Mississippi State WR Jaden Walley, RB Jo'quavious Marks, and WR Austin Williams addressed the media on Monday.

To Jaden Walley:

Question: Why did you cut your hair?

Walley: I just got bored with life - *laughs* - something new.

Question: What's your focus coming into training camp?

Walley: I just want to be more consistent. Catch more balls. Be a better team player.

Question: What are your thoughts on the new guys in the wide receiver room?

Walley: Fast guys. Got a will to learn. I think they'll help us out a lot.

Question: What strides have you seen from Will Rogers?

Walley: Better chemistry with the team. A lot more receivers are ripping. He's learned everybody better now.

Question: Do you consider yourself a leader among the wide receiver group?

Walley: Yes, sir. For sure. I try to lead by example as much as I can. I feel like a lot of guys follow behind me and try to do some stuff that I do as far as being a good team player.

Question: What's the competition like between the receivers and secondary?

Walley: It is always even all the time.

Question: Do you see progress in that group from last year?

Walley: Just a lot of guys returning. Just a lot of guys have been doing it for a while, and hopefully, they'll be able to do it again this year.

Question: What do Justin Robinson and Jordan Mosley bring to the table?

Walley: J-Rob, big body. J-Mo, he can move very good and catch the ball. They can both catch the ball good.

Question: Do you think the secondary will be deeper this year?

Walley: Yes, sir. I feel like Decamerion Richardson, Marcus Banks, and DeCarlos Nicholson, all the guys we got in, I feel like they'll help us out a lot.

Question: Who gives you the most trouble on that side?

Walley: I hate to say it, but Decam (Decamerion Richardson) for sure.

Question: What's different about Decamerion Richardson this year?

Walley: I guess he's just getting more reps and is becoming a better player.

Question: How much do you think Richardson learned playing behind Martin Emerson and Emmanuel Forbes?

Walley: I feel like it elevated him a lot just watching two elite guys play, and then coming in behind them, I feel like that wouldn't be too hard.

Question: What does the competition with other experienced receivers bring out in you?

Walley: It's just in-room competitions trying to make each other better.

Question: How far have you come since the 2020 season?

Walley: We're just a better collective team. As far as me, I feel like I'm a better team player.

Question: Have you taken steps since 2020 in terms of consistency?

Walley: 100%. It's just getting better every year.

Question: How's the connection been with Coach Drew Hollingshead?

Walley: I love Coach Drew. I love him to death.

To Austin Williams

Question: What’s it feel like going into your final year?

Williams: It’s exciting. It’s an opportunity. It’s one of those things I’ve learned as you get older, you can’t get bored with the process. I come out here every day and find a way to compete and make the guys around you better. We’re off to a really good start.

Question: What’s your message to the younger guys?

Williams: You just worry about it day-by-day. You don’t worry this day. It’s adding up. What are we going to do tomorrow? You handle practice, get a shower, handle the meetings, and go step-by-step. Don’t look ahead, and at the end of it, you’ll be alright.

Question: What’s the competition like between the receivers and the secondary?

Williams: It’s great. We’ve had some new guys come in, and some other guys are stepping up. We’re battling. Every day it’s been back and forth. Everybody is chirping in a competitive manner. You love that out there. High energy. I think both sides are making each other better.

Question: What’s Coach Drew Hollingshead been like?

Williams: It’s been great. He has a lot of experience, especially coming from coaching quarterbacks. Just gives us a little bit of a new perspective on the whole scheme and timing, where we need to be. I really enjoyed it. He’s brought a lot of energy to our rooms with corrections. Overall, it’s been great.

Question: What’s Jaden Walley been like this fall?

Williams: He’s grown a ton. He’s really matured into a leader. He works really hard. I love that about him. He’s always trying to learn and soak up things, trying to be a guy who leads. He’s a great football player, talented as he can be. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s unbelievable. And he’s a great guy off the field too. All those things add up and that’s why he’s been a great football player.

Question: What does Jaden do to lead by example?

Williams: Drill by drill. He’s busting his tail, working hard. Doing the little things, getting treatment and recovery, never being late. He’s on time for everything. Good attitude. He’s not like a locker room lawyer. He’s always just doing good.

Question: How has that leadership helped you playing on the field?

Williams: I think we’ve improved ourselves. And we’ve tried to improve everyone around us. We’ve got new faces, but we try to get everyone on the same page. Helping to get everyone to buy into the culture we’ve got going here.

Question: What do you think about the new guys on the outside?

Williams: We have so much depth out there now. We’ve got six or seven guys who can play ball at any time. Big, athletic cats who can go up there and get. It’s really exciting.

To Jo'quavious Marks:

Question: In year three, does it feel any different, or is it common for you now?

Marks: It's just common coming to handle business and helping out others in our group. We have some new running backs coming in, so we're helping them out, making sure they know everything on the field and helping them with their game.

Question: What have you seen from Simeon Price?

Marks: Every day just taking stuff in and being himself as a ball player. He's a baller.

Question: What is Simeon Price's strength?

Marks: His strength is quickness. He's got the quickness getting in and out of the cuts and make people miss.

Question: What are your thoughts on Bull Hargrove so far?

Marks: Bull is a Bulldog. He's just getting in and out of cuts, getting downhill, and being more physical. Just be physical and outwork everybody on the field. That's what we live by in the room.

Question: What have you seen from the offensive line?

Marks: I think they've had a tremendous upgrade in their level of play. Everybody on the o-line has been working hard from the summer to now. That's a great step right there.

Question: How does having Hargrove and Price make things better for you and Dillon Johnson?

Marks: It's just a stacked group. Everybody can go in, and we know we have somebody to have our backs. Simeon, Bull, J.J. (Jernighan), and all the guys, I know they've gonna have my back and do their job, and do it to the most ability they can. So that's one big thing we have in our room.

Question: Bull Hargrove had a nice touchdown dance earlier. Is the running back group the best dancing group?

Marks: I know I ain't in it. Simeon, Bull, probably not J.J. Probably Simeon and Bull.

Question: Does it change a running back's mindset playing in a pass-heavy offense?

Marks: I think it takes a special running back. Sometimes you got to get in the trenches and block linebackers. You might have to block a d-end. Playing running back is hard anyways. I think it's hard because you get hit every play, taking a pounding on your body every play.

Question: How does competition make you better?

Marks: Every day, we're gonna give our all. We're here in our competition to do our job every day. What we're known for is competing every day outside with these guys.

Question: Do you think there will be more of an emphasis on designed runs this year?

Marks: I think we're going to mix it in a lot. O-line got much better.

Question: Does it feel like you and Dillon are co-assistant coaches out there with your experience?

Marks: I feel like we're coaches to teach Bull that stuff and everybody's stuff in the room. We've got Brinston (Williams) in the room, and he'll come up and ask what we've got. We know a lot from just being here over the years. Even Coach Washington, we will help out sometimes. He just became the running back coach, so we'll help him out with things.

Question: How different is Coach Jason Washington now that he is your position coach?

Marks: He brings a lot of energy to the table and meetings. He understands, and I like him as a coach.

Question: Are there different strategies or ideas that Coach Washington has that you haven't done in the last couple of years?

Marks: I think strategies because he knows the defense well. He gives us tips on when they're blitzing, and you can tell when somebody is going to overrun something. From him teaching safeties, you can tell there are a lot of steps as a DB coach that he teaches us to learn when we get out in the open field.

Question: How do you get better at working on anticipation?

Marks: Just knowing what you need to do on the field. Seeing everything before the play snap. Just a play snap read, knowing where somebody is going to be at when somebody is blitzing, what's coming to you if you need to get out early. If you ain't got nobody to block, just getting out early, so you get the ball in your hands and make somebody miss in the open field.

Question: How much of that happens out here, and how much of that happens when watching film?

Marks: Practice is just like the game. Our defense will give us some stuff that other teams will give us, but our defense is a little different than that. We'll get the ball a lot. We'll get it a lot in practice and get it a lot in the game.

Question: What's your relationship with Will Rogers?

Marks: We've all been tight since before we came to Mississippi State. So it's still the same relationship. It's tight. We'll go over stuff. Will will call us up, and we'll go over stuff. Go in the locker room and talk about some stuff, what we need to do, what you think needs to go in.

Question: How much do you talk about pre-snap stuff with Will?

Marks: Will we see stuff, and we'll tap him if somebody's coming. I think it better's both of our games, knowing what's over the whole field, just reading the whole field.

Question: Have the pre-snap reads helped your pass blocking?

Marks: That's my main thing, blocking. I just don't want the quarterback to get hit. I just want to do my job every time. I feel like that's the main thing I always work on before everything else is just protecting the quarterback.