Mississippi State Extends First SEC Offer to Vicksburg Standout Jaylen Smith

Mississippi State offered Vicksburg edge rusher Jaylen Smith after a junior day visit, continuing its focus on identifying and landing top in-state talent early.

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby looks on against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Mississippi State hosted a long list of high school juniors on Saturday, but one name in particular felt like a reminder of what the program has always done best.

Vicksburg edge rusher Jaylen Smith, a 6‑foot‑5, 215‑pound two‑sport standout with the frame every SEC coach is hunting, made the trip to Starkville and left with an offer in hand.

And if you know anything about Mississippi State football, you know why that matters.

Smith isn’t a finished product yet. He’s a rising prospect with the kind of raw tools that get coaches leaning forward in their chairs: 61 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries, and an eye‑popping 53 solo stops last season. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s disruptive — the kind of kid who grows into a problem for offensive tackles once a college strength coach gets hold of him.

But more importantly, he’s from Mississippi. And that’s where this story really lives.

Mississippi State has put an emphasis on recruiting homegrown talent. The Bulldogs have never been afraid to be first on an in‑state kid, even when the recruiting industry hasn’t caught up yet. Saturday was another example: before the rest of the SEC could get a chance to offer, Mississippi State went ahead and jumped in the pool.

I’m honored to receive my first offer from Ms State @Coach_Leb @CoachTyWarren @CoachLacey24 @CoachDancyVI #greedygang pic.twitter.com/I2spaoK61p

— Jaylen Smith (@Jaylensmith0424) January 31, 2026

Smith spent time with position coach Vincent Dancy, and by all accounts, the two hit it off. Then came the moment that tends to stick with a young player: a private sit‑down with head coach Jeff Lebby. That’s where Smith learned he now has the chance to play SEC football without leaving home.

More schools will follow (Louisiana-Lafayette). That’s how this works once an SEC offer hits the table. But Mississippi State got there first, and that still means something in this state.

Smith talked with Genes’ Page’s Steve Robertson after the junior day festivities and described what the day was like and how he received his first official scholarship offer.

"It was nice. When I got there and I got signed in, I met all of the staff. They had a power point to show us and all of our family members about the staff and the program.  We were able to watch a little bit of the lift session that they had going on. We got to see the rehabilitation center and all of their recovery stuff. They have a full recovery team. After that, we broke off into position meetings. I was with the defensive end and the outside linebackers.

"I really like (Dancy) as a coach. You can tell that he loves the job. He has a lot of energy and I like that about him. I like to be around coaches that love the game just as much or more than I love the game.

"After everybody left, I was sitting there with my head coach (Christopher Lacey). We were waiting on Coach Lebby. He was in another meeting. When he got done, he called us into his office. Once we got in there, we talked about football. I asked a couple of questions and then he asked me if I had any offers yet. I told him, no. He told me that I had my first one from them.

"It feels great knowing that my first offer came from the SEC. That tells me that teams actually watched my film. It makes me know that there are eyes on me. It made me feel honored to get that offer. Coach Lebby told me himself. It wasn't an assistant coach, but the head coach. That made me feel very important and very welcomed at Mississippi State."