Five Mississippi State football players who earned praise in first week of camp

These Bulldogs earned some early kudos from their coaches.

Mississippi State returns to the practice fields on Tuesday as preseason training camp continues for the Bulldogs. As week two of practice gets underway, let's take a quick look back at the first few days and focus in on a five names – some familiar and some not as much – that made a good impression last week, earning praise from coaches.

Nathaniel Watson - linebacker

MSU linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)

The man they call 'Bookie' is a jack-of-all-trades at the linebacker position. He can play any of the roles there. Given how many of last year's linebackers are no longer in maroon and white, there's a need for depth at the position and Watson provides that at any of the spots.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett on Watson: "His intelligence – his ability to sit in one meeting and yet learn what another position is doing – has allowed him to play all three linebacker positions (and) be an option there. And because he’s a big, physical, strong guy who likes contact, likes the way football is played down in there, he’s going to have role for sure because he provides so much versatility."

Will Rogers - quarterback

MSU quarterback Will Rogers (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)

Rogers is one of three quarterbacks seeing the most action in camp so far, along with K.J. Costello and Garrett Shrader. Realistically, Rogers likely faces an uphill climb to be on this year's two-deep depth chart as he competes with two veterans, but he might very well be on a path towards battling it out with Shrader for the starter's job in 2021.

Head coach Mike Leach on Rogers: "I’ve been real impressed with (Rogers' mindset). You know, a freshman comes in, one thing is the reps and the plays, but one of the biggest hurdles sometimes those guys have is the confidence to feel like they belong there and where they go out there timid like a freshman. He hasn’t done that. He goes out there and competes like he should be there. I think that’s allowed him to compete even quicker."

Fred Peters - safety

MSU safety Fred Peters (Photo by Shelley Mays/Tennessean.com)

Mississippi State is in dire need of players to step up in the secondary and so far, it appears Fred Peters has done that. Former MSU defensive coordinator Bob Shoop always seemed to love Peters and often praised him, even unprompted. It appears Peters is showing why to the new staff as well.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett on Peters: "A lot of guys have made plays, but one guy I’ve noticed several times at safety has been Fred Peters. He’s had a couple of really nice days, and has made some nice plays on special teams as well. I’m very happy with what he’s shown...Fred Peters has done a really nice job for us at the safety position. He’s going to be a leader we rely on back there."

Martin Emerson - cornerback

MSU cornerback Martin Emerson (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)

Cornerback is maybe the biggest uncertainty the Bulldogs face in 2020, but at least half of that problem can be solved if Emerson takes a step forward as a sophomore. Though early, MSU is liking what it has seen out of Emerson and thinks even better days are ahead for him.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett on Emerson: "Martin Emerson can play the ball in the air. He has the kind of length you want at corner and so we’re expecting big things out of him...There’s a reason Martin Emerson played a whole bunch last year as a true freshman. He’s talented. He was good enough to play. It’s only a benefit that he’s played as much as he did as a freshman. He’s got SEC games under his belt. He knows what it’s like. For as talented as he is, he’s got an extremely bright future. It’s awesome that he’s going to play as much as he’s going to have to."

Aaron Odom - defensive end

Mississippi State needs to find quality depth on the defensive front, particularly at the ends. Seniors Marquiss Spencer and Kobe Jones are likely to at the very least be reliable as starters, but who backs those guys up? So far, Odom appears to be on track to get some of those reps.

Defensive line coach Jeff Phelps on Odom: "The sleeper of the group has really been Aaron Odom, providing a little bit of depth on the defensive line with what he's bringing to the table. He's doing a lot of learning, but he shows a lot of promise there."

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