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Mississippi State

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 36 Days - No. 36, S Ja'Bryis Stewart

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk07/25/25RobbieFaulkOn3
ja'bryis stewart
Photo courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look at a new face in the defensive backfield.   

36 Days: No. 36, Jr. S Ja’Bryis Stewart

Just a few years ago, Stewart would have never expected he’d be playing college football.

The Terry High School alum left the state upon his graduation and  he moved to Florida where he was cutting trees. It didn’t take long, however, for him to feel the itch to get back home and to return to the gridiron.

A year away from football didn’t take away Stewart’s speed. He came back home and would go to a tryout at Mississippi Delta Community College where he earned a roster spot as a walk on linebacker. As a freshman in 2023, Stewart earned his way on the field and played in nine games with 27 tackles, two forced fumbles and 1.0 sack.

The speed would be too much to ignore as a potential defensive back and the coaches at Delta moved him to safety last season. While playing the same amount of games last year, Stewart would rack up 53 tackles while grabbing three interceptions, forcing two more fumbles and delivering another sack.

Stewart had gone from a walk on JUCO player to the No. 1 safety in the country by On3. Old Dominion and Florida International offered scholarships and State would come through with one as well with Stewart rising to near four-star status as the No. 16 JUCO player nationally.

After visiting Starkville, Stewart was sold that he wanted to stay home and play for the Magnolia state and he committed during Thanksgiving week. The 6’1, 215-pound Stewart was unheralded as a recruit in the class, but he could be a sleeper to make some noise for Coleman Hutzler’s defense this season.

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