Kelley Jones set for breakout sophomore season on improved Bulldog defense

A year after Mississippi State struggled to defend just about anyone on the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs hit the transfer portal hard to fix it.

Defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler and his entire staff were retained in the offseason by head coach Jeff Lebby and they’ll have another shot at it. While several of the positions saw an overhaul on that side of the ball, there will also be new faces in the cornerback room.

Kelley Jones is one of the only returners from last year’s group and the Clarksdale native is ready for his breakthrough. He worked alongside Brice Pollock last season and had some solid moments, but now it’s his turn to be CB1. Corners coach Corey Bell and new defensive analyst Paul Rhodes have had plenty of instruction to prepare him for that moment.

“To be intentional with the small details. Doing simple better. Slowing the game down and it making us play fast. I’m stacking days and taking advantage of opportunities. I’ve learned a lot from those guys and still continue to learn as we go on,” Jones said.

“(Bell) stays on me. I just try to use the things to the best of my ability. Me having it is one things, but doing it is another.”

Jones possesses skill set to be a star

Bell has been around the game for a long time and he’s seen his share of great defenders. The coach has certainly seen the size and speed that SEC athletes work with and Jones has what it takes.

At 6’4, 195 pounds, Jones is built for other positions, but he’s the fastest player on the defensive side of the ball. That makes for an intriguing piece for the coaching staff to mold and the message now is to keep pushing.

“You’re only as good as your last rep. He understands that. It’s about taking that next step and what does that look like for him? Growing towards maturation has been a thing for him so he’s taken it upon himself to do the little things like taking care of his body, working hard off the field in the film room and those type of things so it’s been good to watch. The sky is the limit for him,” Bell said of Jones.

“Two things he has that I can’t coach – length and speed. You can’t coach that and you welcome that. The challenge for him is the little things to make him a better player. If he can slow the game down mentally, then he’ll play faster.”

After getting his feet wet early last season, Jones started to come into his own as a redshirt freshman. He had 29 tackles total and was the team’s highest graded cover man.

When Pollock left for the transfer portal and landed at Texas Tech, Jones immediately became the leader of the room despite having just one year of progress under his belt. This offseason, his job has been bringing a group of several newcomers together and it’s working to this point.

“Honestly, after the Egg Bowl, I was ready to play again. I couldn’t believe that was the end of the game,” Jones said. “From that day forward, I felt like I went through what I went through for a reason to make me become the person that I am today. I’m highly confident off of that and feel like I can go up against anybody. That’s how I feel going into the season.

“I feel like we’re very together. Guys like Jet Jefferson, DeAgo Brumfield, Elijah Cannon and Dwight Lewis – everybody in the corner room can play. They push me as well so I can’t slack up. We’re going to go out there and give people a problem.”

Lewis has intrigued Jones more than most. A former NAIA standout at Marian University, Lewis has a similar build and athleticism to Jones at 6’1, 195 pounds.

The adjustment has been relatively smooth considering, but there’s still ups and downs for him. Jones still sees a player capable of changing the game for the Bulldogs in the secondary.

“Dwight reminds me of myself, he’s just one inch shorter. I try my best to watch him every rep that he has, and he watches me so we give each other feedback,” Jones said. “He’s long, he can run and can find the ball. I try to learn that from him as well.”

Other corners aren’t the only players that are making Jones better. The former Clarksdale four-star has gotten sharper by the players he’s guarding on the other side.

Specifically, Jones and speedster wide receiver Brenen Thompson have created a fun rivalry in 11-on-11 drills. Thompson is the fastest player on the team and he’s challenged Jones to a race a time or two. Both have been able to win their share of battles and they’re coming out better for it.

“Every receiver is different. When I’m lining up across from (Thompson) and I see zero coming out of the huddle, I take a deep breath and get ready to go,” Jones said. “I know that type of guy that I am and he’s ready to run. I’m ready to run too so I don’t think he’d beat me in a race.”

Facing players like Thompson will only make the corners stronger in 2025 and Jones is ready to show it.

It’s not just in Jones’ room, however, he’s excited about the entire defense. After the additions of several new faces in the defensive line room and at linebacker, it’s only going to make his job easier and have the Bulldogs playing on a different level this year.

“I’m very confident,” Jones said of the defense. “Up front on the d-line, we’re very confident. We tell them to give us three seconds to cover and if we get three seconds, everything is going to be locked. I’m very confident in our defense as a whole. We can play and run with anybody, and we have depth.”