Mississippi State football's wide receivers will be explosive in 2024

The 2024 Mississippi State football season kicks-off August 31 against FCS Eastern Kentucky, less then two weeks away. It will be the start of Jeff Lebby's tenure in Starkville and the first real look at his high-flying offense. Lebby's offense is very friendly to wide receivers, giving them plenty of opportunities to haul in long touchdown catches. And the Bulldog wideouts seem poised to do just that.

Here's a look at Mississippi State football's wide receiver corps heading into the season...

Who makes up Mississippi State's wide receiver room?

State searched heavily in the transfer portal for WR talent, and their search seems to have paid off. UTEP-transfer Kelly Akharaiyi looks to be the top target after recording 1,000 yards for the Miners last year at over 21.5 yards per catch. Louisville-transfer Kevin Coleman is incredibly dangerous in space, and Trent Hudson caught 10 TDs for New Mexico State in 2023. Freshmen Mario Craver and Braylon Burnside will see the field early while veterans Jordan Mosely and Creed Whittemore are battling for starting roles.

Reasons for optimism in Mississippi State's wide receivers

This is an incredibly deep and talented group. Akharaiyi and Coleman are particularly great fits for Lebby's offense in that they're built to generate explosive plays. There's a variety of skillsets to create a well-rounded WR corps, and the least experienced players are arguably the most talented. State will be able to confidently rotate WRs this fall.

Reasons for concern with Mississippi State's wide receivers

Despite all the talent and potential, MSU's WRs aren't overly proven at this level. Akharaiyi and Hudson are C-USA transfers, Coleman hails from the ACC, Mosely and Whittemore have played sparingly, and the rest of the anticipated contributors are true freshmen. In fact, the most proven SEC WR is Jaden Walley, but he seems to have shuffled down the depth chart. I'm very confident in this group, but they do have to show their talent against SEC competition.