Back in 2021, a story surfaced about Dak Prescott’s failed pitch to land Jalen Hurts at Mississippi State. Hurts, who was being recruited by then-Bulldogs quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, visited Starkville in 2015 and stayed with Prescott during the trip. The Eagles QB later admitted the Cowboys signal-caller gave it a solid try. “Dak Prescott tried to recruit me to Miss State but wasn’t too successful,” Hurts said. “I knew I was going to Alabama.”

It was a near-miss that could’ve rewritten college football storylines… And perhaps delayed a future NFC East rivalry. Hurts and Johnson had known each other since they were four, and despite Prescott’s full-host efforts, the Texas native stuck to his Alabama commitment. Still, the anecdote showed a glimpse into Prescott’s leadership and how much sway he held in Starkville. Turns out, it wasn’t just about getting recruits. Sometimes, he was saving teammates from getting completely buried.

On the Flag on the Play podcast in 2025, Steelers CB Darius Slay revealed how Prescott once literally lightened the load during a harsh punishment. Yeah, when he was a young defensive back at Mississippi State. “So I skipped a couple reps in the weight room, and they had cameras in there, and I didn’t know,” Slay said. “They had me in front of the team on a little jumbotron skipping reps.”

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State’s head coach at the time, was not very pleased with that. “Mullen got mad and was like, ‘Slay, you wanna skip these reps? We gonna put your ass in front of Georgia Southern with all the smaller crowds and s— like that.’” The real punishment? Hauling a 240-pound Dak Prescott up a hill ten times. “At this time, see, y’all got the slim Dak, this Dak back in college about two-oh, they swole. Like he gonna be a damn converted tight end, you know?”

The task was brutal. Teammates were furious. Slay pushed back. “Everybody mad at me, hot snapping: ‘Slay, man, I said, ‘Y’all fight about it then!’ I’ll fight everybody. I’m just the one that got caught! Everybody skip reps!” But Prescott stepped in. “Thankfully—that Dak was my dog, man, so he kind of like, sometimes jump down and like, ‘Hey Slay, run down there a little bit and I’ll catch up,’ because they weren’t always just watching me.”

That day stuck with Slay. Prescott, already a team leader, didn’t just carry the Bulldogs’ offense. But he helped carry his teammates through the grind, even when they messed up. Slay, now in Pittsburgh, hasn’t forgotten that loyalty. “Dak looked out for me that night, that day.” So, considering he’s in Steel City, maybe he wouldn’t mind that much about Dak’s plans on dethroning the Eagles.

Dak Prescott’s got very high ambitions for the 2025 season

Dak Prescott is back with receipts. And if you think the Cowboys’ 7-10 mess last year knocked any swagger out of him, think again. After watching the Eagles win the whole thing in February, Prescott made it very clear: Dallas isn’t far behind.

“I feel like we compete with the Eagles. We beat them, for the most part, when we played them,” he said. Then, the kicker: “It’s our turn, and it’s on us.” You feel that? That’s confidence, not denial. Prescott’s looking at the film, not the trophy shelf.

Now, before you roll your eyes, remember this: he wasn’t even playing when Philly cooked Dallas 75-13 across two games last season. Prescott last suited up in Week 8 before hamstring surgery ended his season. That final game? A 38-3 meltdown against the Rams. Since then, he has taken rest, reflected, and now, he’s ready for a re-run.

First year of that $240 million contract. First year under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. And, first time in a long time, the leash feels… real short. But hold up—Prescott’s return isn’t a magic eraser for everything else going sideways. Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, Jourdan Lewis, and DeMarcus Lawrence are all out. Zack Martin‘s retired. And Micah Parsons? The man’s playing like a Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s also due for a monster extension.

Look at the other camp. Philly’s got Hurts as their SB MVP. So, the Cowboys must make sure to suit the best possible way ahead of the primetime Week 1 rematch against the Super Bowl champs in enemy territory. September 4, Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles will be raising their banner. And Dak? He’ll be trying to spoil the party before the first quarter ends. So yeah, Prescott says Dallas is close. Are you buying that? We’ll find out on opening night.