When the Mississippi State football team enters Davis Wade Stadium this fall for the opening game of the 2012 season, the Bulldogs will have some key differences on the offensive side of the ball compared to the 2011 campaign. With quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard both graduated and pursuing football options at the next level, MSU will likely look to throw the ball more during the 2012 season than any other season during the tenure of head coach Dan Mullen.
One player who has not yet seen playing time for the Bulldogs and is poised to make an impact in the fall is Joe Morrow, a redshirt freshman wide receiver from Ocean Springs. Morrow, a player who has received a strong amount of praise by fellow teammates and coaches throughout the beginning of this year’s spring practice, is a physical, prototypical skill player who will undoubtedly add a new fold to the MSU offense for the next four seasons. At 6’4 and 205 pounds, Morrow nearly saw playing time as a true freshman at State. Now with a year of practice under his belt, Morrow said he was thankful he was given time to learn and mature as a college football player.
“(Redshirting last season) really helped me learn the speed of the game,” Morrow said. “I was also able to get in the weight room and get stronger during last season.”
The talented freshman also said being able to be with the team during games was a valuable experience in his maturing process as an SEC football player.
“Being on the sidelines during games was really fun,” Morrow said. “Just being around my teammates on game day and during games was really helpful.”
With his first week of spring practice in the books, Morrow is quickly making his presence known amongst his teammates. One MSU veteran who has witnessed Morrow’s progress is Corey Broomfield, a defensive back who said Morrow is among a group of young wide receivers who have greatly improved since last season.
“They have all gotten a lot better and are making the defensive backs work this spring,” Broomfield said.
With Morrow’s size and speed, MSU will finally have a tall receiving threat that can also run deep, vertical routes. During the 2011 season, the tallest receiver who saw substantial playing time for MSU was Chris Smith, who stood at 6’2. With the mismatches the redshirt freshman presents, opposing defenses will have increased problems focusing on just one Bulldog receiver, which will make life easier for quarterback Tyler Russell, who is projected to be the starter for the 2012 season.
Along with the talent he brings to the MSU passing game, Morrow’s added presence will also increase the consistency of a passing game that was shaky for long stretches of the 2011 season. The Bulldogs have not surpassed 300 yards passing in a single game since MSU’s 59-14 victory over the Memphis Tigers in the first game last season.
“I feel like I know the offense really well,” Morrow said. “I just want to do whatever I can to help this team win.”
In the Southeastern Conference, there is no such thing as having too much depth, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Since Morrow must produce to see playing time in the 2012 season, having young players with the necessary knowledge and talent to compete at the SEC level is crucial in building a team of contention. This is felt from the coaching staff all the way to the players, like offensive lineman Gabe Jackson, who said teaching younger players, such as Morrow, is the responsibility of the veteran players on the team.
“Being able to rotate several players in is very important,” Jackson said. “It takes some of the pressure off of the older guys, and it keeps everyone fresh.”
As Morrow continues to learn and mature, anxiety surrounding the potential of the redshirt freshman wide receiver continues to grow within the MSU football program. While Morrow said remaining humble is important to him, he also said he does not see a ceiling to his potential at MSU.
“My motto has always been ‘the sky is the limit,'” Morrow said. “If I keep working hard and stay hungry, I think that someday, I’ll be the player that I want to be.”