D’Iberville Signing Day: Jaden Walley heading to Starkville

Any given Friday D’Iberville’s Jaden Walley is one of those high school football players that just looks different. And a good kind of different, the one percent kind of different that now gets to live out the dream of playing Division I football in the Southeastern Conference.

From D’Iberville to Starkville, Jaden Walley is officially a Mississippi State Bulldog. “It’s very special to me. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I was a little kid. It’s one of my dreams that came true – another one that came true – being able to play SEC football, first of all. Being able to play college football. Being able to have a family, a loving family that cares for me and cares for the rest of the family. And it’s just a dream come true and a blessing.”

A three-star athlete according to 24/7 Sports, Walley proposed to that new Bulldog family with a verbal commitment back in August. He officially tied the knot on the first day of the early signing period. “I like the community around Starkville and I like the coaches, especially in the way they treat me. They treat me like family. And that’s a big thing to me, family. And I feel like if they love me, I think I can be able to love them.”

And what’s not to love about MSU’s future slot receiver who had a total of 13 Division I offers on the table? But at the end of the day, Mississippi State checked all the boxes. “They offered me everything that I wanted, basically. They told me I could play offense. They told me I could have a great opportunity at starting next year. And they promised me an SEC Championship, so that’s what really boosted up the Mississippi State part.”

As long as the Bulldogs hold up their end of the bargain, Walley shouldn’t have a problem returning the favor. During his three year varsity career with the Warriors, number 7 played about seven different positions, amassing nearly 4,000 all-purpose yards and 52 total touchdowns.

But as is the case with any great player, it’s Walley’s off-the-field intangibles that make him one of the best to ever come through D’Iberville. “I want people to remember me for my hard work, my leadership and my loving ability that I have. My teammates, they know me, they know when I walk in the locker room and I say something they better get right. We try to keep it like that. We keep it friendly. We don’t ever make it mean or nothing, but they know when it’s time to handle business and they know when it’s time to play. So I think they’ll remember me as that. (Can we get a Hail State?) Hail State!”