STARKVILLE — The tenor of Chris Rayford’s senior season changed in April.
The Byhalia native had established himself as a useful cornerback for Mississippi State with 37 tackles over the previous two seasons. He was also part of a roster that had just two proven commodities at safety, compared to the coaching staff’s optimism for two or three such players at nickel and at least five at cornerback.
MSU needed help at safety and it chose Rayford and it found a willing participant. It also had a willing participant later, when suddenly MSU had an emergency need at corner.
Rayford’s presence on No. 23 MSU’s defense is already noticeable on the stat sheet — second in pass breakups with two on top of four tackles — but his true impact comes in how he keeps the Bulldogs’ depth chart stable by moving positions when necessary. He is practicing as a full-time cornerback for Saturday’s 5 p.m. (ESPN) game against Florida (3-1), but a move back to safety could be in the making of No. 19 MSU needs it.
“He’s just a good football player,” defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. “A defensive back is a defensive back, a lot of the skills are the same and we feel like he’s one of our best in the group of eight or nine.
“He’s got the skillset to be a good safety or corner. He’s matured, that’s what I like about him.”
The original move to safety was one for depth. MSU had obvious returning starters in Mark McLaurin and Johnathan Abram, but Brandon Bryant leaving the team after spring practice left MSU (3-1) with all of five returning tackles behind them — all of them belonging to sophomore C.J. Morgan. Before Rayford made the switch, MSU would have to lean on Landon Guidry and Londyn Craft, both coming off of redshirt seasons, or incoming true freshman Marcus Murphy and Shawn Preston Jr. MSU put former walk-on Stephen Adegoke on scholarship for some help, but wanted more.
Rayford had no qualms addressing a team need.
“I enjoy safety. It was more of a quick transition,” Rayford said. “I like when we come down in the box. I felt like a linebacker. I always wanted to play linebacker.”
The switch to safety has meant more than simple positioning and physicality in the box. It’s given him a new mental obligation, and one he’s embraced.
“Corners, generally speaking, are kind of on an island and generally do whatever the safety tells them to do. Safeties are the ones that have to tell them what to do,” Shoop said. “He has to get the call, identify the formation, find his side and communicate to the nickel and corner exactly the technique they’re playing on the particular play. That’s probably been an adjustment for him.”
He spent a summer and a preseason drilling just that, and every other aspect of playing safety. Then Jamal Peters got hurt in week three, against Louisiana-Lafayette. The lower body injury keeps him out indefinitely to this day, this facilitating the need for Rayford back in his ole position. He said returning was easy, given his familiarity with the view of an opposing offense from there.
Both Shoop and head coach Joe Moorhead said Rayford’s positional status remains to be determined going forward; what’s proven is he can play both, whichever MSU needs. Wherever he plays, it won’t change what Rayford wants to accomplish with his senior season.
“It’s the same: go as hard as you can, prove it to yourself, prove it to the state, prove it to your family.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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