VIDEO: Bulldogs Lose Two Key Defenders For Significant Time

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — The Mississippi State Bulldogs are losing two key defensive guys for a significant amount of time.

Head coach dan Mullen said in a press conference Wednesday senior starting cornerback Tolando Cleveland will miss the entire 2016 season due to a torn ACL.

Mullen said the team will wait and see about Cleveland’s redshirt status once the senior begins rehabbing.

Mullen also says senior defensive back Cedric Jiles suffered a broken arm, and he won’t be returning until mid-season.

“Guys got to step up…”, said Mullen, “…we have Maurice Smitherman has played corner, he’s rotating in there. Jamal Peters has the physical tools to go out there and play some corner, and the young guys just have to step up and go play.”

Mullen also hopes to name a starting quarterback on Monday but said he plans to play more than one quarterback against South Alabama in the season opener.

“…We are getting close to game time”, Mullen said, “Guys are getting ready to go. At this point it comes down to who is ready to give us the best plays, move the ball down the field and be ready to go. It’s starting to sort it’s self out, but I see us playing more than one quarterback in the first game.

“Part of the competition comes down to who is ready when the lights come on and getting in a game. You never know who between two guys is going to be better in that setting. We have to look at that aspect of the evaluation too. We have to have more than one quarterback ready to play anyways, as we know through the years here. We’ve had to play some times where we went to No. 3 and be ready to go to No. 4 on the depth chart. I think all the guys have made progress and I’ve seen good improvement from everybody.”