Jackson Christian Mr. Football Jay'len Mosley sorts SEC offers while rehabbing injury that cut season short
NASHVILLE — On Tuesday, Jay'len Mosley put on his best clothes, hopped in the car and headed to Nissan Stadium with his family to enjoy a brief respite from the often-dull routine of his previous five weeks.
Mosley, a wide receiver at Jackson Christian, has been dealing with school, a blossoming recruitment and most prominently as of late, injury rehab.
In the Eagles' regular-season finale on Oct. 26 against Trinity Christian, Mosley tore his right patellar tendon, bringing his stellar junior campaign to an abrupt end. Since then, he's been wearing a heavy brace over his lower leg and going to physical therapy three times every week.
"It's been pretty good," Mosley said. "It's boring, but it's things you gotta to do get back."
Whenever Mosley is able to step back on the field again, he'll do so with a new objective: defend his Mr. Football title. Mosley was named the winner of the award for Division II-A in Tuesday's ceremony, becoming the first player in his school's history to do so.
"It's huge for our school," said Jackson Christian coach Darby Palmer. "It's huge for our football program, the type of athletes we can promote and develop. It speaks highly about Jay'len and all of the players on our roster buying into our culture and what we do."
Mosley caught 74 passes for 1,482 yards and 26 touchdowns this season (Mr. Football voting only accounts for regular-season performance). Jackson Christian (10-2) went undefeated in games Mosley finished.
"My mom told me just to keep my head up, because people are always looking up to me," Mosley said of getting injured. "It was definitely hard, but at the same time, it was something I took as positive so I could just encourage my teammates."
Despite playing in just 10 games, Mosley shot into the TSSAA record books. He ranks third in Tennessee history in touchdown receptions for a single season and 10th in receiving yards. He accomplished it all while playing through a hamstring injury.
"A lot of people don't realize that," Palmer said. "... Seeing him from June, from when he got injured, he would fight hard every day to get back on the field and work hard."
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Mosley is a four-star prospect and the No. 8 junior in Tennessee, per the 247Sports Composite. He had 17 tackles and three interceptions this season as a safety, and might end up there in college.
Mosley's offers include Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The Rebels were the first to offer, shortly after his freshman season, and the Crimson Tide were the most recent, doing so in October.
"He's one of those guys that has the height, has the measurables and he checks all the boxes for the next level," Palmer said.
Despite Mosley's impressive offer list, he's still "letting the process roll out" and has no official visits planned yet.
"I've had help with my coaches and mom and everything," Mosley said of his recruitment. "They're a real big help to me and I'm definitely blessed to have them in my life. All together, they make sure nothing gets over my head. I think we've been pretty good at that so far. ... Right now, I'm just enjoying the experience."
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It's understandable Mosley doesn't want to rush things, especially given that his recovery process has at least a few more months left. He hopes to return in time to compete in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in track and field this spring. Then it's back to football.
"People might have counted me out because I got hurt and wondering if I will be back," Mosley said. "My motivation is just to come back stronger and show that even though I got hurt, I’m still the same Jay'len."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: TSSAA football: Alabama-offered Jay'len Mosley wins DII-A Mr. Football
