STARKVILLE — Kelly Acarai is one of the top receivers available in the transfer portal this offseason, and his numbers show why. At UTEP last season, Akalaii ranked fourth nationally with 21.52 yards per reception.
His explosiveness led to a number of teams joining him, including Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Oregon. However, he was hired by coach Jeff Levy to join the Mississippi State University football team.
Levy's appeal to the offense was simple.
“How much he throws the ball,” Akalaii said. “In my other offenses, I didn't throw the ball a lot. Here, he said he was going to throw the ball. I have great weapons around me. I love it.”
Acquiring receivers was clearly a priority for Levy, who is in his first season as head coach after serving as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator. In addition to Akalai, Mississippi State added Kevin Coleman, a transfer from Louisville.
In the high school sign language class, Levy inherited a commitment from in-state out-of-state JJ Harrell, a four-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. But the core of the class at the position emerged after Levy's hiring, with the signings of Mario Craver, Braylon Burnside, and San Frisco McGee.
With the veterans leading the way in front of a young collection, Levy feels he has a receiver who can fit into his offense.
“We have some guys at the receiver position that have played a fair amount of ball and have had a fair amount of production, maybe not here, but elsewhere,” Levy said. . “I think it definitely helps.”
Is Creed Whitmore the best returning receiver for Mississippi State?
Mississippi State's additions are flashy, but Levy carries over an interesting piece from last season's roster. Creed Whitmore is a four-star prospect in the 2023 class who had 102 receiving yards and 60 rushing yards as part of an underwhelming MSU offense last year.
However, Whitmore showed promising signs as an inside receiver, highlighted by a 33-yard receiving touchdown and a 53-yard rushing score in his college debut against Southeastern Louisiana.
“Changing from my previous coach to Cash Levy was one of the best things that happened to me,” Whitmore said. “Coach Levy was someone I wanted to play with and had hoped would come. I was happy when he got the job. I think it made everyone happier. I think we're happy with this facility.”
Whitmore shares the position with Craver, and the newcomer stands out more than the sophomore.
“He's one of a kind,” Whitmore said. “He made some plays (during practice on March 23rd) that you can't teach. It's just something you either have or you don't have, but he has it. .”
Inside Mississippi State's tight end room
The Bulldogs were underutilized at tight end for three seasons under late coach Mike Leach, but Mississippi State regained the position last season. But it wasn't an effective group under coach Zach Arnette and offensive coordinator Kevin Barbey.
Meanwhile, at OU last season, Austin Stogner led Levy's tight ends with 17 catches for 196 yards.
“The tight ends in this offense are definitely being utilized more,” Seydou Traore said. “Last year, there weren’t that many receptions or targets thrown to tight ends.”
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Levy leaned into the portal to strengthen MSU's position, adding brothers Justin Ball and Cameron Ball. Mississippi State also brought back Traore, who sat out last season after transferring from Colorado State.
“Even though I didn't play last year, I knew I was good enough to play and be on the field,” Traore said. “…I just had to be patient because I know there are bigger plans.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Clarion Ledger's Mississippi beat writer. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X Platform, formerly known as Twitter. @skrajisnik3.
