Dak Prescott Returning for Senior Year at MSU

January 14, 2015

Written by Mike Bonner, The Clarion-Ledger

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/Clarion-Ledger) — Mississippi State fans can breathe easy for the 2015 season. Dak Prescott is coming back.

The quarterback made his decision to return for his senior year Wednesday afternoon at MSU’s football complex.

Prescott tested the NFL waters by requesting a draft grade from the league in early December. His teammates Benardrick McKinney and Josh Robinson both chose the NFL. Prescott decided Starvkille was the best location for him in 2015.

(AP Photo)
MSU quarterback Dak Prescott announces that he will return for his senior season with the Bulldogs.

National analysts believe the Haughton, Louisiana native will play in the NFL someday, but feel he’ll be more prepared in 2016.

“I definitely think he benefits from having one more year in college,” ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer told the Clarion-Ledger in December. “He’s an unbelievable athlete. I think when he got to Mississippi State, in a lot of ways he was very raw. He hasn’t had very many starts under his belt just yet. I always think quarterbacks benefit from having game experience.”

“Having to face Alabama and Ole Miss on the road was no walk in the park and having a tough SEC schedule down the stretch made it tough,” CBS Sports senior draft analyst Dane Brugler said. “Scouts are excited to see how Dak will benefit from another year in college and he could potentially really help his draft stock.”

Fans should be excited too.

Prescott’s return immediately inserts Mississippi State near the top of the discussion regarding 2015 favorites in the Southeastern Conference’s western division.He’ll be slated as the best quarterback in the SEC and one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy.

Prescott broke 12 single-season school records in 2014. He became the first Bulldog to represent the program as a Maxwell Award finalist and finished eighth in the Heisman voting — the highest in school history.

MSU finished with its first-ever 10-win regular season. Prescott is 14-6 as Mississippi State’s starting quarterback. The 2015 season brings those expectations and more for the quarterback.