State's Talented Receivers Taking Shape
August 18, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Footballs have been flying at Mississippi State for the past three years in the Air Raid offense.
And although the Bulldogs are expected to be more balanced offensively this fall with new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, the pigskin will continue spinning through the air at Davis Wade Stadium this season as well.
Barbay's playbook features many of the same patterns the wide receivers were already accustomed to running so the change in passing philosophy may not be as drastic as it appears on the surface.
"Football is football," said wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis. "A slant is a slant, and a post is a post. The routes don't change, it's just the terminology. Once you understand concepts, it's not that big of a deal."
MSU brings back three wide receivers that caught 30 or more passes last season in seniors Lideatrick Griffin and Jaden Walley as well as redshirt junior Justin Robinson. The Bulldogs also have a bevy of young talent such as sophomores Zavion Thomas and Jordan Mosley along with some additions from the transfer portal and a nationally ranked recruiting class.
"We're just figuring out who does what well and putting them into a position to do it," Bumphis said. "We've got a lot of different guys who can do some things. I've just got to put them in a position to be successful and find ways to get the right guys on the field."
Griffin is State's top returning receiver, having hauled in 40 balls last fall for 502 yards and four touchdowns to go along with his All-American status as a kick returner. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder is moving inside to the slot this season and the Bulldogs are finding different ways to get the ball in his hands in Barbay's system.
Early on during the spring game back in April, Griffin got the football on a reverse and took it 43 yards for a touchdown.
"He's a guy that you've just got to find ways to put the ball in his hands," Bumphis said. "That's what coach Barbay is really good at, drawing up ways to find those guys that can score at any moment."
Griffin is far from the only playmaker in the receiver's room. In fact, he's not even the only one in his apartment. Thomas, his roommate, is considered by many to be just as dynamic and dangerous with the football in his hands.
During their free time at home, the two talented wideouts can often be found comparing notes and critiquing one another.
"We talk every day about football," Griffin said. "If it isn't about receiver, it's about special teams. We'll pull up film on our phones and put it on the TV and just sit there and talk while we play it in slow motion. We give each other advice and if we don't like something, we'll argue about it. We've just become really close over the last year."
While Griffin and Thomas work together in tandem, they also discipline one another to make sure they are showcasing the best version of themselves out on the football field.
"We just hold ourselves accountable," Thomas said. "I know what 'Tulu' is capable of and he knows what I'm capable of so if I see him slacking, I'm on him. If he sees me slacking or doing something wrong, he gets me right. We just hold ourselves to that standard."
Like Griffin, Thomas also received national recognition for his return abilities. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder was tabbed as a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2022 and ranked fifth overall in the nation, averaging 13.5 yards per punt return. He even ran back a 63-yard return for a score against eventual national champion Georgia during his rookie campaign.
However, Thomas' workload at receiver is expected to increase drastically this season after only touching the ball twice on offense last year. He led all receivers with four catches for 75 yards and a TD during the Bulldogs' spring game.Â
"The sky is the limit for Zavion," said quarterback Will Rogers. "I haven't seen anything like him since I've been here besides maybe 'Tulu'. He and 'Tulu' are very similar when they get the ball in their hands. The biggest thing for Zavion is to keep going. He doesn't need to hit that wall where gets tired. He just needs to keep pushing because he could be the best player on the field every time he steps out there if he wants to."
Another wideout poised for a stellar season is Robinson. The former Georgia transfer closed out his first season in Starkville by being named the Most Valuable Player of the ReliaQuest Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder snagged a career-best seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown that day against Illinois.
"I've definitely always had the confidence," Robinson said. "But the bowl game really just did it for me. I really want this to be a breakout year for me."
Robinson finished the 2022 campaign with 30 catches for 326 yards and three trips to the end zone.
Walley is the wily veteran among the wideouts, having appeared in 37 games and made 25 starts throughout his career. The D'Iberville native was a Freshman All-American selection in 2020 and has hauled in 141 passes for 1,694 yards and 11 TDs during his storied time in Maroon and White.
Walley's career catch total ranks eighth all-time for the Bulldogs and is five shy of Sammy Milner (1968-70) for seventh in MSU's annals. He also ranks 10th all-time in school history in career receiving yards and needs 30 more yards to match Terrell Grindle (1999-2002) for ninth.
"Walley is really, really smart and is a leader in our room," Bumphis said. "He sits in the front of that room and is like a coach on the field. He's made a lot of plays for this program and has the mindset of a pro. He understands film and good practice habits. He does the small things right that the younger guys can watch and see the path they need to take."
The only other wideout Mississippi State has back with experience is Mosley. The 6-foot, 190-pounder saw action in three contests last fall making two catches for 43 yards after transferring in from Northwestern, where he redshirted as freshman season.
This year, the transfer portal provided the Bulldogs with Freddie Roberson (Eastern Washington) and Seydou Traore (Colorado). Roberson, a redshirt senior, is eligible to play immediately while Traore will have to sit out this season after having previously transferred from Arkansas State, where the London native played tight end for two seasons.
Roberson was a two-time All-Big Sky second team selection during his time at Eastern Washington. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder brought with him a boatload of production, having caught 141 passes for 2,266 yards and 17 scores at the FCS level.
Since his arrival last month, Roberson has hit the ground running trying to get acclimated to his new surroundings and also adjust to the increase in the overall talent on this stage.
"The competition level coming from the FCS to the FBS and especially into the SEC, you get to play against some of the top DB's in college football," Roberson said. "That's something I get to do every day in practice and that really pushes me. Those guys are physical, fast and strong just like me but on the opposite side of the ball. I get a kick out of that and get better because of the challenges."
While Roberson and Traore were summer arrivals, two of State's receiver signees got a head start on their careers by enrolling in January and went through spring drills. Jacoby Bellazar joined the Bulldogs after two successful seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College where he led the Bears in receiving both years and earned first team All-MACCC honors.
Creed Whittemore was also able to jump-start his college career and was MSU's highest-rated recruit of the 2023 class. The former high school quarterback was a four-star prospect and ranked as the No. 8 athlete in the nation by 247Sports.com.
Whittemore turned plenty of heads during spring practices and that has carried over into preseason camp. The freshman could be a candidate to have an immediate impact for the Bulldogs this fall. Â
"He carries himself like an upperclassman," Bumphis said. "He's really, really mature and really smart. He comes from a football family so that's been with him for a while. We've just got to keep him hungry. He had a little success in the spring, so we've just got to stay on him and make sure he's still trying to get better every day."
The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder from Gainesville, Florida lived with Rogers over the summer and has already made quite the impression on his starting quarterback.
"Creed's got a different gear that you don't really see out of a lot of slot receivers," Rogers said. "He's twitchy and has a bright future."
In addition to Bellazar and Whittemore, State also signed Nakai Poole out of the Georgia High School ranks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder brings the size and skillset to be a future playmaker for the offense after accumulating 1,696 yards and 22 receiving touchdowns during his prep career at Norcross. Â
Redshirt senior Kade Kolka enters his third season as a walk-on with the program and will help provide depth for the wideouts along with freshman Grant Evans.
With the number of proven wideouts with SEC success coupled with the amount of incoming talent the Bulldogs brought in over the offseason, there is plenty of room for optimism for MSU's receivers.
"Our confidence is sky high because I see how we get out there and compete each and every day," Thomas said. "We're ready."
