SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 23, 2026

Kelley Jones

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Press Conference

Q. In 2023 you played in zero games and now you're projected as a first-round NFL draft pick. Who kind of helped you get there, and what does that mean to you to have such a great success at State?

KELLEY JONES: I would say Coach Lebby and my coach, Corey Bell as well. He played a big impact on what I did and for believing in me. I feel like that's why I'm here today to talk y'all. I feel like he played a big role in my success.

Just me staying down and just staying to the course and just believing in God. Just being thankful for every opportunity, every moment of me just playing the game.

Q. Team goals are obviously at the top of your list, but what individual goals do you want to meet so those team goals are successful?

KELLEY JONES: To be the best corner in the country, to win the Jim Thorpe Award, just staying detail-oriented, just doing everything that my coaches tell me to do. To be the guy that I be each and every day.

When my teammates look to the left of me and look to the right, they know that I got their back. And they know that I'm coming out with our team and ready to win.

Q. You're always preaching about your faith on social media. How has that helped you stay grounded in some of the most challenging times during football?

KELLEY JONES: It's just staying down, just staying to the course. Just looking back on the time when it wasn't the same, when I didn't have people watching me. Just staying to the course and just believing in God and just staying in tune.

Q. I want to fast-forward to a Saturday in September in Starkville. You're at Davis Wade Stadium. You're in the tunnel. You've been there before. The cowbells are ringing. It's crazy. Do you still get goosebumps?

KELLEY JONES: Honestly, I do. And that's the weird part about it. I feel like I love the game so much that you're going to get goosebumps and you just got chills. And until the ball get kicked off, I feel like everything just hits differently. It's just a very thankful and grateful moment just to be there.

Q. Being from Mississippi, what made State a place that you wanted to be? What's the spirit of it, the culture, everything?

KELLEY JONES: I feel like the culture at Mississippi State, everybody loves one another, everybody gets along. It feels like just being very loved and just being in tune. Everywhere you go, people are showing love. I took pictures with babies and little kids. I just love it there. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Q. Every athlete makes TikToks. Your guys' TikTok, the Quiet on the Creek one went viral. Why do you think you're getting so much hate for that when that's so normal in college football?

KELLEY JONES: Speaking of Quiet on the Creek, it's real loud in Davis Wade. But all seriousness, though, just feel like we had a great lift with a great group of guys, we were just team bonding, having great mindsets, not even having a thought of just any negative thing. Just going out and really just having fun. And we're just looking forward to having a great camp and a great season.

Q. Who do you feel like is the heartbeat of this defense as y'all go into this season?

KELLEY JONES: The heartbeat of the defense I feel like Isaac Smith and also me as well. The guys look up to me for the things that I've did, like having production on the field. So that's what comes with it.

But I would say Isaac Smith for the production he just had over the years and then just the course and the leader he are, I just feel like us two and a couple more guys.

Q. Almost all kids when they start to play football gravitate to offense -- quarterback, running back, wide receiver. When did you morph to the other side of the ball and why?

KELLEY JONES: I played quarterback in high school and I played safety on defense in high school. When I went to Mississippi State Bulldog camp I ran the 40 and they realized how fast I was so they moved me to the corner. And with me just being thankful for every opportunity. I was doing whatever to put myself in a situation to put my family in a better situation to make it out and that's what I'm still doing. I took it and ran with it.

Q. I want to look on the offensive side of the ball, but also y'all's part to help Kamario Taylor, his first year as the starter. He's getting a lot of hype. We know what kind of a player he is. What is the mindset for the defense to help him out when it comes to these late game situations?

KELLEY JONES: To get off the field, to not let a team score on us at all. If we don't let a team score on us then how can they beat us? So knowing that we get this guy back the ball, knowing he can do anything extravagant to get us in a better place to win, and with him being that quarterback, I feel like we have a chance to beat anybody.

Q. The fan base kind of fell in love with you last year. They had the signs at the games, the Instagram fan pages, the songs. What does that mean to you? And what was your favorite song that you saw posted?

KELLEY JONES: Really he made a song about me. It's called "I Love Kelley Jones." And I ain't going to lie, I'm very thankful and very grateful to even have things like that. The thought that even people even thinking about me like that is just insane.

I thank God each and every day to even put me in this situation to just have things like that. But I take it as a grain of salt. I love it. And that's why I show love every time I get to see it.

Q. What's it like knowing that when your defense gets stops you give the ball back to guys like Mario Taylor and Fluff in the backfield?

KELLEY JONES: I feel like it's a great thing. We just know that going to the sideline that it's a big chance that we are going to go score. And when we're the game, giving Kamario back the ball and guys like Fluff Bothwell, that they bring the crowd to get louder. And guys like Kamario, with the Heisman season that he's about to have, and with Fluff Bothwell, with the season he's about to have, it's gonna be fantastic. So giving them back the ball is a great thing for us.

Q. If you could describe your team's personality in three words, what would they be?

KELLEY JONES: Fun, fantastic and lovable.

Q. When you look at the NFL now, everybody has a tall wide receiver. College is coming the same way. You're a unicorn. There aren't a lot of tall cornerbacks. How important is that to use your size on that?

KELLEY JONES: Our flight is very important. Knowing that they ain't seen guys like me in a long time, I just take it and just go out there and just do the training that my coach tell me to do and just doing the work (indiscernible).

Q. Is there a certain aspect of the season you're most looking forward to, whether it's just practices and getting to play, or is there something else that you're looking for?

KELLEY JONES: I feel like just everything is practicing, waking up and just being able, just to even go have the small practices, knowing we've got fall camp ahead. Knowing that everything is just ahead of us, for the season ahead of us, the first game, SEC games, and just really whatever that comes with it.

Q. Who is the most influential person in your life and why?

KELLEY JONES: I would say my mom. Just watched my mom go through the things she went through when I was younger and me not being able to do anything about it because I was so young.

I used to always ask God, you just give me a chance, I will make sure things right. And He gave me the chance to be able to bless me with football. Just growing up and just knowing football comes with so much love and just so much grit, and it will teach you about life as well. So that's one of the biggest things. And my grandma, as well. Basically my family. That's my biggest why.

Q. Obviously every game in Davis Wade Stadium is going to be a big one. But which one do you think is going to be the loudest and which ones are you most excited to play in?

KELLEY JONES: I feel like every one is gonna the loudest. I feel like the first game of the season is gonna be a dream come true, walking out, seeing all the fans back. Seeing Kelley Jones lover, seeing all the cowbells. Seeing all the people. Just seeing everybody with a smile on their fast, knowing what type of season we're about to have, knowing how much -- how bad we want it.

We got Zach Arnett back. Knowing what Coach Lebby, with the mindset he got going into the season that we overly understand now and we are ready to make history.