The Mississippi State Bulldogs may have received more attention for their prolific spread offense over the past decade, but, as the old saying goes, defense wins championships, and the Dawgs are building quite a defense. Returning stars such as Jonathan Simmons, Leo Lewis, and Montez Sweat will strike fear into the hearts of opposing offenses, and they follow in the footsteps of some Bulldog greats.
The building blocks of any great college program must come from NFL production, and the Bulldogs defense has produced some terrific NFL talent. KJ Wright, a Bulldog linebacker from 2009-10, helped bring attention to an underrated defense upon his graduation to the NFL, becoming a starter for the stout Seattle Seahawks defense which took back to back trips to the Super Bowl, winning in 2013 and losing in 2014.