Nick Fitzgerald

Being the quarterback to follow a legend is no small task, but Fitzgerald truly thrived as Dak Prescott's successor last year. He quickly established himself as one of the premier dual-threat playmakers in the game, tossing 21 touchdowns and adding 16 on the ground to go with 1,375 rushing yards. Only Lamar Jackson and Quinton Flowers ran for more yards among quarterbacks. If Fitzgerald takes a step forward as a passer, it'll only add to his vast fantasy upside that already projects for 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns on the ground.

The Dak Prescott era at Mississippi State has come to an end, and while it’d be unreasonable to think Fitzgerald could match the best player in program history’s production, he has the talent to be a more than serviceable signal caller in Starkville. Fitzgerald appeared in eight games last season as a redshirt freshman, giving him valuable experience that should give him the edge in Mississippi State’s quarterback battle. He flourished in his time on the field as well, completing 11-of-14 passes for 235 yards and three scores while adding 127 yards and three touchdowns on 23 rushing attempts. There were some reports about a few lackluster practices from Fitzgerald this spring, but he did take most of the No.1 reps. If Fitzgerald looks more like he did last fall than he did in some spring practices when Mississippi State opens its season, Starkville could have another promising quarterback in its midst. Fitzgerald will have a tough road ahead, facing the SEC West and a few other difficult games, but his experience from last season should shorten his learning curve. He still needs to beat out Damian Williams and Elijah Staley, however.