WATCH: Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones seizing opportunity this spring
Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones got his feet wet in the 2023 season with limited reps on defense and special teams. With a wide-open depth chart this spring, the redshirt freshman sees a lot of opportunity and reps to be taken.
This spring Jones has taken that opportunity and ran with it. He has worked first-team cornerback and has taken advantage of more reps this spring. This past weekend Jones discussed his situation and shared his thoughts with the media concerning spring practice and his opportunities?
Q: What’s it been like getting used to all the new faces at cornerback?
Jones: It’s been a dream come true and this is something I always dreamed about as a kid. Being in the shoes that someone was before and looking up to them to see how everything goes and just maintaining. I am thankful for my coaches and my head coach for believing in me so y’all can see me putting in the work and being able to maintain my position. I am looking forward to it and I am grateful.
Q: How’s it been for all of the cornerbacks to have that opportunity with the team needing two new starting corners?
Jones: It’s really a blessing. You can wake up and have something to look forward to every day and thanking God you have the opportunity because everybody doesn’t get that opportunity. Everybody is working and competing to get each other better. We lift each other up because we know what we are going through. It’s just fun to see everybody working and striving to be the best they can be.
Q: What’s your thoughts on the Mississippi State receivers’ room?
Jones: I feel like they are one of the best in the nation and I feel like they are under the radar. Of course, our record last year but you can’t gameplan for them. They work and you don’t know what they are fixing to do. So that makes me better as a cornerback. I just try to work my technique, trust my coaches and do what I have to do to get to the next level.
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Q: Which receivers give you the most problems?
Jones: I scrap them all but I would say JRob (Justin Robinson), JoMo (Jordan Mosley). They are tough, real tough, and Kelly (Akharaiyi), too. They give you so much that you got to work on your technique and what you do because there is no guessing with them with what they are fixing to do.
Q: What are the differences between cornerbacks coach Corey Bell and the coach you had last year with Coach (Darcel) McBath?
Jones: They’re both great coaches. The thing about Coach Bell, Coach Bell is very technical, real firm on technique so you can be the best that you can be. He likes all of his guys to be aggressive, very tough. Coach Bell is a great coach. I like him and he makes me wake up with something to look forward to every day. He likes toughness and that’s what I grew up on.
Q: Your thoughts on the quarterbacks?
Jones: Blake Shapen throws dots, he throws dots. You can’t misjudge the ball. I misjudged one today but I’m gonna pick it next time. But he throws straight dots. You look at what he’s fixing to do and he looks you off and throws you off your pedal. Chris Parson, too, and Chris is tough, too. They are tough, for sure.
