A Bulldog Cornerback is Ready to Burst onto the Scene

Kelley Jones has the potential to be a major difference-maker for Mississippi State in 2024.

Kelley Jones / Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Question marks surrounding the Mississippi State defense have been a significant topic of discussion throughout spring and fall practices. There will be many new faces on the defensive staff, and the Bulldogs will rely on many inexperienced defenders who were signed out of high school, an abnormal act in the transfer portal age.

However, despite question marks on every level of the unit, none are as magnified as the secondary, and for good reason. State struggled mightily in the secondary a season ago, routinely getting beat down the field.

New MSU head coach Jeff Lebby brought in an entirely new defensive staff aside from defensive line coach David Turner, and a fresh look may help the Bulldogs. Corey Bell was brought in to coach the cornerbacks, and he has a potential exceptional talent in the room.

Kelley Jones appeared in three games last year in his initial season in Maroon and White, but he passed the eye test. The 6-4 195-pound cornerback is a bit taller than your standard defensive back, but Bell says he can use that to his advantage.

"You don't find a lot of 6-4 corners, so when you have one, it is a unique situation, but he's athletic, he can move and bend, and he is tremendously fast," Bell said. "All those things help him out a lot. Now it's just about cleaning up the little things, and we have talked about that."

Since arriving on campus, Lebby and his staff have emphasized speed, and Jones has stood out in that department as one of the fastest guys on the team. Jones is from the Mississippi Delta, an area that typically does not produce many prospects for one reason or another.

However, the redshirt freshman found his way to Starkville and wanted to take advantage of every situation.

"I am just trying to take advantage of every small opportunity," Jones said. "Being from Clarksdale, Mississippi, not many people get a chance to play junior college… I am just doing everything I can to get better every day."

The fire inside Jones is evident due to his impressive mentality for a youngster playing in the SEC. The former 4-star recruit has taken to his new coach's lessons and has not taken his spot for granted.

Aside from working toward making his way into the starting lineup, he is also working on his off-the-field intangibles.

"Don't take any plays off because your spot can be taken any day," Jones said. "With my aggression and confidence, I try to be the best teammate I can be and push my teammates, and I am looking forward to the success."

Despite his youth, the Clarksdale, Miss native does not lack confidence, which is critical for his position. Cornerback is arguably the toughest position on the field because it is asked to cover the most athletic guys on the field, so naturally, it requires a bit of arrogance to excel at the position like Jalen Ramsey, Deion Sanders, Richard Sherman, etc.

While Jones is still progressing, he has the confidence to excel at the position, which will be helpful. Due to his size, he will likely guard the outside wideouts, which means he will draw the opposing team's best receiver more often than not. However, instead of shying away, Jones sees it as an opportunity.

"I just wanna let them know who I am from the start," Jones said. "From when the ball gets spotted, I walk up and look them in the eyes. Let them know I am here, and let the world know I'm here."

Coaches and players have consistently praised Jones throughout spring and fall practices. Lebby is the latest to comment on the young defensive back and praised his maturity.

"Today he got beat on a couple of bang-bang plays, but what I loved about it was he ended the day with a 60-yard pick-six," Lebby said. "He is just playing the next play… he will be a guy who maximizes his opportunity."