Editor’s Note: It’s never too early for football. In anticipation for Mississippi State’s 2026-27 season, The Dispatch will spend this week and next breaking down MSU’s position groups. Today’s position: the safeties.
Mississippi State fans are going to have to recognize new faces in the secondary next season.
The Bulldogs’ two projected starting safeties are new transfers into Starkville. Of the six safeties listed on MSU’s depth chart on OurLads.com, only two were Bulldogs last season.
Here is a look at MSU’s projected safeties depth chart.
The starters
Strong safety Jardin Gilbert, graduate
Jardin Gilbert’s third stop in his college football career is in Starkville.
He spent three seasons at Texas A&M, before spending his last two at LSU. He has 145 tackles and nine pass breakups in his career. He played in four regular season games and a bowl game, preserving another year of eligibility, last season.
He was a 3-star recruit in the portal, and a 4-star recruit out of high school from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Free safety Marcus Williams, redshirt senior
Marcus Williams made the jump into SEC ball after four seasons at Rice.
He started 12 games last year for the Owls, tallying 67 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. He was a 3-star recruit in the portal, originally from Hoover, Alabama.
The backups
Strong safety Tanner Johnson, redshirt senior
Tanner Johnson has spent his entire career at Mississippi State.
He’s played in 26 games across his four years at State. He played in all 13 games with 13 total tackles last season. He measures at 6’ 0, 185 pounds, originally from Kyle, Texas.
Free safety Bralan Womack, freshman
Bralan Womack is a freshman with a lot of hype.
He was the highest rated recruit in MSU’s 2026 class, and the fourth-highest rated safety in the nation according to On3. Womack was named the 2026 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year and had 142 total tackles in four years of varsity ball at Hartfield Academy.
He measures at 6’ 1, 210 pounds.
The third stringers
Ja’Bryis Stewart, redshirt junior
Ja’Bryis Stewart made an appearance in five games for State last season.
He played in two seasons at Mississippi Delta Community College and was ranked the second best JUCO safety in his transfer class. He measures at 6’ 1, 215 pounds.
Dre Riley, junior
Dre Riley will play his first season at Mississippi State in 2026.
He was rated the third-best safety in the JUCO transfer class after spending two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He had 72 tackles and three interceptions throughout his two seasons at NMCC.
He measures at 6’ 1, 185 pounds.
Also on the roster
Redshirt sophomore Boogie Johnson – 6’ 2, 200 pounds from Hooks, Texas.
Redshirt senior Tanner Johnson – 6’ 0, 185 from Kyle, Texas.
Redshirt freshman Sekou Smith Jr. – 6’ 0, 180 pounds.
Redshirt Junior Vic Sutton – 6’ 0, 180 pounds.
Redshirt Junior Terrance Love – 6’ 2, 210 pounds.
The freshmen
Antavious Watts – 6’ 0, 185 pounds.
Kolby Barnett – 6’ 2, 210 pounds.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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