Bralan Womack addition a major win for Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State in multiple ways

For many, Bralan Womack’s late flip to Mississippi State was a shock but it was a decision that had been built for years.

As a Mississippi kid, Womack grew up in the state with dreams of playing SEC football. For many years, those dreams included playing for the Bulldogs but opportunities grew as Womack blossomed at Hartfield Academy.

As a sophomore, Womack was already beginning to gain buzz throughout the state and then head coach Zach Arnett and his staff already started the process of recruiting him. That process was amplified when Jeff Lebby took the job at State and he began to get to know Womack and the family on a personal level.

Despite the ups and downs of his recruitment, the two parties remained in touch. When Hugh Freeze was fired at Auburn, the Bulldogs became a real possibility based largely on Lebby.

“Me and Bralan had an incredible relationship. There’s been great dialogue. I believe in that young man in a great, great way,” Lebby said. “He’s loved Mississippi State for a long time. He’s been over here a ton from the time he was a youngster coming over here for games, all the different camps he’s attended. I think it all came full circle for him. He’s got an incredible family. There’s great trust on both ends there.

“Just so excited that at the end of the day, it was important for him to be a Bulldog. A guy that loves Mississippi State and it was important for him to stay in the state and be a guy inside this signing class that we can lean on and depend on. So a huge piece of it. A ton of excitement around him with great reason and we were aggressive with him from Day 1. We wanted him to be a guy that could lead this class.”

Womack is a playmaker in the back of the defense

At 6’0, 200 pounds, Womack packs a bit of a bunch at safety, but he might be one of the state’s best athletes. Rivals has Womack as the No. 37 player in the country, the No. 2 safety nationally and the state’s second best player.

What the talented defender does on the defensive side of the ball speaks for itself. As a junior, Womack was the Gatorade Player of the Year inside the state as he had over 1,000 yards receiving and translated that to the defensive side of the ball. His offensive skill set is what has made him such a great defensive player in the backend and could have him playing right away for the Bulldogs in 2026.

“I love the skill set from this standpoint. He’s got this offensive skill set, but a defensive mentality,” Lebby said. “This is a guy that can play in the post, defensively. He can play in man coverage. When the ball is in the air, it’s his. You see all the plays he makes offensively, he’s got this incredible amount of ball skills and then he has body control. When the ball is in the air, being in position is one thing. Then when the ball is in the air, being in position and going and making the play is another thing. He has the ability to do that and we need that.”

Womack joins a secondary that is in need of an upgrade. The Bulldogs are losing two starters in Brylan Lanier and Jahron Manning at safety and the performance of the group was up and down over the last two seasons. In addition, a talented safety appears to be on the move as Starkville native Stonka Burnside entered the transfer portal.

The Flowood native adds elite talent to the backend and should help right away. But the biggest impact could be down the road. With Womack turning down several big names, he made a statement for the Bulldogs’ recruiting efforts inside the state.

“I think it’s a huge thing, especially when it’s a guy inside our state. A guy that has great name recognition, and has been through it,” Lebby said. “When (2027 recruits) come on campus and they are around Bralan, they’re gonna know who he is. He’s going to be able to talk them through the entire process and knowing at the end of the day, relationships matter, understanding where we’re going is something he’s excited about. That will create a ton of momentum for guys to come.”