Mississippi Scoreboard is going to highlight a Mississippian who plays football at Ole Miss, another at Mississippi State and another who is playing at an out-of-state SEC school each week. 

By Robert Wilson

LAUREL HIGH AND EAST MISSISSIPPI CC ALUMNUS DONTARIO DRUMMOND IS THE NEW STAR RECEIVER AT OLE MISS:

Elijah Moore was Ole Miss’ leading receiver last season. Moore was not only the top Rebel receiver, Moore led the nation with 10.8 receptions per game and 149.1 receiving yards per game and was a first-team All-American.

Moore is now catching passes for the New York Jets in the NFL, but another talented receiver is stepping into his shoes.

Senior Dontario Drummond, who received another year of eligibility due to the pandemic, caught nine passes for 177 yards in Ole Miss’ 43-24 victory over Louisville in the season opener in Atlanta.

Drummond leads the SEC in receiving yards and is second in the country to Texas Tech’s Erik Ezukanma, who has 179 yards. 

Moore tied a school record with 14 catches (tied A.J. Brown and Laquon Treadwell) and set a school record with 238 receiving yards against Vanderbilt last season. 

Drummond was second behind Moore last season with 25 catches for 417 yards and seven TDs. Drummond caught two passes for 84 yards and a 48-yard TD against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl victory. And without Moore in the bowl game, Drummond led the team with six catches for a career-high 110 yards and one TD in the win over Indiana. 

Drummond was a first-team junior college All-American at East Mississippi Community College and helped EMCC to the national championship in 2017 and a national runner-up finish in 2018. He is the career leader in receptions and receiving yards at EMCC. He was rated as the fourth best receiving prospect in the country by 247 Sports coming out of EMCC. He picked Ole Miss over Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado State and Arkansas State.

Drummond produced 3,474 all-purpose yards during his high school career at Laurel High and had 1,568 receiving yards and 17 TDs as a senior. He played football, basketball and baseball at Laurel and helped his team win state titles in football and basketball. 

BRANDON HIGH ALUMNUS AND MSU QUARTERBACK WILL ROGERS STARTED OFF 2021 LIKE HE FINISHED 2020:
Brandon High alumnus and Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Will Rogers started off the season with another excellent performance in the come-from-behind, 35-34 victory over Louisiana Tech.

Rogers completed 39 of 47 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns. He matched his career high with three TDs and has now thrown a TD pass in seven consecutive games. His 83.0 completion percentage broke his own school record for highest completion percentage for at least 25 attempts he set last season. Rogers tied a school record with 12 consecutive completions in a game and finished the game with 11 consecutive completions. The school record for most consecutive completions in multiple games is 17 by Dave Marler vs. Florida State and Tennessee in 1978. Rogers was 10 for 10 for 128 yards and one TD in the fourth quarter. 

Rogers ranks first in the country in completions per game, third in passing yards per game and fourth in completion percentage.

Rogers set passing records for highest completion percentage in a season (69.1), highest completion percentage for one game (minimum 15 attempts) (83.3 against Texas A&M), highest completion percentage for one game (minimum 25 attempts), (78.8 against Georgia), most completions in a game (45 against Ole Miss) and most passes in a game (61 against Ole Miss). Rogers broke the completion record of Prescott (66.2 in 2015), completion percentage for one game (minimum 15 attempts) of John Bond (81.3 against Tulane in 1982), completion percentage for one game (minimum 25 attempts) of Prescott (76.6 against Texas A&M in 2014), most completions in game of Prescott (38 against Arkansas in 2015) and most passes in one game of Joe Reed (53 against LSU in 1970). 

         Rogers set freshman passing records for most yards in a season (1,976 yards), completions in a season (239), most passes in a season (346) and most yards in a game (440 against Ole Miss). Rogers broke most yards in a season of Wayne Madkin (1,532 in 1998).

         Rogers’ completion percentage ranked 10th best in the country and highest by a freshman. His 45 completions were two short of the SEC record of 47 by Kentucky’s Tim Couch in 1998. Rogers is the first MSU quarterback to complete 30 or more passes in four consecutive games and the only freshman to throw for 300 yards in multiple games.

         Rogers became the seventh true freshman to start at quarterback at MSU since the NCAA began allowing freshman to play varsity in 1972 when he started against Vanderbilt. He completed 35 passes for 226 yards, the most by any freshman in their first start. He also joined Todd Jordan was the only MSU true freshman to throw a TD pass in their first start. 

         Rogers had the most consecutive passes without an interception in the SEC this season (176 in 13 quarters). Prescott holds the school record with 238 in 2015. Rogers did tie Prescott’s school record of most passes without an interception a game (52 against Georgia).

Rogers – the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Year in 2019 at Brandon High — was the first freshman to start at quarterback for Mike Leach in his 21-year head coaching career. 

NESHOBA CENTRAL ALUMNUS JARQUEZ HUNTER MAKES A SPLASH IN HIS DEBUT AT AUBURN:

Neshoba Central alumnus and Auburn freshman running back Jarquez Hunter became the first Auburn freshman to run for at least 100 yards in a season opener since 2009 and only the second since Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson did it in 1982 Saturday against Akron.

Hunter had 110 yards and one touchdown on nine carries – all in the second half – in Auburn’s 60-10 victory. He was the first freshman to crack the 100-yard barrier since Onterio McCalebb had 149 against Louisiana Tech in 2009. 

Hunter gained 37 yards on his first carry and 14 on his second. He also had runs of 20 and 16 yards and finished with a 9-yard TD run with 28 seconds to play.

“Jarquez was a guy that we felt like would get an opportunity, regardless, in this first game to go out there and play,” first-year Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “He’s earned that through practice. You could see that he’s got speed. So, the vision’s there and the speed is there and the opportunity to make big plays. Even at the end there, we wanted to finish getting those guys a few more reps, have chance to finish in the end zone. For a young player that mindset. especially at the position, is crucial for us to keep growing and developing at that area of the running back position.”

Hunter had 1,687 yards, 22 TDs and 2,069 all-purpose yards and was named the MHSAA Class 5A state MVP as a senior at Neshoba Central. He also played basketball and ran track.