Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Anthony Evans III (3) makes a catch over Florida Gators cornerback Jamroc Grimsley (26) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Mississippi State continues to bolster defensive secondary

Originally posted on Mississippi State Bulldogs on SI
By Taylor Hodges | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 1:57 PM ET

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby identified the secondary as an area the Bulldogs would need to improve through the transfer portal.

That's exactly what they're doing this week. Mississippi State received its third commitment from a defensive back in the transfer portal Wednesday afternoon.

Ex-Florida cornerback Jamaeer "Jamroc" Grimsley has committed to join Mississippi State for the 2026 season. He joins Quentin Taylor (Iowa State) and Kaylib Singleton (Syracuse) in a defensive secondary that's returning cornerback Kelley Jones and safety Isaac Smith.

COMMITMENT

Florida 3⭐️ 6’2 200 DB transfer Jamroc Grimsley has committed to Mississippi State.

Grimsley is a former top 170 national recruit and began his career at Alabama.@jamroc_ #HailState
— Hail State Recruiting (@DawgRecruits3) January 7, 2026

Grimsley played in two games during his 2024 freshman season and was on the field for 37 total snaps. This past season, Grimsely played in three games and made his first collegiate start against Mississippi State who he also recorded his first collegiate tackle against.

Now, Grimsley will be looking to make plays for Mississippi State instead of against it.

Earlier this week, Grimsley spoke with On3 about his official visit to Starkville.

“It was good, a good visit and I enjoyed it,” Grimsley said earlier this week. “They showed me around the facilities and I met with the head coach and the position coaches. I had a meeting with the academics and did a small photo shoot. We talked about a possible future with the team and how they see me fitting there.

“I talked a lot with Coach Corey Bell. We had a good conversation. They were already one of the schools I was considering so it was good to visit. I also talked to Coach Arnett, the defensive coordinator. I heard that when Coach (Zach) Arnett was at Mississippi State before, he had a first-rounder and a couple of third-rounders at cornerback.”