Isaac Smith Looking To Put Exclamation Point On Bulldog Career
July 22, 2026 | Football, Joel Coleman
State senior is confident something special is brewing in Starkville.
STARKVILLE – Isaac Smith can feel it in his gut. He believes it in his heart.
Something special is happening in Starkville, and as the safety gets set for his senior season, he's going in with confidence in both himself and his team.
"I really think under [head coach Jeff Lebby], a breakthrough is coming," Smith said. He's such a great coach. He's an even better person. Great people tend to make great coaches and he is. He cares about us – and that goes way beyond football – and he wants us to succeed. So, yeah, I really believe a breakthrough is coming."
A Bulldog breakthrough wouldn't just make for a glorious football season in Stark Vegas. It'd be a fitting exclamation point on Smith's career.
It's no secret college football and college athletics as a whole has changed. Long-tenured players now seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
That's not to say such a change is bad, it's simply different. The shift has enabled Mississippi State to benefit immensely.
On this year's roster alone, State will lean heavily on the talents of guys like Fluff Bothwell, Anthony Evans III, Jardin Gilbert and so many others who began their college careers elsewhere.
Just last season, State fans fell in love with Brenen Thompson. MSU was the third stop on the collegiate journey of the pass-catching speedster, who used Starkville as a springboard to the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
Still, there's no denying guys like Smith are treasured by the communities and programs they suit up for. Alongside fans, the Smiths of the world also endure highs and lows and see them through.
Smith, who was recruited by the late, great Mike Leach before finally suiting up for MSU as a true freshman in 2023, takes pride in being a career-long Dawg. He can't really envision himself doing anything differently.
"For me, it's just always been about not quitting on myself and not quitting on this place," Smith said. "I really think Lebby is going to do something great and we're going to do something great. I believe that day in and day out.
"So, for me, there's all that, plus I just love Starkville. I love the community. I love the people. I love playing football in the Maroon and White. I really wouldn't change any of it for the world."
Mississippi State has been just as proud to call Smith one of its own as Smith has been to call MSU his. The Fulton, Mississippi, native has been a standout essentially from the moment he arrived to campus as a four-star prospect out of Itawamba Agricultural High School.
He was one of only four true freshmen on State's roster to play in every game of the 2023 season. One year later, Smith led the entire Southeastern Conference and ranked seventh nationally with 127 tackles. That earned him All-SEC recognition from league coaches.
Smith followed that up last season with additional All-SEC honors as he battled through injury to still finish fourth on the State squad in tackles.
Still, Smith has meant so much more to State than his statistics. He's been a shoulder to lean on. He's been a motivator and a mentor.
"He's meant so much to me," cornerback Kelley Jones – a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in the upcoming spring – said of Smith. "I can remember asking him about a year ago, 'How do you tackle the way that you do?'
"I just listened and learned from him and looked at his aggression and how he goes about things. I've taken a lot from him, and it's influenced and improved my own game. He's just such a leader for all of us."
So, the question becomes this: Can Smith now help lead this Bulldog bunch to the breakthrough he's confident is imminent?
A few things stand out as reasons he can. One, he's seen the growth of the program under Lebby.
"We went from two wins two years ago to five wins last year," Smith said. "And I mean, so many of the games we didn't win last year were tight. It's on us as players in those moments to capitalize and win."
Along those lines, Smith thinks this year's roster is better built to hold up – both to finish off ballgames and withstand the bumps and bruises that are surely to come over a long season.
"This team has a lot of depth and I think that can carry us," Smith said. "We have multiple guys at every position that can go out and play good football for us."
If it all comes together, State will indeed earn the breakthrough its been seeking. Smith can enjoy the satisfaction of having persevered to attain it.
"It really would mean the world to me," Smith said. With my history here, to me, it would for sure be the exclamation mark on my collegiate story."
No matter what, Smith says he can't lose. Because to him, having the opportunity to be in Maroon these last four years has given him a measure of success no scoreboard can.
"Being able to stay home and play for my state and wear our colors, it all means more than words can even say," Smith said. "To me, Starkville is the best spot in the country to do this."
