it was a good day for him. 

Punter Logan Cooke downed one kick inside the 20-yard line and averaged 38.5 yards per punt. 

Coaching

Head coach Dan Mullen has Mississippi State on its way to being a consistent program, and he has done a heck of a coaching job this season after being picked at the bottom of the SEC West. He and his staff put together a great plan for the Belk Bowl, and that was on full display on Wednesday. 

The defense made things tough on Brissett because they kept him from getting comfortable in the pocket. The offense found matchup problems, and they took advantage of them with passes down the field.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	D-	D
Rushing Offense	B	C+
Pass Defense	D	D-
Run Defense	C+	C-
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	C	C

Game Grades Analysis for the Wolfpack 

Passing Offense

It was not a good day for Brissett and company. After having only three completions at halftime, Brissett finished the game with only 12 completed passes.

He was constantly under pressure, and Mississippi State was able to force him into two interceptions. Brissett did have 214 yards passing, but 82 of those came on one completion to Pharoah McKever.

Rushing Offense

The Wolfpack did have one bright spot in Nyheim Hines, who totaled 70 yards on 13 carries. Brissett was a big part of the rushing game in the first half, but sacks in the second half took his rushing total down. He ended the game with 67 yards on 26 carries. 

Pass Defense

The Wolfpack secondary got a front-row seat for just how well Prescott can play when he is on his game. The first half saw Mississippi State pass for 224 yards, and Prescott ended the day with 380 yards and four touchdowns. 

The Bulldogs often took shots down the field and found success against NC State's defensive backs. Four Bulldogs receivers had completions of over 25 yards in this game. 

Run Defense

The Bulldogs totaled 189 yards on 35 carries, which is good for 5.4 yards per carry. NC State gave up two runs of 33 yards, and Prescott was able to convert at will on 3rd-and-short on quarterback run plays. The Wolfpack defense could have done a better job of stopping those short-yardage situations because it kept them from getting the ball back to their offense. 

Special Teams

The Wolfpack did not attempt a field goal in this game, but they punted the ball pretty well. Punter A.J. Cole III downed one punt inside the 20-yard line, and he averaged 36.8 yards per punt. Kicker Kyle Bambard also made all four of his extra points in this game. 

Coaching

It's hard to think that head coach Dave Doeren did not have his team ready to play, but this game was more than X's and O's. Mississippi State had a quarterback who was determined to win his final game no matter what, and the Bulldogs were dominant in the trenches. 

The offensive game plan could have utilized tight end/fullback Jaylen Samuels' athleticism more, though. He is one of the most explosive players on the field, but he had only three carries and one reception in this game. 

North Carolina State has been a great bowl bet over recent seasons, winning six of its last eight bowls outright and going 6-1-1 against the spread. Mississippi State, meanwhile, hasn't been too bad itself, also winning six of its last eight bowls, going 5-2-1 ATS. The ACC meets the SEC when the Wolfpack battle the Bulldogs in the Belk Bowl.

Belk Bowl point spread: Bulldogs opened as seven-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 34.5-30.6 Bulldogs

Why the Wolfpack can cover the spread

The Pack started 4-0 this season, with four straight covers, averaging 46 points per game. N.C. State then lost its first two ACC games to Louisville and Virginia Tech, then alternated victories and defeats from there on out.

Along the way, the Wolfpack gave both eventual ACC champion Clemson and Florida State good scares, taking the Tigers to 33-27 late into the third quarter, before fading, and leading the Seminoles at 17-7, before giving way.

North Carolina State runs balanced on offense—averaging 211 yards per game through the air and 202 on the ground—on its way to 34 points per game. On the other side of the ball, the Wolfpack defense ranks 19th in the country, allowing just 333 yards per game.

The Pack are playing in their second bowl under head coach Dave Doeren; last year they went into the St. Petersburg Bowl as underdogs against Central Florida but pulled off a 34-27 upset.

Why the Bulldogs can cover the spread

MSU opened this season 2-3, with a win over what turned out to be a pretty good Southern Mississippi team, with the losses coming against LSU and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs then won four in a row, averaging 41 points per in the process, securing bowl eligibility. Mississippi State then lost to Alabama and won a crazy game at Arkansas, but it lost the Egg Bowl to Ole Miss, 38-27, in the season finale.

The Rebels outgained and outrushed the Bulldogs, but that was the first time that had happened to MSU since the Auburn game back in September. Between then and there, Mississippi State outgained six of seven opponents and outrushed four of seven.

Finally, the Bulldogs are 4-2 ATS this season when favored and 3-0 ATS when favored by less than two touchdowns.

Smart pick

N.C. State might hold some degree of home-field advantage for this game, playing so close to home, but realistically, when your best victories come against Syracuse and Boston College, you probably shouldn't even be playing in a bowl. Mississippi State looks like the smart money here.

Betting trends

North Carolina State is 0-4 straight up and ATS in its last four games against the SEC.

North Carolina State is 6-2 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight bowl games.

Mississippi State is 6-2 SU in its last eight bowl games.

The favorite is 4-0 SU and ATS in the last four Belk Bowls.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.

Mississippi State Bulldogs linebackers DeAndre Ward and Gerri Green were arrested Friday night on multiple charges.

Per Joel Coleman of the Starkville Daily News, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy Chadd Garnett and additional records confirmed the two were arrested "shortly after midnight" on Friday night.

"Green was charged with having possession of beer in a dry county, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest," Coleman wrote. "Ward was charged with having possession of beer in a dry county and disturbing the peace."

Green was one of Mississippi State's most valuable defensive players in 2015, while Ward contributed as well. Green, a redshirt freshman, was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after finishing with 44 total tackles and one interception in 12 games.

Ward worked his way up on the Bulldogs roster after joining the team as a walk-on. Head coach Dan Mullen awarded him a scholarship in 2014, and the linebacker had one tackle for loss in the regular season. 

Mississippi State is preparing to play North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 30. Coleman added that Ward and Green attended practice Friday and Saturday, though there is no word on whether the team will allow the duo to play in the game.

Coleman also noted Mississippi State is aware of the situation and plans to let the process play out while handling any discipline internally.

Twelve months ago, Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was America's football darling.

He was fresh off five weeks of being the unquestioned front-runner in the Heisman Trophy race, had led Mississippi State from anonymity all the way to the No. 1 ranking and looked like head coach Dan Mullen's version of Tim Tebow in Starkville.

Then Mississippi State faded down the stretch, never really got back into contention this year and other quarterbacks like Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield jumped to the front of the national discussion.

Prescott proved again on Saturday that he should not only be in that discussion, but perhaps near the center of it.

The senior threw for 508 yards and five touchdowns, rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns and out-dueled Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen in a 51-50 win in Fayetteville.

How good is Prescott?

Mullen seems impressed, according to Bob Carskadon of HailState.com:

Dan Mullen on Dak Prescott: "I'd say he might be the best player I've ever coached. If you look at my resume, that's pretty impressive."

— Bob Carskadon (@bobcarskadon) November 22, 2015

On the season, Prescott now has 3,159 passing yards on the season, has tossed 23 touchdowns, just three interceptions and scored nine times on the ground.

The dirty little secret in Starkville is that, while Mississippi State isn't in the title picture, Prescott is better in 2015.

Significantly better.

He is a much more polished passer on deep routes, which makes him nearly impossible to stop when added to his timing on short and intermediate routes, as well as his work on the ground.

He joined prestigious SEC company this year when he became just the second quarterback in SEC history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and rush for 40.

The other?

Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who claimed the 2007 Heisman Trophy and is likely the second-best player Mullen ever coached.

Dak Prescott joins Tim Tebow as the only SEC quarterbacks with 40 Pass TD and 40 Rush TD in a career pic.twitter.com/Qna6zp1orx

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2015

Prescott won't win it this year, but he certainly deserves to be in consideration for an invitation. While other contenders like LSU running back Leonard Fournette and Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott have tailed off in November and Mayfield left his team's game on Saturday against TCU, Prescott is improving on what already was a stellar body of work this season and throughout his career.

That matters to Heisman voters, even if they don't explicitly state that "career achievement" factors in to their voting habits.

Whether it's based solely on this season or to honor one of the game's all-time greats, Prescott deserves recognition for what he has accomplished in Starkville.

He has put Mississippi State on the map, etched his name all over the SEC record book and been consistent over a critical two-year span in which his Bulldogs underwent significant roster turnover on the offensive side of the ball.

He's done so in the SEC West, which arguably has more talented players than any other division in the country. 

He is the nation's most underappreciated player.

In that race, he has put his competition in his rearview mirror.

For the sake of the Heisman Trophy, Saturday night should have put him back into the discussion.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.

Mississippi State Bulldogs freshman defensive end Keith Joseph Jr. and his father, former Mississippi State linebacker Keith Joseph Sr., died Nov. 6 in a single-car accident, the school announced.

According to the university, the two were driving to a Pascagoula High School football game to watch the younger Joseph's alma mater when the accident occurred.

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen released a statement expressing his deepest sympathies:

We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragic loss of Keith Jr. and his father. Keith had such a promising future as a Bulldog following in the legacy started by Keith Sr., who played for our program 25 years ago. Keith was a great student, a hard worker and a great teammate to all of us. With heavy hearts, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Joseph family, our entire Mississippi State community and all of the lives these Bulldogs touched.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin also offered his condolences:

Words can't express the sorrow we feel by having lost not one, but two members of the Bulldog family, father and son. I was a classmate of Keith Sr., and took pride in having Keith Jr. follow in his dad's footsteps at MSU. They will both be missed greatly. It's such a tragic reminder that life is a precious [sic] and every day is a gift from God.

Starting quarterback Dak Prescott tweeted a message of support to the Joseph family following the tragic announcement:

Stay Strong #JosephFamily #BulldogFamily

— Dak Prescott (@dak) November 7, 2015

On Tuesday, it was revealed Mississippi State will wear a helmet decal honoring the men, per SportsCenter:

Miss St to wear helmet decal honoring Keith "MJ" Joseph Jr. & father who both died in car crash. (via @HailStateFB) pic.twitter.com/T8TmyTPEoN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 10, 2015

Joseph Jr., 18, served as a standout defensive lineman at Pascagoula before committing to the Bulldogs in 2014 and signing his letter of intent in February. He was redshirting this season.