Mississippi State defenders keep eyes on NFL status | The Tennessean
Fletcher Cox and Johnthan Banks were prepared for the question.
Will Mississippi State's two junior stars bolt for the NFL in the spring?
Cox, a defensive tackle, and Banks, a cornerback, offered reporters little more than the equal of a "no comment," a polite shrug and a few declarative statements deflecting the attention from their NFL futures to the Bulldogs' game against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl on Friday.
"I'm not talking about that," said Cox, who's projected to be a first- or second-round selection. "I think it's personal, and if I feel like I should let the media know, I'll just talk to (MSU spokesman) Joe (Galbraith) and Coach (Dan) Mullen about it."
The questions are the result of successful seasons. It's a double-edged sword for MSU fans who love seeing a dominant defense but hate losing star players early to the NFL.
Cox (6-4, 295), criticized by coaches early in the season, has made 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.
After a slow, start Cox had seven tackles for loss in back-to-back weeks against South Carolina and Kentucky, and returned a fumble 52 yards and also blocked a field goal against Arkansas.
The result? A school-record four defensive lineman of the week honors from the SEC.
"It's a big difference," Cox said of the turnaround. "I talked to the coaches at the beginning of the season, and they said they needed more out of me. And I promised them they would get more out of me, and I started developing."
Cox received feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Committee recently but did not divulge details or his draft grade Tuesday.
"It's exciting," Cox said. "You have a chance. It's something you work hard for, and that was a goal in my life."
If Cox or Banks declares for the draft, it'll be a rarity for Mississippi State. The last Bulldog who left early for the draft was wide receiver Olanda Truitt, who was was picked in the fifth round in 1993 by the Oakland Raiders.
Banks is not expected to be a first-round prospect, though he could be a second-round selection, said NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier.
Banks leads MSU with five interceptions (one for a touchdown), and led the nation halfway through the season with his five picks. He also has seven tackles for loss and nine pass deflections.
"The neat thing about Johnthan is that he finds the football quickly during the play," Detillier said. "A lot of cornerbacks are there, but they can't make the play. Banks has the ability to close on the football quickly."
Wake Forest update: The Demon Deacons practiced in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Tuesday morning, then headed to Nashville.
Sophomore running back Josh Harris, who missed the last three games of the regular season with a hamstring injury, is practicing and expected to play.
Harris rushed for 432 yards on 101 carries and scored three TDs.
Flanker Lovell Jackson, who is nursing a shoulder injury, also is expected to play. He had four catches for 41 yards in the regular season.
Two other Demon Deacons on the mend and expected to play are offensive tackle Steven Chase (knee) and guard Colin Summers (ankle).
Four Wake Forest players who have been ruled out include cornerback Dominique Tate (knee), linebacker Kyle Jarrett (back), offensive tackle Dylan Hertstill (back) and wide receiver Airyn Willis (leg).
Ticket sales: Music City Bowl officials report total ticket sales are approaching 55,000 for Friday's game.
Mississippi State has sold just under 14,000 tickets, while Wake Forest has sold about 7,000.
The largest crowd ever to see a Music City Bowl at LP Field was last year, when Tennessee and North Carolina played and 69,143 showed up.
The smallest was in 2002, when 39,183 attended the Arkansas-Minnesota game.
