STARKVILLE — Four words blare over the PA system late in Sunday’s Mississippi State football practice at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
“Brodie having a day!” the disembodied voice crows.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Brodie King, who just minutes prior caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Will Rogers during the team portion of the Bulldogs’ third practice of the fall, is being praised once again for another nice catch. A few plays later, redshirt freshman Rufus Harvey III makes a big play and gets a corresponding shoutout over the loudspeaker.
Once again Sunday, Mississippi State’s inside receivers were making their names known.
It’s become a pattern over the team’s first few practices as the group of wideouts continues to improve with under four weeks to go before the Bulldogs’ Sept. 4 season opener against Louisiana Tech.
“I’ve got a nice little room,” inside receivers coach Dave Nichol said after Sunday’s workout.
And Ford and Harvey are far from the biggest names in it. Those would be sophomore Jaden Walley, he of the record-setting freshman season in 2020, and redshirt senior Austin Williams.
Walley said Saturday he feels considerably more comfortable after a full spring slate, and Williams said Sunday he and his teammates have “a better understanding” of their role in the offense.
“Everybody’s kind of moving a little faster, more efficiently,” Williams said. “We know our spots, where we need to be. It’s kind of the big picture. It’s coming together for everybody.”
That goes beyond just throwing and catching, according to Nichol. His players have progressed beyond the basics to more advanced concepts: How can they best work to get open? Where is their split along the line of scrimmage? What defensive coverage are they facing?
“Now we can start talking about that as opposed to just, ‘Hey, you have a dig; hey, you have a slant’ and just hope that they run that,” Nichol said. “It’s been pretty fun so far, as far as that’s concerned.”
And Mississippi State has put together considerable talent at the position to help Nichol, previously on Mike Leach’s staff for four seasons at Washington State, ease the transition into the Air Raid offense.
That includes a player who helped run it: transfer wideout Jamire Calvin, who has played both inside and outside receiver. Nichol said Calvin has helped instruct the Bulldogs’ young quarterbacks as well as his fellow pass-catchers.
“He knows the offense in and out,” Walley said. “I think that’s going to help us out a lot.”
Williams said he has a better feel for the Air Raid, praising its emphasis on the passing game to the tune of 40 to 50 (and sometimes more) attempts per game. He said he can see similar improvement from Harvey and sophomore Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin, both of whom impressed in practice Sunday.
“They’re proving it out here,” Williams said of the pair. “They’re doing well, running hard, making some plays.”
Nichol said his inside receiver room features many players with similar size, speed, and ability. Typically, consistency serves as a separator, and King and redshirt junior Christian Ford have impressed thus far in what Nichol called a “nice little competition.”
Freshman Teddy Knox, a late addition to the roster, has come on strong as well. His early success is a good sign for Nichol and a Bulldogs coaching staff perpetually worried about misevaluating players in recruiting, particularly with travel and scouting limited by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He’s explosive, he’s fast, wants to learn, lot of energy, fun to be around, and it seems like he loves football,” Nichol said of Knox. “Three days in, I’m happy with that.”
It’s almost as much as Nichol can ask for at a position that requires many talents. The coach said inside receivers are “the engine of the offense” — before proceeding to say that designation is probably best for the offensive line.
“We’ve got to get dirty on the inside but still play deep routes, too, like we’re an outside receiver, so we kind of do a little bit of everything,” Nichol said.
That includes blocking, where Nichol’s group still has strides to make. He said Sunday his group is “nowhere near where we need to be” in that area, a fundamental aspect of their duty on offense.
But that’s what time is for, and the Bulldogs have plenty. For now, Nichol and his players will hope to build on a strong first weekend from top to bottom in the inside receivers’ room.
“I’m happy with the little bit of depth we’ve got,” Nichol said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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