Jalen Smith
Jalen Smith
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Jalen Smith has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. The receipt: 12 tackles against Wake Forest — Bowl, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Greg Knox → Jeff Lebby. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 57 | 20 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Tennessee | 34 | 13 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Tennessee | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 95 | 36 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2025
W 38–35
at Arkansas
3 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 PD
Edged out Arkansas on the road in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Mississippi State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Mississippi State
Returning around him
- 2 Mississippi State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -13 net (27 in / 40 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Mississippi State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #24 · 2026 recruiting class #23
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dorian Mausi’s 2021 season.
Matches Dorian on
Differs from Dorian on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaiden Ausberry's junior season at Notre Dame (2025).
Matches Jaiden on
Differs from Jaiden on
Background
Career Honors 2025 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll 2024 SEC All-Freshman 2023 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll Career Notes Played in 30 career games with zero starts … Following the 2025 season, had 95 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one pass breakup … One 10+ tack...