STARKVILLE — Zach Arnett couldn’t help but listen in as his quarterback gave his Mississippi State football teammates an inspired speech prior to Saturday’s win at Arkansas.

No, this wasn’t four-year starter Will Rogers getting the Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 SEC) fired up for a road test. Due to injury, Mike Wright, who transferred from Vanderbilt in the offseason, was thrust into the starting role. It was his job to get MSU going, and he delivered — so much so that Arnett took some pointers.

“He had them certainly a lot more fired up than I tend to get them going with my speeches,” Arnett joked. “I’ll have to let him keep doing it.”

The QB’s message? It was a simple one, but it was one that proved the authority he holds in the locker room despite being a newcomer on a veteran roster.

“As a quarterback, you want to give as much confidence as you can to the team, especially before you go out there,” Wright said postgame. “The theme of that message was go out there and play football. Go out there and be you. The emphasis this week was focusing on ourselves, so focus on your job. Focus on your assignment. And by any means necessary, go out there and get a win.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay jokes that with a Vanderbilt education, Wright’s vocabulary impresses at times – though not all words used in a pregame speech are worth repeating.

“There were some cuss words here and there,” Wright said. “Since I’m on camera and my mom will hear this, I won’t say them.”

Why Mike Wright transferred to Mississippi State

Wright, who is from Fayetteville, Georgia, spent three seasons (2020-2022) with the Commodores. He started in 11 of his 26 appearances, collecting 2,067 passing yards and another 905 rushing. Last season, with MSU running the late Mike Leach’s Air Raid, running back Jo’Quavious Marks had 592 rushing yards. Wright had 517.

In December, he entered the transfer portal. While many assumed an SEC starter would seek another program where a starting spot was secured, that wasn’t the case for Wright.

“The portal was a hectic place for me,” Wright said. “But getting on the phone with (MSU’s coaches), coming down to Starkville, being around this community, it was a no-brainer for me. Being around these guys for less than 24 hours, there was no doubt in my mind that Mississippi State was where I needed to be.”

Kevin Barbay was announced as MSU’s new offensive coordinator on Jan. 12 – about a week after reports surfaced that Wright was taking a visit to Ole Miss. Upon learning Wright was still available, Barbay started his pursuit in the portal. However, Barbay says it appeared Wright was joining coach Lane Kiffin’s squad.

Soon after their initial conversations, Barbay got a call back from Wright. He asked if he could still visit, to which Barbay responded, “absolutely.”

“Mike’s energy was very evident just from a phone call,” Barbay told The Clarion Ledger. “He’s got an infectious personality.”

MSU could have pitched a starting job to Wright. They didn't do that.

"The approach was the honest truth," Barbay said.

Barbay told Wright that Rogers, who entered the season on pace to be the SEC’s all-time leading passer, was going to be the starter. Wright would serve as his backup, though he’d have packages implemented to play a role.

“He and Will have got a great relationship,” Barbay said. “It’s really special when you’ve been a starter and you kind of understand the role. It’s almost like an NFL room where some of those veteran guys are going in and they know that they’re going to be the backup.”

How Mike Wright has factored into MSU’s offense

Wright played 11 snaps in a Week 1 win against Southeastern Louisiana. Behind 95 rushing yards on five attempts, Pro Football Focus graded him as MSU’s best offensive player in the contest.

However, his play decreased across the next four games in which MSU went 1-3. He earned just 23 snaps and had attempted just one pass. Barbay fielded criticism about Wright’s usage with Rogers struggling, and he continued to stress the backup’s role would increase.

He followed through, giving Wright 32 snaps in an Oct. 7 win against Western Michigan – most of which came before Rogers was injured in the fourth quarter. Wright got the start against the Razorbacks and could be in the role again Saturday (2:30 p.m., SEC Network) at Auburn (3-4, 0-4) if Rogers is still sidelined.

However, as exemplified by his pregame speech, Wright’s role in the locker room may prove as valuable as his production on the field.

ARNETT'S APPROACH: Why decisiveness should trump aggression for Mississippi State football's Zach Arnett

From sharing jokes on X about being rejected by his middle school crush on April Fool’s Day, to calling himself an, "academic weapon" and to representing Mississippi State at the 2023 Black Student Athlete Summit held in Los Angeles, Wright has been a vital addition for the program.

“He’s just always willing to talk to someone, have a conversation and just get to know people and dig into people’s lives,” Barbay said. “That makes a big difference when you’re building relationships.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Why Mike Wright chose Bulldogs, Zach Arnett