STARKVILLE — In a wide receivers room headlined by dynamic transfers Kevin Coleman and Kelly Akharaiyi and four-star freshmen Mario Craver, Braylon Burnside and JJ Harrell, it’s easy to forget that Jordan Mosley was once as highly-touted as any of them.
But Mosley’s Mississippi State teammates talked about him as a potential impact playmaker throughout fall camp, and the redshirt junior wasted no time proving them right last Saturday. Mosley hauled in quarterback Blake Shapen’s first completion against Eastern Kentucky for a 10-yard gain, then torched Colonels cornerback Vito Tisdale on the very next play for a 65-yard touchdown.
“I’ve always known that Jordan is special,” Shapen said. “He can stretch the field. He’s very athletic, he’s strong, and I’ve already known all those things. Seeing the work that he’s put in over camp and spring ball has been fun to watch, and I’m glad he got to go out there and show some things.”
Mosley had an extensive list of scholarship offers coming out of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama, where he was named a Sports Illustrated All-American and was also a star sprinter on the track team. As a senior, Mosley finished with 34 receptions for 655 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was a four-star recruit according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which pegged him as the ninth-best player in his class from Alabama.
Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M all offered him, as did Penn State, Oregon, Virginia Tech and more. But Mosley committed to Northwestern in January 2021, becoming the highest-ranked wide receiver commit in Wildcats history.
Northwestern’s offense in 2021, though, scored just 16.6 points per game under offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, worst in the Big Ten. Mosley played in only three games to keep his redshirt status intact and made just one catch in a Wildcats uniform, a seven-yard reception against Michigan. He entered the transfer portal the following January, committing to MSU within a day.
“I’m just blessed to be in this position,” Mosley said Saturday. “I thank my teammates and everybody (for) putting trust in me to go out there and make plays.”
In his first year in Starkville with then-head coach Mike Leach calling the offensive plays, Mosley again made just three appearances, debuting for the Bulldogs in late September against Bowling Green. Both of his receptions that season came against Arkansas, totaling 43 yards.
He actually started the 2023 season opener against Southeastern Louisiana and played in every game last year, but again his production was limited — his first collegiate touchdown in early October against Western Michigan was his last catch of the season.
Mosley is now playing for his third head coach and in his third offensive scheme in as many years at MSU, but Jeff Lebby’s offense is easily the best fit for him. It allows the Bulldogs to stretch the field with much greater ease than they did under Leach or Kevin Barbay, and with Mosley’s speed and feel for the game, Lebby knew he could be a dangerous downfield threat.
“I saw exactly what I thought I would see,” Lebby said. “I’ve got incredible confidence in that guy. To me, he’s a guy who’s got a chance to have a really good year. He is a pro every single day the way he goes about his business. It’s going to give him an opportunity to be a really good player. I’m excited for him to be able to go get some production.”
Entering Saturday, Mosley had 95 receiving yards over his first three college seasons. He led MSU with 104 yards and caught all five balls Shapen threw his way against EKU, with 45 of those yards coming after the catch.
Mosley and Coleman finished with five catches each, with the Louisville transfer also hauling in his first touchdown in the maroon and white. No other Bulldog had more than one reception.
“Jordan Mosley (is) a great player, a great guy on and off the field,” Coleman said. “He’s a guy who works day in and day out. Every single day he’s bringing it. There’s not a day he comes here and plays around. He’s a pro in every category. He’s a leader for the young guys, a leader for me. We’re brothers.”
Mosley more than justified the praise heaped upon him over the summer — wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis said he has embraced his leadership role as one of the veterans in his position group and quickly developed a close friendship with Burnside. Before the start of fall camp, he would even sometimes run routes with the quarterbacks on the team’s off days.
“It means a lot. Everything I’ve been through, a lot of injuries, a lot of adversity I’ve had to deal with, just to come out here and put it all on tape, put it on display,” Mosley said. “It felt great. Felt like the hard work really paid off.”
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