2025 defensive back Sekou Smith Jr. recaps Mississippi State decision
Miami Central (Fla.) High School’s Sekou Smith Jr. got his first look at Mississippi State’s program with an unofficial visit in the spring. That experience led to the 2025 athlete and On3 three-star prospect scheduling a return trip to Starkville for an official visit, which was this weekend.
While back on campus, Smith also made a pledge to make Mississippi State his future home and was one of several official visitors that committed to the Bulldogs on Saturday during that visit.
“I was also in Starkville for an unofficial visit a few weeks back,” the 6-foot and 180-pound Smith recalled. “So my official visit was my second time there. Coach (Corey) Bell is from Miami so we already had that connection. He said he wanted to get him down for an unofficial visit and that visit was pretty cool. So I decided I wanted to come back for an official visit and I went ahead and committed.”
Smith is being recruited as a safety at the next level and is rated as the nation’s No. 81 athlete by On3 rankings. The Miami Central (Fla.) High School product also holds offers from Miami, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Louisville and Maryland among others.
On Saturday evening, fellow visitors Stephen Miller, Derrion Horsley and Josiah Clemons also committed to State. Initially, Smith had no idea that several guys would join in on the commitment craziness this weekend.
“I didn’t even know they were going to commit at the same time,” said Smith with a laugh. “I thought I was going to be one of the few guys to commit. But then everyone started ringing the ball and I wanted to be part of the trend, too. So it was cool to be part of that.”
And being able to build those early bonds with the other new State commitments in the secondary should aid their connection in the future, he said.
“That’s a good thing,” Smith added. “I got to know those other DB (defensive back) commitments this weekend and I am feeling pretty good about it. I have a good opportunity to play with those guys and I feel we are all here for a reason.”
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Of late, Smith has also spent a lot of time with head coach Jeff Lebby and that scene continued during his official visit.
“It’s always good with Coach Lebby and he is a cool guy,” Smith explained. “It’s always good vibes with him and he gets it. I love his son, too, and his son is a funny guy. Coach Lebby already treats me like his own son so we have a good bond.”
Overall, it was a major moment for Smith and his parents in Starkville. Outside of making his commitment, there were other events throughout the weekend that made an impression Smith. That feeling of being at home was also something Smith experienced with his player host, as well.
“The scavenger hunt deal was really cool,” noted Smith. “But my favorite part was probably at the end on Friday night when we ate. We had sno-cones, corn dogs and all of that. It was just a cool environment to be in.
“Elijah Cannon was my player host and he was good, too. He was an early enrollee that got here in January and he’s from Florida. He is one of the reasons I committed because he treated me like family and is a cool guy.”
