DL Jaden Crumedy Speaks At 2023 SEC Media Days, Excited For Final Run With The Bulldogs

Mississippi State defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy, along with teammates Will Rogers and Jo’Quavious Marks, attended SEC Media Days over the week with head coach Zach Arnett to talk about the upcoming season -- something all reflected optimism about.

Crumedy, a sixth-year senior, had a tough outing last season, missing the first nine games with a wrist injury that he sustained in the preseason. Heading into 2023, he hopes that his last year with the Bulldogs will be his best.

“I just wanted to get myself back healthy. Me and my wife and my mother came to the conclusion that it was time for me to come back and do better than I did last year,” Crumedy said. “I felt like I was doing well when I came back (from injury) so I just want to keep going off of that and bring it to this season.”

While sitting out with the injury, Crumedy took the time to watch film on himself in order evaluate his game and get better when he came back onto the field.

“It was tough not being able to be out there with my guys. I just kept them up making sure that they knew what to do and never had their head down. Once I got back, everybody was seeing a different energy on defense. We went out there and finished the season,” Crumedy said.

“A lot of people do look at me as a person that does bring more energy. It just makes me feel good about myself so I’m going to continue to do that.”

When Crumedy finally returned, he made an immediate impact on the defense, recording 11 tackles across four games with 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. The team would end up going 3-1 in the four games he played.

“Oh, obviously that was a huge loss to us last year, him having to miss the first eight games coming off that injury," head coach Zach Arnett said about Crumedy. "To get him back the last four, we were a different defense the last four games." 

"He’s a difference maker for us. He’s one of the best defensive tackles in college football. So to have him back for another year is huge for our defense.”

Since the end of 2022, Crumedy has been hard at work preparing for one last ride with the Bulldogs, with Arnett continuing the hard-nose culture of the football program in his first full season as head coach.

“He’s been hard on us with our conditioning making sure we’re tired. He’s been a great coach and a great leader and makes sure that everybody stays on track. I feel like we’re doing great,” Crumedy said. “We block out the noise and keep going forward.”