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Mississippi State

First offer helps Mississippi State land 2026 safety Tomareo Johnson

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones07/04/25PaulJonesOn3
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(Graphic by Jason Cleveland, Maroon and White Daily)

Not long after receiving his first offer from Mississippi State, Pascagoula High School’s Tomareo Johnson noted of the significance of that offer. On Friday, the 2026 safety and On3 three-star prospect followed through with that first offer and committed to the Bulldogs.

Johnson also holds Power 4 offers from Texas Tech and Vanderbilt, and officially visited Mississippi State, UNLV and Tulane in the month of June. Johnson is rated as the nation’s No. 68 safety and the state’s No. 31 prospect by On3 rankings.

“It meant a lot,” noted Johnson. “I said then whoever offered me first was going to have a special place in my heart. I also know Coach Barnes knows a lot about football and is smart about the game. I learned a lot from him just on my official visit. I know we are rebuilding but everyone is family there and everyone is on the same page.”

Overall, Johnson was also grateful that several schools gave him an opportunity despite just playing football for one season. But he knows the hard work to prove his worth is just beginning.

“I feel like it was a good process,” Johnson recalled. “A lot of schools offered me, especially being my first year to play, and I feel blessed by that. It showed how I developed and other schools were waiting to see if I develop more and see if I am really like that. So I still have a lot to prove this season but Mississippi State is getting a dog.”

For the Bulldogs, Johnson has the versatility and frame to play a variety of roles. He has discussed those options often with safeties coach Matt Barnes and does have a preference in the secondary.

“Mississippi State believes I can play all three safety spots – free safety, boundry safety and a hybrid safety,” Johnson explained. “To be honest, I like playing free safety the best. I like being in the post so I can go make plays.”

For much of his tenure at Pascagoula High School, Johnson focused on the basketball hardwood. After making a move to the gridiron last fall, he also used this offseason to transition his body to a football player.

“It was a lot about the mental part this offseason, too,” added the 6-foot-2 Johnson, who had 13 PBUs and seven interceptions as a junior. “I started studying more defense from a personnel standpoint. I also transformed my body from a basketball player to a football player. I’m up to 195 pounds now.”

Like several others in the class, Johnson will graduate high school in December and then enroll at Mississippi State in January. And he wants to take full advantage of that early start.

“I am graduating in December,” mentioned Johnson. “That is big for me and I can use it to my advantage. I can have an advantage over guys who don’t get there until the summer. It can help me get on the field quicker.”

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