Bulldog bio features corner Jamal Peters
When it comes to pure athleticism, Jamal Peters is no doubt one of the most promising Mississippi State players.
The junior, now a cornerback, has already displayed he can play all over the field for the Bulldogs.
He began his career at safety in 2015. The following spring, he played some at receiver. Now, Peters has settled in at corner for MSU.
With a season under his belt at his new position, Peters could be poised for a breakout year, but what will it take for Peters to star in the State secondary?
What we know
There isn't much Peters isn't capable of doing. He has proven time and time again in his football-playing life that wherever he goes, he succeeds. In high school, at Bassfield, Peters was a star both offensively and defensively.
Peters caught 28 passes for 581 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Bassfield in 2014. In the state title game, he helped his team claim their third-straight state crown by rushing for 109 yards and a score.
As good as all that was, Peters has always stood out on defense. That helped him become the state of Mississippi's top prospect in the 2015 class.
He has shown flashes of bringing his brilliance to Starkville the last couple of years. Now in his third season with the Bulldogs, if history is any indication, Peters might be about to shine brighter than ever.
What we don't know
As talented as Peters is, it's still going to be tough to play corner in the Southeastern Conference.
“You are talking about a young man that has never played corner,” MSU cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley said of Peters this past spring. “So I am teaching him on the run against the top competition in the country. He is big and dealing with shifty guys and learning all this stuff that takes a year or two to learn.”
There is no doubt Peters has the ability to play the spot, the question is how quick can he master it? If the answer to that question is now, the Bulldogs are in good shape. If there are still growing pains, that's bad news for State's secondary.
Peters displayed last year that he is a playmaker. He ranked second on the team in interceptions with two. He also tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with two.
The highlight of Peters' 2016 though unquestionably came in the Egg Bowl. In the second quarter against Ole Miss, Peters snagged a one-handed interception in the end zone. From that point on, the Bulldogs rolled over the rival Rebels.
“When I got that pick against Ole Miss, that's a big game against a rival, and my mind all week was locked in that I had to get a pick,” Peters said. “After I got that pick, I was so comfortable with everything. That has carried over and now I'm comfortable with everything I do. If I make a big play, people aren't used to it yet, but they'll get used to it.”
The best case
The best case for MSU is for Peters to finally be at home at corner.
Buckley has compared Peters to Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes, a former Florida State corner now playing for the Vikings, came to Florida State as a wide receiver. Buckley helped turn Rhodes into a first-round NFL Draft pick at corner.
“It took (Rhodes) six months to lean the angles, the proper steps, how to finish on the deep ball and which way to turn,” Buckley recalled.
With time and experience now under Peters' belt, MSU can only hope they do indeed have the next Xavier Rhodes on its roster.
The worst case
The good news for MSU is that Peters is so athletic, he's probably never going to be terrible at anything he does. Even if he still has growing pains, Peters will likely still at least be serviceable at corner.
The bad news is, MSU needs better than just serviceable. State's pass defense was awful last season and a key part in fixing that problem would be the development of Peters. If Peters is still figuring things out, opponents' passing attacks could again hurt the Bulldogs.
(Editor’s Note: Leading up to the start of Mississippi State football training camp on July 25, the Starkville Daily News will take a look at several of the key pieces for the 2017 Bulldogs. Today, the SDN profiles cornerback Jamal Peters.)