High School and College Career
Jonathan Mingo is a talented football player from Brandon High School in Mississippi. He has received several accolades throughout his career, including being named Class 6A First-Team All-State, playing in the 2018 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game, and being named FOX 40 SportsDeck Player of the Year. As a senior in 2018, Mingo had a remarkable season, catching 77 passes for 1,451 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 2,492 receiving yards and 23 TDs, which led to his selection for the prestigious 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.
Mingo chose to join the Ole Miss Rebels. In his first year, Mingo played in 12 games and made 12 receptions for 172 yards, with one touchdown. He had an average of 14.3 yards per reception, and his quarterback (QB) rating when targeted was 54.8.
During his sophomore year in 2020, Mingo continued to improve his skills and played in 10 games, catching 27 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. His average yards per reception were 14.0, and his QB rating when targeted increased to 59.1.
In his junior year, Mingo played in six games and was an essential part of the team. He made several crucial catches, hauled in 360 yards for an average of 15.7 yards per catch, and scored three touchdowns. His QB rating when targeted improved significantly to 96.4. His outstanding performances led to him being named to the Preseason All-SEC second team by Phil Steele and the Preseason All-SEC third team by Athlon.
Mingo’s senior year was undoubtedly his most remarkable season at Ole Miss. He played in all 12 games and had 48 catches for a total of 808 yards, an average of 16.8 yards per catch, and five touchdowns. Moreover, his QB rating when targeted was 100.6, indicating his exceptional skills and the trust he had gained from his teammates and coaching staff.
Jonathan Mingo Scouting Report Introduction
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Ole Miss senior receiver Jonathan Mingo is a physically imposing presence on the field. Over his time at Ole Miss, Mingo has developed and earned a larger role on the team, culminating in a breakout season in 2022. During the regular season, he recorded 48 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
One of Mingo’s most notable strengths is his well-proportioned frame, which allows him to be effective in a variety of ways. When facing press coverage, Mingo’s strength and quickness help him push through defenders and get into his route. Once he has the ball, Mingo’s strength helps him break tackles and gain yards after the catch.
Overall, Mingo’s physical approach to the game makes him difficult to tackle, making his run-after-the-catch ability his best trait as a player. Teams should look to use Mingo in situations where he can pick up yards after the catch quickly.
However, Mingo’s lack of down-the-field speed is an area where he can improve. Once he has successfully beaten a defender at the line of scrimmage, he struggles to create separation with defenders vertically. This often results in him having to make contested catches in man-to-man coverage. While he has shown he can make the contested catch, Mingo could benefit from working on catching the ball at the highest point, giving defenders less of an opportunity to make a play on the ball.
Overall, Mingo’s physicality and run-after-the-catch ability make him an intriguing receiver prospect. In the right offensive system, which utilizes quick screens and jet motions for their receivers, Mingo has the potential to be a highly productive player at the next level.
Strengths
Mingo is a decisive runner, exhibiting a resilience that makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down despite his size. His smoothness and balance allow him to transition from receiver to runner quickly. He possesses enough speed to threaten the seam, making him equally dangerous in catch-and-run situations as he is when taking the top off a defense. He’s also an impressive blocker, capable of pancaking defensive backs on running plays.
Weaknesses
When evaluating Jonathan Mingo’s performance on the football field, it is clear that he possesses a few notable limitations that could hinder his overall success as a wide receiver. One of the primary areas in which Mingo struggles is his ability to threaten a defense with his deep ball potential consistently. While he has demonstrated some flashes of explosiveness in this regard, Mingo will need to develop a better sense of how to effectively sit down against a defense in zone coverage if he hopes to become a reliable deep threat.
Another challenge that Mingo faces is his lack creating separation off the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t have the quick burst off the snap and the explosive lateral quickness to beat defenders in the first few steps of his route.
Moreover, Mingo has experienced issues with consistency throughout his career, including a tendency to drop passes due to a lack of focus. Additionally, he has struggled with injuries, as evidenced by his broken foot during practice in preparation for the game against Alabama in 2021. These injury concerns are compounded by a history of health issues that may suggest a heightened risk of future injury.
Jonathan Mingo is the 102nd prospect on our draft big board.