SEMO’s Dorian Anderson poised for a strong senior season

Southeast Missouri State receiver Dorian Anderson carries the ball after catching a pass against UT Martin on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Houck Field.

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Few Division I-FCS wide receivers have made as much noise this season as SEMO senior Dorian Anderson.

A towering 6-foot-7, 200-pounder, Anderson had a quiet debut year at SEMO in 2023, catching just 14 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown in 10 games. But Redhawk fans only saw bits and pieces of what he could do last season.

This fall, they are getting the full package.

The Oakland, Tennessee native has hit the ground running and never looked back, leading SEMO in receiving yards (313), receiving touchdowns (3), and receiving yards per catch (16.5) to kick off the 2024 campaign.

Anderson has also proven to be a reliable possession receiver, demonstrated by 11 of his 19 receptions being either a first down or a touchdown.

Last game, the senior wide out posted a career-high 127 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight grabs in SEMO’s epic 45-42 double-overtime win over UT Martin on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Wide receivers coach Desmond Noird, who joined the program the same year that Anderson transferred in, said the real spark from his uber-talented receiver is his ability to be utilized all over the field.

“You use him everywhere,” Noird said. “That's what you do. He’s got freakish athleticism like that. I try to use him as much as I can and try to put him in different spots so the defense can't get a good hand on where he's at. And he's working hard every day to be able to master everything that we ask him to do.”

Work ethic. That’s Anderson’s biggest area of growth this season in the eyes of his coaches and teammates. While most players usually go home right before or after practice, Noird said that Anderson spends more time in the facility than practically anyone on the team to watch film and pick his brain in the office. This isn’t a once-in-a-while thing, either.

“He's always coming to my office talking and asking questions,” Noird said. “He wants to get better. He's always the first guy in the meeting room. Last year, he wasn't a leader at all when we had those older guys, but this year he is definitely turning into a leader that all the young guys and other guys in the room look up to.”

Anderson, who averaged 14.8 yards per reception in two seasons at NCAA Division II Shorter University to begin his collegiate career, said that he saw an opportunity at SEMO that would allow him to further develop and raise his stock against better competition.

“I love the guys there (Shorter University) and everything, but I just wanted to play with some tougher competition at the D1 level,” Anderson said. “I felt like I could produce at this level. Then on my official visit, I met with Coach Tuke and he is a real great guy, real great coach. Me and my family just fell in love with everything he was saying and how he builds players through the game of football and makes us better men.”

Slotted behind elite pass catcher Ryan Flournoy – now currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys – and graduate Damoriea Vick, Anderson was limited in what he could do as a junior and patiently waited his turn.

Now those limits are gone.

“His journey here didn't start off very well,” Noird said. “He had a lot of downs that he had to get over, a lot of humps to get over the road. But this year he’s changed. He's a different guy. His mindset is different. He wants it more. I don't know if Ryan kind of affected him last year, but this year he wants to be ‘the guy,’ and he’s showed it. He's here every day practicing and getting better. So, we really love where he's at.”

Anderson said that Flournoy and the receivers before him did in fact impact his growth and help mold the work ethic and mindset that he possesses today.

“Just seeing those guys work day in and day out,” he said. “Just seeing the type of hard work they're putting in each and every day helped me develop and learn that at the next level that's how it is every day. You’re going to get everybody's best, so you’ve got to bring your best every day.”

So far this season, Anderson has been sure to bring his best every Saturday. Through the first three games, he has emerged as one of the top weapons in the FCS and is currently leading the Big South-OVC in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (104.3).

Anderson said his ultimate goal is to play in the NFL, and when considering the type of rare athleticism and overall season he is piecing together, there is no doubting that he can follow Flournoy’s footsteps and make that goal come to fruition.

“I’ve always dreamed of going to the NFL,” he said. “Just putting in all of this work for this season and just seeing how things are going so far, I feel like I have a pretty good shot at making it. But if things don't go the way they go, I just want to be a coach and develop guys to be able to achieve their dreams and desires.”

For now, though, Anderson’s top priority is manifesting his own dreams and desires and helping the upstart Redhawks march to a conference championship and, presumably, the FCS Playoffs.

“Just being a part of a great team and showcasing our talents as one is what I’m here for,” Anderson said. “And just being able to win as a unit will be pointed out just like my game will be pointed out.”