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2026 safety Kolby Barrett commits to Mississippi State

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•05/24/25•

HunterShelton_

Mississippi State wide receiver Justin Brown enters NCAA transfer portal
(Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Alcoa (Tenn.) Baylor School three-star safety Kolby Barrett has committed to Mississippi State, he announced on Saturday morning.

He chose the Bulldogs over offers from the likes of Purdue, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and others.

Barrett is the No. 107 safety and No. 36 player in Tennessee in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the No. 1,128 prospect overall.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder visited Starkville in April and has locked in an official visit for next month. Head coach Jeff Lebby and MSU now have eight commits in their 2026 recruiting class.

As a junior, Barrett acquired 60-plus total tackles, 10 pass breakups, four interceptions and a forced fumble. He plays for one of the top high school football programs in Tennessee.

Bulldogs add member to 2026 class

Mississippi State now has the nation’s No. 42 class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Bulldogs lost a pledge from Tupelo (Miss.) three-star cornerback Iverson McCoy earlier this week, but a new DB is now in the fold.

New Albany (Miss.) four-star offensive tackle Emanuel Tucker is the top-ranked prospect in the class, checking in as the No. 203 recruit and No. 16 OT overall. He committed in February and is one of three in-state recruits in the mix, alongside Macon Noxubee County three-star athlete Jaiden Taylor and Tupelo three-star running back Jaeden Hill.

Taylor is the younger brother of true freshman quarterback KaMario Taylor, who signed with the Bulldogs back in December. Hill is the No. 39 RB in the cycle.

May 1 brought a pledge from Kingston (Ga.) Cass three-star quarterback Brodie McWhorter. The 6-foot-1 signal-caller is a former West Virginia pledge and now ranks as the No. 35 QB nationally.

“Coach Lebby and I have a great relationship. He’s an offensive-minded coach that I like a lot,” McWhorter previously told On3’s Chad Simmons.

Other commits in the class include: Niceville (Fla.) three-star interior offensive lineman Jakobe Green, Winnsboro (Texas) three-star wide receiver Camden Capehart and Valdosta (Ga.) three-star cornerback Camron Brown.