Mike Leach evaluates three-horse race at WR, how Rara Thomas and Justin Robinson fit in

As Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach continues to work develop his young receiver talent and get his transfer receiver talent up to speed on his air raid offensive system, he gave a fall camp update on the starting receiver position after the team’s first scrimmage yesterday.

“He’s [Rara Thomas] gotta get consistent Right now I see a three-horse race over there at that position. I don’t have one ahead of the next, over there we have Toolen [Jordan Mosley], Rara, and Justin Robinson and I don’t know if there’s a difference between them. At some point, they’ve got to separate themselves, and the guy that separates himself will play the most,” Leach said.

Thomas is coming off of a promising freshman season where he ended the year with 18 receptions and five touchdowns (tied for third-most on the team). The Bulldogs also added two transfer receivers in Mosley and Robinson, and Leach elaborated more on Robinson’s development from spring practice to now.

“I thought he took a step today, I thought he improved. When he plays hard he’s a tough player, I think that he’s just kind of got to refine his technique, but he is starting to make some improvements and things like that,” Leach said.

Robinson didn’t see the field much at his previous school Georgia, but brings a ton of size and potential out wide for the Bulldogs standing at 6-foot-4 and 22 pounds. Mosley has a similar story as he transfers in from Northwestern with minimal playing time, but both are looking to make their presence felt and be featured pieces in this year’s air raid attack. And between them and Thomas, someone surely will need to, as the Bulldogs are looking to replace the production of their top receiver Makai Polk, who grabbed an SEC-leading 105 receptions last season and is now on the Baltimore Ravens.

Mike Leach identifies which position group is in serious need of developing toughness

Aside from quarterback, there may not be a position more important in Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach‘s air raid offense than the receiver position. But after the Bulldog’s first scrimmage of fall camp, Leach wanted to see more out of his wide receiver group in regards to physicality and toughness.

“I think we’re getting better, I think we’ve got to get tougher at receiver. I think those receivers spend a certain amount of time being awfully willing to get shoved around, but just overall we just have to have overall improvement, and then we’re still developing depth in the o-line,” Leach said.

This is a good sign for the Mississippi State defense, but not necessarily for the offense. Especially one that’s as reliant on their receivers as the Bulldogs are, as they lead the SEC in total passing yards and passing yards per game last season.

“Yeah we’re better in the secondary and we just have to answer the challenge of receiver. We make too many judgements on when the ball is going to come to us and I think as a team we do it some, but I think the receivers do it even more and we just have to be tougher people. And we’ve got a weird mix, we’ve got old guys and real young and we need to develop some of those guys that are kind of the middle experience guys,” Leach said.