STARKVILLE – Dan Mullen kind of misses the days when freshmen would report earlier than all other the players for preseason camp, and then go through a couple of practices on their own.

“These guys step on the field with our older guys that know the program, know what the drills are, and they can get lost pretty quick,” Mullen said.

There is a flip side to the situation, with more freshmen enrolling in the summer – and in some cases, January – and getting to know new teammates and a new playbook without the coaches’ direct supervision.

Of MSU’s 26 signees this year, 23 of them reported for preseason camp on Monday – as did a handful of walk-ons – and shouldn’t be too lost when practices begin today. Nevertheless, Mullen is taking measures to ensure his freshmen get the proper attention this week.

Today’s first session starts at 9 a.m., with the newcomers grouped with seniors and other veterans. The rest of the team will practice at 4 p.m.

“And a lot of the reason we do that is so that the freshmen get individual attention; they’re not out there and running with the third string and all that, or fourth string, and getting lost by the wayside,” Mullen said. “But they also get to be with the older guys, so the older guys are teaching them how to practice.”

Those freshmen, along with the veterans, have been working all summer under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis. Now Mullen gets to see where the new guys stand.

“It’s always tough to have a high expectation level for them,” Mullen said. “The benefit of them being here in the summer is physically they’re going to be in condition to help us. Then it’s all going to be all on the learning curve, how fast they can pick things up and make that impact.”

The Bulldogs will have 29 practices between now and the Sept. 4 opener against Memphis.

The first five practices will be open to the public – two today, one Thursday, two Friday – and then will be closed.

Mullen isn’t worried so much about seeing improvement from the end of spring - the Maroon/White Game was played April 17 – as he is about retention.

“If we step foot on the field and pick up right where we left off, I’ll feel really good about things,” he said. “That’ll mean our guys put in the extra time this summer.

“If we’re having to go back and teach a lot of things that we taught in the spring over again in the fall, you’re just wasting time and losing time, and time’s valuable with it being only 29 practices before we play.”

Contact Brad Locke at 678-1571 or brad.locke@djournal.com