100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 6 Days - No. 6, WR Jordan Mosley and CB Traveon Wright
Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.
The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.
While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.
Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.
Today, we look at two players on each side that are under the radar but potential impact players.
100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 6 Days
No. 6, Jr. WR Jordan Mosley
Expectations have been high for Mosley for many years and this season is a chance for him to live up to them with the Bulldogs.
Even in high school, evaluators felt like Mosley was a potential star. The Mobile, Ala., native played for McGill Toolen and was a four-star prospect who as the No. 9 player in the state of Alabama and the No. 50 wide receiver in the country.
Mosley had offers from Texas A&M, South Carolina, Tennessee, Penn State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas and others and he would commit to the Volunteers early in his recruiting process. After being committed to UT for a year and a half, Mosley would switch things up right before the second signing period and he signed with Northwestern.
Mosley had 34 catches for 655 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior year of high school and brought some good speed to the Big 10. Despite that, he would redshirt after playing three games and then hit the transfer portal. The chance to come back closer to home and play for State appealed to him and he would land in Starkville.
Playing for Leach in 2022, Mosley caught two passes for 43 yards in three games. The new offense in 2023 was frustrating for everyone, but it was especially frustrating for Mosley as he had just three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.
The lack of production came after he was a potential breakout candidate coming into last year and he has that same tag again this year. The odds of Mosley being far more productive this year than the first two seasons combined are very high, but he still has to prove it in 2024.
No. 6, RFr. CB Traveon Wright
When Matt Barnes was brought on to the Bulldog staff to be co-defensive coordinator, one of the first calls he made to come join him was Wright.
The Memphis corner had entered the transfer portal after redshirting last season for the Tigers. That drew some criticism from people following the maroon and white, but Wright has been one of the standouts at his position in fall training camp.
The 6’0, 180-pounder is in position to start for State in a cornerback room that is incredibly inexperienced. One of the things that stands out about Wright is that he is one of the fastest players on the team and has been seeing it come together for him in practice.
Wright played his high school ball for Perry High School in Georgia. He played defensive back and wide receiver for Perry and he had 22 catches for 437 yards with six touchdowns as a senior while making 27 tackles and an interception on the defensive side.
He didn’t have many suitors during his recruitment as he pulled in offers from Air Force and Northern Illinois to go along with Memphis. He also was ranked just 203 in the state of Georgia and was the nation’s No. 178 corner.
Wright is working to prove the evaluations wrong and has certainly been pulling his weight in the offseason. Time will tell if he outplays his projections.
