UTEP transfer Kelly Akharaiyi is expected to lead the way for Mississippi State football in the receiving corps for 2024. Playing in Jeff Lebby’s offense, there’s a real chance he challenges the single-season school record for receiving yards.

But how many touchdowns will he catch this fall?

To say Kelly Akharaiyi was UTEP’s primary scoring option would be an understatement. He caught seven TDs in 2023. As a team, UTEP only had 13 receiving TDs, so he had more than half of those. Also, no other player caught more than one. It was Kelly Akharaiyi and basically no one else for the Miners.

As you could expect, the top WRs in Lebby’s offenses usually have little trouble finding the endzone. On average, his receiving TD leader brings in about nine scores, but he’s had three players reach double-digits (plus a fourth in Elijah Moore who was on pace to in a shortened 2020).

UCF’s Gabe Davis caught 12 receiving TDs in 2019, the most by a Lebby receiver. In 2022 at Oklahoma, top receiver Marvin Mims had just six TDs, but technically he didn’t lead the team in that category. TE Brayden Willis actually led OU with seven scores.

While seven receiving TDs in 2023 isn’t far off from what Jeff Lebby’s WRs tend to churn out, Kelly Akharaiyi is going to get more opportunities to put points on the board in Starkville than he did in El Paso.

But I don’t know that he’ll make a serious run at breaking the school record of 12 TD catches in a year, shared by Fred Ross and Akharaiyi’s current WRs coach Chad Bumphis. The reason is I believe there’s a chance he sees fewer targets in the redzone. Bigger frames in Trent Hudson and TE Seydou Traore could be the main looks closer to the goal line. The same could apply for a shiftier option like Kevin Coleman.

I still expect Akahariyi to lead the team in TDs, but I’d set his over/under at about an 8.5 as opposed to double-digits. But I’d by no means be surprised if he does in fact go above that mark.

Jackson, Miss. (June 28,2024) – Mississippi companies interested in exporting goods and services to Canada are invited to participate in the upcoming Southeastern U.S.– Canadian Provinces Business Forum. The event will be held August 4-6 at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi.

“Canada is one of Mississippi’s top trade partners, and this yearly event provides unique opportunities for Mississippi businesses to connect with Canadian business leaders in a variety of sectors,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork. “While this year’s forum will focus heavily on advanced manufacturing and the blue economy, opportunities for growth and forging strategic partnerships are available for all Mississippi exporters.”

The SEUS-CP Alliance is a strategic partnership that promotes trade and investment opportunities between its member states and provinces. In addition to Mississippi, member states include Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Member provinces include Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec.

This year’s forum focuses on advanced manufacturing and the blue economy, which includes a range of ocean technologies and related industries such as shipbuilding, uncrewed autonomous vehicles, smart ports, fisheries and aquaculture, innovative materials and innovative technologies. Advanced manufacturing and the blue economy form a significant portion of SEUS-CP members’ economies.

The event will feature the Business-to-Business Matchmaking Program, which provides opportunities for small- to medium-sized businesses to engage in high-quality meetings with chief procurement officials from globally recognized companies that are seeking new suppliers of goods, services and innovative technologies. Business-to-business appointments will take place onsite each day of the event and will be offered at no additional charge to registered attendees. The appointments are a cost-effective, convenient opportunity to meet with vetted companies from Canada and the Southeast U.S.

To facilitate the appointments, a designated matchmaker is assigned to work with companies from SEUS-CP member states and provinces to identify business interests and ensure that all matchmaking appointments are qualified and mutually beneficial. Serving as “anchor” companies for the business-to-business appointments will be leading entities from the sectors of focus. These include Airbus, HII-Ingalls Shipbuilding, Mississippi Polymer Institute at The University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi Power, Port of Pascagoula, Skydweller Aero Inc., and The Coca-Cola Company.

The cost to register for the SEUS-CP Business Forum is $350. To register, please visit www.seuscp-b2b.com. For more information, contact MDA International Trade Office Director Vickie Watters at (601) 359-3155 or vwatters@mississippi.org or International Trade Manager – Canada and Europe Aggie Sikora at 601-359-9342 or asikora@mississippi.org.