Zach Arnett anticipates Zavion Thomas back in Week 2

Mississippi State fans can expect to see a familiar face return to the gridiron on Saturday. On Monday, Bulldogs head coach Zach Arnett provided an update on wide receiver Zavion Thomas.

“We anticipate him [to be back],” Arnett said. “Zavion probably could have went even last week some but, obviously, if something unfortunate happened in the game, then you lose him for one or two games afterward. So, we wanted to see if we weather the storm without him. But, yeah, we expect him to be back.”

Thomas missed MSU’s 48-7 win over Southeastern Louisiana in Week 1 after suffering an ankle injury in fall camp. In his freshman campaign, Thomas recorded just two catches for four years. Despite limited playing time at WR, Thomas found success in other areas on the field.

In 2022, the Louisiana native boasted the second-most yards per punt return in the SEC. His impressive return resumé was highlighted by a 63-yard return for a touchdown against Georgia. Thomas seemingly won’t be limited to a special teams role this season.

The 5-foot-11 wideout was listed as a starting wide receiver on Monday. Thomas’ first game in 2023 won’t be an easy one. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will square off against Arizona. Although most experts expect MSU to squeeze out a win, the team will be forced to fight for every point.

Zach Arnett turning Mississippi State in new direction

Arnett isn’t oblivious to this harsh reality.

“We’ve got a long way to go and it gets tougher,” Arnett said after MSU’s Week 1 victory. “We can get complacent and think we’ve done something special or we can be truthful with ourselves. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. I’m happy for them. We put them through a physical camp. We challenged them. This is just the beginning.”

The beginning looked bright. MSU exploded for 525 total yards against Southeastern Louisiana while committing zero turnovers. The Bulldogs’ defense was equally impressive, giving up just 10 first downs the entire game. While many pointed to Arnett after MSU’s blowout win, Arnett remained humble.

“I’d rather talk about my players. They are the ones that did everything,” Arnett said. “Players prepare, players make plays. Coaches might make some good calls, but plenty of bad calls. It’s a player-first program. They bleed maroon and white and they want to play in front of this crowd. I’m glad they go out there and get celebrated.”

MSU will take on Arizona 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.