Bulldogs in the NFL: Former Mississippi State QB KJ Costello Vying for Spot with Los Angeles Chargers
Mississippi State couldn't have asked for a better debut from quarterback KJ Costello as he passed for 623 yards (a Southeastern Conference single-game record) to help guide the Bulldogs to a 44-34 upset win over the defending national champion LSU Tigers in the 2020 season opener.
Things didn't quite go as planned for Costello after that point, and his time as the MSU starter unfortunately ended after he sustained a concussion against Alabama on Oct. 31.
He entered the 2021 NFL Draft after the conclusion of the season but wasn't selected. It was somewhat surprising to see Costello not signed as an undrafted free agent after the event, but he did get invited to camp by the Los Angeles Chargers in early May.
The Chargers were on the list of teams Costello met with ahead of the draft -- which also included the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
Justin Herbert has already staked his place as one of the NFL's most impressive rising stars as the starting signal-caller for the Chargers, but things have the potential to get interesting behind him.
Costello obviously can be used as an extra arm for camp, but has the potential to make a push to take the backup job from Easton Stick as well.
While at Stanford, Costello 6,151 yards and 49 touchdowns to 18 interceptions in 25 total starts. He posted a 78.8 cumulative grade on dropback passes and an 84.2 true-dropback grade in 2018.
At MSU, Costello threw for 1,238 yards with six touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He saw action in a total of six games with five starts.
If Costello earns a spot on the team, he'll continue his career at the professional level in the same state he played out his high school career in (Santa Margarita Catholic) and began his college career in (Stanford).
He's remained confident despite the odds he's faced and has been putting in the work this offseason to make an impression.
“I battled adversity and I played in the SEC," he said. "Now I’m more interested in surprising folks along the way.”
The Chargers are set to open regular-season completion against the Washington Football Team on Sept. 12.
