Ross, Wilson equate to top tandem in MSU history
CHARLOTTE – As a freshman, De’Runnya Wilson stepped onto the practice fields at Mississippi State as a basketball player hoping to make it on the gridiron. Fred Ross highlighted the Bulldogs’ 2013 recruiting class by, as a four-star wide receiver, flipping from Oklahoma State to MSU at the last minute.
Injuries limited Ross to nine receptions as a freshman. Wilson’s raw talent led to 26 catches with three touchdowns. Neither was one of the team's top four receivers.
Two years later, now as juniors, the duo will finish among the top 10 receivers all-time for a single season in program history. Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC) plays North Carolina State (7-5, 3-5 ACC) on Wednesday (2:30 p.m. ESPN) in the Belk Bowl.
“I wasn’t surprised. I’ve seen it,” Wilson said. “I’ve visualized it since my freshman year.”
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Ross holds the single season record for receptions in a season with 81. His 933 yards rank second all-time behind Mardye McDole’s 1,035 receiving yards in 1978.
“I kind of expected to be a little further than 933,” Ross said. “I’m just blessed to be able to have done what I’ve done. I just want to go out strong and finish strong.”
Ross wanted to eclipse 1,000 yards during the regular season. Wilson set even loftier expectations, adding 20 touchdowns to the 1,000-yard total as his preseason baseline.
The former Mr. Basketball in Alabama finished the regular season with 822 yards and nine touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 junior holds the No. 2 spots for single-season (tying his total from last year with nine) and career receiving touchdowns (21).
Wilson already ranks eighth on MSU’s list for single season receptions with 55. He needs 23 yards in the Belk Bowl to break into the top 10 in terms of single-season yards.
No teammates in program history have appeared on either list in the same season. Wilson and Ross should appear on both.
“It means a lot,” Wilson said. “I was there last year. It was a great experience. I work hard to be the best each and every day. It’s just a blessing being in the top ten two years in a row.”
The production resulted from switching Ross from the outside to a slot receiver. As freshmen, Ross and Wilson watched Jameon Lewis haul in 64 catches from the slot position. The total ranked second all time in program history.
Last year, Lewis battled through leg injuries the entire season. Ross moved into the vacancy.
“He had Jameon on his toes. I know that. He worked hard,” Wilson said. “He did the little things and that made me a better person since we’re in the same class.”
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The move prevented defenses from cheating toward the deep ball.
If opponents focused on the crossing routes underneath, quarterback Dak Prescott attacked downfield with Wilson. When defenses doubled Wilson, they also freed Ross underneath.
Three FBS opponents held Ross to fewer than five receptions, but Wilson had at least 80 yards and a touchdown in all three of those games. In the five games Wilson was held below 80 yards receiving, Ross gained 475 yards.
“They’re honestly just playmakers,” Prescott said. “One is quick and gets open, runs great routes and the other one is big and just knows how to use his body. He out mans people when the ball is in the air. They made my job a lot easier. They made me look better.”
When Prescott plays his final game on Wednesday, Mississippi State loses its most prolific offensive player in program history. The senior quarterback owns 38 school records, including every passing mark.
There’s a possibility the heir to throne will inherit the best wideout tandem in school history.
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Ross didn’t file paperwork with the NFL to request a draft grade. Wilson said he is in no rush to flee to the NFL. After Saturday’s workout in Charlotte, the junior said he would officially make a decision regarding his future after the Belk Bowl.
Whatever their decision, there’s no debate the duo’s stock is higher than any in the history of the program.
“It just goes to show all the hard work we did in the summer, it shows that we’ve been working hard and it’s been paying off,” Ross said. “We’re both competitors. We both want to win. We just did everything we could in the summer and work at it.”
Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.