HATTIESBURG — Whether he is working on his blocking skills along the edge or trying to perfect his passing routes, Southern Miss wide receiver Jaylond Adams (Adamsville, Alabama) has been no stranger to hard work since his arrival on the Golden Eagle campus last fall.

The former Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year and Parade High School All-American has made an immediate impact for this program.

For third-year coach Jay Hopson, his early career success on game day comes from the work he puts in the remainder of the week.

“Jaylond is a young man that has been a hard worker since he got here,” Hopson said at his Monday media conference. “I remember the first time he got out and did conditioning and running as a true freshman. He was a guy that was leading the pack.

“Jaylond is motivated and driven to be the best he can be. When you see him on Saturday, it’s a result of the hard work he puts in on the practice field. Jaylond is a guy that I really don’t worry about as far as work ethic and preparation — he’s going to go 100 percent.”

After appearing in 11 games last season catching eight passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, Adams already is off to a good start this year with 17 receptions for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His catch and receiving yard totals both rank second on the team, as he has the longest catch of the year for the team — a 75-yard touchdown from Jack Abraham on the first play of the ULM contest.

While his offensive numbers are outstanding, a good bit of his work does not show up in his individual stat sheet. And that is his excellent blocking skills, which opens up additional yards for his teammates.

It is also one that Hopson also praised on Monday along with the rest of the Golden Eagle receiving corps.

“Jaylond is a physical young man, he’s a strong young man and has a lot of great attributes,” Hopson said. “Our receiving corps is a strong bunch as a whole. We have the ability to have some physicality out wide, which is critical, especially this day in age in football to have guys out there that can block.”