With the upcoming football season less than two weeks away, the competition for quarterback has thinned out, while another well-known prospect has come aboard with an eye toward the future.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Elijah Staley announced his decision to transfer to Tyler Junior College last Friday, trimming the assumed four-man race for quarterback down to a trio. Staley took to twitter to announce his decision.
“I would like to thank the bulldog fans, community, and coaching staff for this opportunity the past two years,” Staley tweeted. “I look forward to continuing my football career at another school.”
The 6’6” quarterback from Marietta, GA saw action in two games last season, completing three of his five pass attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 18 yards on three carries.
Dan Mullen released an official statement on Elijah’s decision, wishing the former Bulldog future success.
“During his time here, he has always been a hard worker and a great teammate,” Mullen said. “We wish him nothing but the best as he pursues another opportunity.
With Staley out of the picture, Wyatt Roberts, a former EMCC quarterback joined the team last week as a walk-on.
Roberts had an offer to join the team as a preferred walk-on coming out of high school, but chose to play for the perennial junior college. He put together a productive season for the Lions last Fall, amassing 2,197 yards with 23 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
The Louisville standout had just finished his first game as a student assistant coach at Starkville High the night before he received a call from the coaching staff.. Wyatt’s father, Steve Roberts, said his son plans to make the most of his opportunity.
“He’s overly excited about the opportunity,” Roberts said of Wyatt. “He always wanted to play with Mississippi State. It’s kind of a dream and I don’t know if it’s settled in with him yet.”
While it is unclear whether Robert’s addition to the current crop of quarterbacks has any impact on this year’s roster, it is still an opportuntiy for an athlete to prolong his football career and keep the dream alive.
