STARKVILLE — Time seemed to freeze inside the Palmeiro Center as wide receiver Rufus Harvey found himself sandwiched awkwardly between two defenders on a catch over the middle.
But Harvey got up unharmed, spun the football on the turf and walked away.
Not much could faze the Starkville High product on Saturday, not even a lightning strike in the area that ended the public portion of the Bulldogs’ second and final preseason scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium and sent the team inside.
Harvey had two touchdown catches in the outdoor part of practice and picked up where he left off indoors, recording another breakout day of camp that could catapult him into serious playing time for the Bulldogs.
“He’s a super talented player,” wide receiver Austin Williams said. “He’s definitely going to help us out this year.”
Harvey has been one of Mississippi State’s most impressive wideouts throughout the preseason, flashing his skill set in two-plus weeks of training camp.
It could turn him from a little-used option at inside receiver to a dependable target for quarterback Will Rogers.
Harvey redshirted as a freshman in 2020 and caught just five passes — including a touchdown at Vanderbilt — last season. He owns just 39 career receiving yards as a Bulldog.
But Williams said Harvey approached his slow path to playing time the right way, putting his head down and working in the offseason rather than complaining — or transferring.
“There’s different paths,” Williams said. “Some people jump in their freshman year; some come a little later. His path led him a little later, but I think his time’s going to come this year, and he’s definitely going to be ready for it.”
On Saturday, Harvey got wide open for a 29-yard touchdown pass from Sawyer Robertson. Robertson found him again for a 5-yard score, and Harvey nearly had a third touchdown but was brought down at the 1-yard line after catching a pass from Rogers.
Head coach Mike Leach certainly took notice of the redshirt sophomore’s outing.
“Rufus played well,” Leach said. “Rufus plays the ball in the air better than probably any receiver we have. He comes out of his cuts quickly, and he plays the ball in the air well.”
That could lead to a significant increase in snaps for Harvey as the Bulldogs assemble their depth chart for their Sept. 3 season opener against Memphis. Williams and Christian Ford will compete with Harvey at the H (inside) receiver position, although Harvey can play just about anywhere.
Williams said Harvey also lined up at the other inside spot Saturday and has been put on the outside as well.
“He’s a really smart football player,” Williams said. “He’s played all four positions on the field before.”
Harvey’s positional versatility can make him an asset for Mississippi State. So can his talent, and he flashed it in bunches Saturday.
That means that when the Bulldogs take the field, their hometown receiver has a good chance of being on it.
“We’ve wanted to play him for a while, and he does good things on the practice field,” Leach said. “I think that if we were to play today, he’d play a lot.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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