The New Kids Are Alright

STARKVILLE – There's a new staff, a new scheme and plenty of new faces in Starkville this fall. Mississippi State fans have already seen 17 newcomers make their Bulldog debuts with12 first-time starters in 2020. Included in those newcomers are seven true freshmen who have made their presence felt early on.

Against Arkansas, true freshmen combined for 217 yards rushing and receiving, which was 54.3 percent of State's 400 yards of total offense. For the season, freshmen have contributed 24.5 percent of the team's all-purpose yards, which counts rushing and receiving along with kick, punt and interception returns.

With that in mind, it's time to break down the impact freshmen have had so far this season.

Emmanuel Forbes
On the defensive side of the ball, Forbes made one of the most memorable plays of the season so far. With State leading 44-34 in Baton Rouge, the Grenada, Mississippi, native intercepted the final pass of the game to secure the Bulldogs' upset of then-No. 6 LSU.

He's also picked up one tackle against the Tigers and earned the third-highest coverage grade on the team from Pro Football Focus in that game. He was targeted three times and did not allow a catch.

Dillon Johnson
Johnson scored his first career touchdown last week on a 6-yard run. He had a career-high eight receptions for 35 yards and added nine carries after having just one touch in his debut last week.

The Greenville, Mississippi, native was especially impressive out of the backfield after the ball is in his hands, picking up 41 total yards after catch. Yes, you read that right, Johnson had more yards after the catch than total receiving yards. He is third among SEC true freshmen with 43 yards after catch this season.

Johnson has been targeted on 37.0 percent of his routes (10 of 27) per PFF, which is fourth in the SEC among those with a minimum of 10 routes run.

Jo'quavious Marks
Marks had a breakout performance against the Razorbacks last week. He led the team lead with 10 catches for 50 yards and carried a team-leading and career-high 10 times for 37 yards.

That marked the first time a Bulldog had 10+ catches since 2016 and stands as the most catches by a freshman in a single game since at least 2004.

He leads all SEC freshmen with 5.5 receptions per game and is fourth in rushing yards per game. His 44 yards after catch are second among SEC true freshmen.

Jaden Walley
Walley made his first career start against the Razorbacks. He quickly picked up the first catch of his career on State's second drive in that game for a 16-yard gain. He then went on to catch five more passes for an extra 50 yards. He also returned a punt for 20 yards to the Arkansas 30-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Four of his six catches went for first downs, and he avoided four tackles on his way to 22 yards after catch. The D'Iberville, Mississippi, native is tied for fifth among SEC freshmen with 28.0 receiving yards per game.

Lideatrick Griffin, Rodney Groce Jr. and Decamerion Richardson have also made their collegiate debuts this season. Griffin has played in both games. Groce played in the season opener at LSU, and Richardson made his first appearance against Arkansas.

Players Mentioned

Emmanuel Forbes

Lideatrick Griffin

Rodney Groce Jr.

Dillon Johnson

Jo'Quavious Marks

Decamerion Richardson

Jaden Walley

Mississippi State University Athletics