Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald named to All-SEC Second Team
After leading the SEC in total offense, Nick Fitzgerald has been named to the preseason All-SEC second-team.
The eventful week of SEC Media Days has completed in Hoover, Alabama. Dan Mullen and Mississippi State made their way to the Wynfrey Hotel on Tuesday, where Mullen was asked about Dak Prescott, Nick Fitzgerald, and quarterback play.
His current quarterback has been named to the All-SEC second-team by the media. Alabama’s Jalen Hurts was named the first-team quarterback; Arkansas’ Austin Allen was named to the third-team.
One interesting note that Mullen told the media is that Fitzgerald is more athletic than Prescott, but that the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is the “the hardest working individual I’ve ever been around”. For anyone that knows what Dak is like, that isn’t a surprising statement.
Mullen said that Fitz has been the most athletic quarterback on the roster dating back to when he first stepped foot on campus in 2014. The Georgia native only had three offers out of high school and has had to battle his way to replace the greatest player in Mississippi State history. Now, the former triple-option quarterback is regarded as one of the elite signal callers in the SEC.
After rushing for the third most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season in SEC history — only some guys named Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel have rushed for more in one season — Fitzgerald needs to develop his accuracy. Mullen said as much on Tuesday:
“It is the constant development of being a quarterback,” the Mississippi State coach said. “If you look that skill set, Nick’s got size. I’m not making him any taller. He’s got the great physical physique build at about 230 pounds to be a quarterback in this league. He’s a great runner. And he’s got strong arms. He’s got the skill set to do it. But it’s the development of a quarterback. I bet if you look at Tom Brady, he’s working on his pocket, his throwing motion, thinking, ‘How do I become more accurate? How do I become a better passer?’ That is a skill, and I think that’s a skill that you can constantly work on.”
If Fitz continue to learn and develop under the tutelage of Mullen, the sky is the limit for Mississippi State’s quarterback.
