clarionledger
STARKVILLE — During a preseason news conference, Mississippi State wide receiver Anthony Evans III confidently stated twice that he intended to break the program record for single-season receiving yards. Those were not idle boasts; after transferring from Georgia and amassing 831 receiving yards last season, the goal seemed within reach.
Now, with the No. 19 Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 SEC) preparing to face No. 21 LSU (4-2, 1-2) on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN, Evans is not merely on track to surpass the record set by Brenen Thompson last season—he is on pace to demolish it. The senior from Converse, Texas, has been a driving force in the offense.
"Ant has been working hard," said fellow wide receiver Sanfrisco Magee. "During the summer and runs, we were just pushing each other to try to make it go. Before the season, him and Kelley (Jones) were talking and he was like, 'I got to break this record.' I was like, 'He most definitely is going to break it.' He's on pace to right now."
Record Chase Status
To eclipse Thompson's record, Evans needs 1,055 receiving yards. Thompson, who was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, became just the fourth receiver in program history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season and was MSU's first wide receiver drafted since Eric Moulds in 1996.
Evans currently has 574 receiving yards (114.8 per game), putting him on pace for 1,492 yards over 13 games. Both Evans and Magee are projected to reach 13 receiving touchdowns, which would break the program record of 12 shared by Chad Bumphis and Fred Ross. Evans' 40 receptions so far project to 104 for the season, one shy of Makai Polk's 2021 total.
"He's created consistency in his life, and he's created consistency inside the building that, to me, has given him an opportunity to do what he's doing," said MSU head coach Jeff Lebby. "It's a long year with a lot of ball ahead. We're going to need his production in a great, great way week-in and week-out. But to me, it's just his maturity and who he's become when he's not in the building. That's what's given him a chance to have the success that he's having."
Entering Week 7, Evans ranks third in the SEC in total receiving yards but first in receiving yards per game. He is also third in total receptions but first in receptions per game. Missouri's Donovan Olugbode is the only SEC player with more receiving touchdowns (six) than Evans. The SEC single-season record for receiving yards is 1,856, held by 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.
National Landscape
Could Evans lead the nation in receiving yards? It's possible, but he faces stiff competition. Two players are significantly ahead: Oregon State's Jesse Legree and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith. They are the only two receivers in the country with more than 800 receiving yards. Legree (932) and Smith (916) are also the only players averaging over 150 yards per game. Other players ahead of Evans in receiving yards per game include Rutgers' KJ Duff, Miami's Malachi Toney, Wake Forest's Carlos Hernandez, and Arizona State's Reed Harris.
Sam Sklar covers Mississippi State for the Clarion Ledger. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Originally reported by clarionledger.