Mississippi State Professional Athletes

The Franchise QB at the Center of Everything

There's no quieter preseason for Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State alum and Cowboys quarterback enters the 2026 campaign surrounded by more noise — and more legitimate reason for optimism — than at any other point in his career, and he's not shying away from it.

Prescott has publicly dubbed the Dallas offense the "Greatest Offense There Is," a bold declaration that CeeDee Lamb echoed by suggesting that he and new receiver George Pickens can become "the best ever" at their positions in tandem. That's a high-altitude vision, but the Cowboys are building around it with a seriousness Prescott says he hasn't seen before from ownership. In a candid interview, Prescott credited Jerry Jones for an "unprecedented wave of defensive urgency" this offseason — a shift in tone he described as unlike anything in his tenure with the organization.

Von Miller, a Vegas Handshake, and a Super Bowl Mission

The headlining addition fueling that defensive urgency: Von Miller. The future Hall of Famer signed in Dallas, and the backstory is compelling. Miller revealed that a conversation with Prescott in Las Vegas — before he ever put pen to paper — helped seal the deal. Miller said he believed Prescott was on the verge of a Super Bowl breakthrough even before joining the team. Now, he's here to help make it happen.

Prescott's reaction to Miller's first Cowboys practice? Five blunt words, per reporting: he likes what he sees. For a quarterback who has carried the weight of Dallas expectations for a decade without a championship, having a premier edge rusher committed to his cause — on and off the field — carries real weight.

Criticism, Controversy, and a Chaotic Joint Practice

Not everything this week was triumphant. A joint practice between the Cowboys and Saints devolved into a multi-brawl session, with Prescott caught in the middle of the chaos. It's preseason theater, but it speaks to the edge this Cowboys roster is playing with heading into the year.

Prescott also caught stray criticism from Seahawks broadcasters during Dallas' preseason opener, who took shots at his playoff record — while reportedly making a factual error in the process. It's the kind of narrative Prescott has lived with throughout his career, fair or not, and one more reminder of what's at stake in 2026.

On the ownership front, not all the Prescott buzz is positive. Jerry Jones faced pointed backlash this week, with critics calling his handling of a Micah Parsons situation "idiotic" and arguing it cost Prescott a legitimate shot at MVP-level recognition in a prior season. The tension between Jones' front-office instincts and Prescott's on-field ceiling remains an undercurrent worth watching.

One More Bulldog Worth Noting

Across the league, Chris Jones — another Mississippi State product — suited up for the Chiefs in their preseason opener, drawing enough attention that Kansas City fans were left asking why their star DE was on the field at all in a tune-up game. Jones remains one of the premier interior pass rushers in football, and his presence was notable enough to headline the Chiefs' own mailbag conversation this week.

For Mississippi State, the story of the 2026 NFL preseason is Prescott's to own. The roster is deeper, the urgency is real, and the quarterback himself is saying all the right things — loudly.

Dak Prescott Is Done Being Polite About It

Mississippi State's most prominent NFL alumnus isn't hedging this summer. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has made his intentions for the 2026 season unmistakably clear — and he's backed them up with the kind of details that don't leave room for spin.

Prescott told Kay Adams that he's labeled his phone alarms "Super Bowl 61," a piece of specificity that landed with a thud across the league. It's one thing to talk about winning a championship in August. It's another to make it the first thing you see every morning. For a quarterback who has never appeared in an NFC Championship Game, the boldness is either inspiring or deeply ironic depending on your rooting interest — a point a Washington Commanders fan underscored at a joint practice by wearing a shirt noting that Commanders punter Tress Way has more NFC title game passing yards than Prescott.

That kind of noise doesn't seem to bother him. In a separate interview, Prescott addressed the outside skepticism directly, saying he's focused on "not giving a f--k" about public perception. According to a Yahoo Sports analysis, the all-in messaging is at least partly traceable to owner Jerry Jones, who has cultivated a culture of bold declarations in Dallas. Whether the product matches the rhetoric remains the Cowboys' perennial burden.

On the field this week, Prescott brought the same energy to joint practices against the Los Angeles Rams. He was caught on video delivering bold trash talk during competitive drills and, per reports, made an NSFW wager with Rams players before the session. He also acknowledged that injured Rams star Myles Garrett — sidelined for practice — was still vocal from the sideline, saying he "definitely heard" him. That Prescott was aware of Garrett's presence speaks to how dialed in the atmosphere was.

Off the field, Prescott showed leadership beyond football. After news broke that former Cowboys star Terrell Owens had lost nearly $80 million, Prescott sent a public message offering teammates an open-door invitation to seek trusted financial guidance — a moment that generated significant goodwill. He also weighed in on receiver George Pickens' contract situation, publicly stating Pickens "should get every dollar that he deserves," signaling buy-in on the Cowboys' retooled offensive weapons.

Analysts are taking the Cowboys seriously. A recent "Football 301" projection on Yahoo Sports has Dallas poised to overtake Jalen Hurts' Eagles in the NFC East win-total race — a notable forecast for a division that Philly has owned in recent years.

Elsewhere in the Bulldog Alumni Network

Prescott isn't the only Mississippi State product drawing attention this preseason. In Las Vegas, cornerback Decamerion Richardson has quietly climbed the Raiders' depth chart, drawing notice in the team's initial preseason depth chart release, per Yahoo Sports. And in Chicago, defensive end Montez Sweat was among the Bears players head coach Ben Johnson addressed in an injury update following their preseason game against the Browns — though specifics on Sweat's status weren't detailed.

The Bulldog footprint across the NFL remains wide. This week, though, it all flows through Prescott — a quarterback who has spent a decade proving himself and is now, loudly and deliberately, demanding to be taken at his word.

Mississippi State's footprint in the NFL was impossible to miss this week, with Dak Prescott earning recognition as one of the league's best and Jeffery Simmons reminding everyone he's still one of its most combustible forces.

Prescott Lands on the NFL's Top 100

Heading into his 11th NFL season, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been named to the NFL Top 100 list for 2026 — a peer-voted honor that carries real weight around league locker rooms. The ranking arrives as Prescott enters camp looking the part: reports out of Dallas describe him as noticeably more physically imposing, and he's already talking about a deep playoff run with the kind of conviction that's become a training camp ritual in Big D.

Not everyone is buying it. An anonymous defensive coordinator, speaking to The Athletic's Mike Sando, said Prescott has "s--t the bed" in playoff losses with a consistency that disqualifies him from the top-QB conversation. It's a familiar critique — Prescott's postseason résumé remains the loudest argument against him — but the peer recognition of the Top 100 suggests his contemporaries still see a quarterback worth ranking among the league's elite.

Off the field, Prescott has navigated a more personal camp than usual. He publicly addressed his split from ex-fiancée Sarah Jane Ramos, crediting his faith for keeping him grounded. A fan also presented him with a hat bearing the image of his late brother Jace, a moment Prescott called deeply meaningful. Through all of it, the Cowboys quarterback has maintained a focused, forward-looking message heading into the season.

Simmons Ejected After Throwing a Punch

Jeffery Simmons did not have a quiet week. The Titans' $100 million defensive tackle was ejected from Tennessee's practice after throwing a punch at offensive tackle JC Latham, making for an early and eventful exit from the session. Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed the incident, noting that boundaries were established — a measured response from a first-year head coach making clear that intensity has limits even in a hard-nosed camp environment.

Simmons didn't disappear after his ejection; he was spotted working separately with a strength coach on the sideline for the remainder of practice. It's not the first time the former Bulldog has been involved in a heated training camp moment, and it likely won't define his season, but it does put an early spotlight on how Saleh's staff manages one of the team's most physically dominant — and occasionally volatile — players.

Sweat Exits Bears Practice Early

Elsewhere around the league, defensive end Montez Sweat left Chicago Bears practice early on Thursday alongside offensive tackle Braxton Jones. The Bears did not immediately provide details on either exit. It's a situation worth monitoring for a Bears defense that has leaned heavily on Sweat's pass-rush production.

Three Bulldogs, three headlines in the same week — not a bad training camp showing for Starkville.