Junior linebacker for Mississippi State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 230 lb · Grayson, GA · Grayson HS (Tennessee)
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 82nd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, 1 INT, at South Carolina
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior linebacker for Mississippi State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Jalen Smith
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Jalen Smith has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt: 8 tackles, 1 INT against South Carolina — Week 3, 2026.
20 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Greg Knox → Jeff Lebby. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mississippi State | 20 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 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 | 115 | 42 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 62-13vs UL Monroe | 8 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 38-13@ Minnesota | 4 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-34@ South Carolina | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 41–34
1 interceptions · 8 tackles · 2 solo tackles
Edged out South Carolina on the road in a shootout.
With K. Taylor — 251 yds · 4 TD · 1 INT · QBR 87.9 · 33 rush yds (8 car) · F. Bothwell — 115 rush yds (21 car)
Since week 2: +8 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (82nd percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th percentile).
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
20tackles this seasonTFL rate
5%1 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups20 tackles · 1 for loss · 1 interception.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 8.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 6.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 6.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
Pass share
44.6%
91 pass / 113 run
Plays / game
68.0
3 games
Team sack rate
4.8%
105 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #60 of 76 SEC LBs
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Nate Ozdemir’s 2016 season.
Matches Nate on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Avery Sledge's senior season at Southern Miss (2025).
Matches Avery on
Differs from Avery on
Player DNA
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+…
6 more on the roster · Mississippi State team page