STARKVILLE — When Gus Walley arrived at Mississippi State, wide receiver looked like the position for him.
The junior played wideout at Green County High School in Richton and was recruited as that position. He capped his prep career by catching 43 passes for 566 yards and three touchdowns as a senior.
But Walley’s path changed early in his time in Starkville, when MSU coaches decided to move him to tight end. Malcolm Johnson was only a sophomore then, but he took it upon himself to help Walley with the transition.
“When I first got here when we were at the old facility, the lockers were two people all the way around and he was my locker-mate,” Walley said of Johnson. “He was the first person I knew on this team.”
Johnson was a mainstay at tight end throughout his career, playing in 45 games and drawing 23 starts. The Cleveland Browns selected Johnson in the NFL draft in April and he made the transition to fullback.
Walley began to pick Johnson’s brain in his freshman and redshirt freshman seasons.
“Everything about the game I know today is because of Malcolm Johnson,” Walley said. “He taught me everything I need to know because coming out of high school I was a receiver and just like him, it was foreign to me when I came in, but he took me under his wing and taught me everything I needed to know about the game.”
Tight end and wide receiver have similarities and differences. The main job of a wide receiver is to catch a passes. They occasionally will be asked to block.
The tight end is still a threat in the passing game, but based on the positioning on the offensive line, more blocking is required. Understanding defenses is one of the biggest things Walley learned from Johnson.
“He just taught me how to read stuff like coverages and fronts and blitzes that are coming and how they disguise it and how the safeties would play,” Walley said.
With Johnson moving on to the NFL, MSU needs a tight end. The job is Walley’s to lose.
“We feel really good about Gus Walley,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “He was our backup last year, and we’ve got to keep him healthy. I think he’s really ready to step into that role of being able to give you what Malcolm gave you last year.
“He’s a guy you can flex him out into the perimeter or you can bring him in motion as an H-back or tight end. He’s going to be able to bring a lot of different aspects to the game. He can create mismatch problems.”
Walley missed his redshirt freshman season with an elbow injury. In his first action last season, he played in 12 games and caught four passes for 49 yards and one touchdown.
It has taken Walley time to find a comfort level, but he said playing last year, in spring drills, and in two-a-days in preseason camp have helped him reach the highest comfort level in his career.
“I know the playbook, I know the signals, I know the calls, I know what to do and I know why we’re doing it,” Walley said. “It’s like backyard ball. You just go have fun.”
Quarterback Dak Prescott will have a lot of weapons at wide receiver and running back. He hopes Walley can be another option at tight end.
“Gus has done a good job,” Prescott said. “He’s been leading the way, he’s been getting them going. He’s done a great job.”
Johnson’s ability to carve out a role in the offense and to be selected in the NFL draft has put pressure on Walley to produce. He is trying to handle that pressure, and knows he only can be himself on the field.
“Malcolm, those are big shoes to fill,” Walley said. “I’ve been working hard, doing everything I can every day to get better. I feel a lot of pressure, but then again, I come out every day and I just block out everything I can and focus on my job and take care of my job.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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