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Former Mississippi State Commit Signs LOI With Southern Miss On National Signing Day

With star linebacker Chris Jones transferring to Florida State, Southern Miss may have just signed a player who can fill his spot going forward.
Dalton Trigg|
Caleb Triplett could be the next great Southern Miss linebacker.
Caleb Triplett could be the next great Southern Miss linebacker. | 247Sports

Southern Miss lost a handful of players to graduation and the transfer portal following the 2025 season, but the transfer of star sophomore linebacker Chris Jones to Florida State was arguably the biggest loss. Jones led the Sun Belt Conference in tackles last season and was in the top 10 in the nation.

However, the Golden Eagles are hoping recent signee Caleb Triplett can help fill the shoes Jones left behind. The 6-1, 220-pound D'Iberville product officially signed his LOI with Southern Miss on Wednesday, which was National Signing Day.

Triplett had initially committed to Mississippi State in June 2025, but he decommitted in October and ultimately chose Southern Miss as his new home in a live-TV announcement following the Navy All-American Game in January.

Although Triplett missed half of his senior year of high school ball due to an injury, he was still selected to compete in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game in December. The three-star recruit ended up winning the Mississippi MVP award in that game after finishing with a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, and a blocked punt.

Triplett has a ways to go before he reaches the level Jones got to for Southern Miss last season, but the physical attributes and football IQ are there. Now, it's all about getting in more live reps and letting experience do its thing.

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Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Publisher and Managing Editor and Publisher of Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI and hosts the Nasty Bunch & Beyond podcast. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. Trigg entered the sports journalism industry in 2017, covering the Dallas Mavericks for 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2019, where he continued to cover the Mavs until 2024. He also hosts the Mavs Step Back podcast, which was started in 2019. Trigg has been married to his high school / college sweetheart, Amy, who also graduated from Southern Miss, for nearly 10 years now. Outside of busy work lives, they enjoy traveling together, cheering on their Eags and Mavs, and spending valuable time with family, including their beloved eight-year-old rescue dog, Chance. You can find Trigg on all social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter): @dalton_trigg.

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