Band of Brothers: Mississippi State Wide Receivers are a Closely Knit Group
In a press conference held Tuesday evening, Austin Williams spoke of the closeness between Mississippi State's corps of wide receivers.
"I mean, we're all brothers. Honestly, on and off the field. We all want everybody to be successful," Williams said.
The Air Raid offense relies on using a multitude of wide receivers to be run effectively. These receivers will often be rotated in and out, and no fewer than eight will see action in any given game.
Williams's quote speaks volumes about his own group of wide receivers. They celebrate each other's accomplishments, and the older, more experienced receivers help the rookies. In an offense that uses so many receivers, it is important to have unity among the players.
This season, the team's standout receivers have been Makai Polk, Jaden Walley and Williams himself. All three have played in every game this season. Polk is easily the team's leading receiver. His 58 receptions are nearly double the amount that anyone else has, and he has 552 yards and six touchdowns as well. Walley has 338 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 30 catches, and he leads the team in average yards per reception with 11.27.
Williams is the oldest and most consistent player of the three. He has totaled 29 receptions for 296 yards, and he added his first touchdown of the season against LSU.
The more experienced wide receivers have also shown pride in the accomplishments of the ones who do not get as much playing time. In Saturday's game against Vanderbilt, redshirt freshman Rufus Harvey and true freshman Rara Thomas both had their first touchdowns of the season. Their teammates gathered around each of them to help the two newcomers celebrate their big accomplishments. Williams seemed proud as he described this support system.
"You know, there's nobody selfish in the group," Williams said. "Everyone's promoting other people."
The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday night against Kentucky in Davis Wade Stadium. The end result is up in the air, but one thing is quite clear: MSU's wide receivers will continue to work well together and provide support for each other throughout the game.
