Dereon Albert nears decision after official visits, final stop at Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Jackson Academy’s Dereon Albert didn’t always plan to narrow down his options so quickly, but he's not going to drag things out.

The 2026 defensive lineman, a four-star prospect in On3’s composite rankings, originally thought June would be packed with official visits. Plans have apparently changed.

After a visit to North Carolina back in April, Albert headed to Tennessee for his first SEC official visit last weekend. Now, just one more trip remains and he’ll finish up this weekend at another SEC school.

Albert, ranked 34th among defensive linemen nationally and 13th overall in Mississippi, has been methodical about the process. He was set to visit Arkansas and Tulane, but ended up canceling those trips.

“I went to Tennessee for an official visit last weekend,” Albert told On3. “I was supposed to go to Arkansas and Tulane for official visits but I cancelled those. Then my last official visit is to Mississippi State this weekend.”

He’s focused on finding more than just a football program. “On these visits I am looking for a place that is home,” said the 6-foot-2, 270-pound lineman.

“I also want a place my family loves and somewhere that can develop me—not just as a player, but as a person. I want a good place to call home.”

Mississippi State isn’t new to Albert. He’s been there multiple times this year. He expects this official visit to have a different feel, offering a deeper look at life with the Bulldogs, both on the field and in the classroom.

“I want to see more than I did for the junior day visits,” he said. “My official visit to State will be way different than what you think it is. When I get there I want to make sure I can get developed there and I want to look at more of the academic side of things, too.”

Albert has been on Mississippi State’s radar for a while.

Defensive line coach David Turner made his interest official several months ago, and Albert feels like a priority.

“It’s a good relationship with Coach Turner,” Albert said. “He’s been talking to me since I was in the 9th grade, so it’s been great. He wants me at State and he lets me know that a lot. He said I will love it up there.”

When the visits are over, Albert won’t keep anyone waiting long. He’s ready to make his college choice next month, and he’s already picked the date: July 18th, the same day his teammate and fellow 2026 prospect TJ White plans to announce.

“Me and TJ White should be making our decision on the same day,” Albert said. “I’ve started to break things down on my official visits, and it’s going to be a hard decision. But it will mainly be about what my family likes.”