Jalen McLeod
| Auburn Tigers – No. 35 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 236 lb (107 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Appalachian State (2020–2022) Auburn (2023–present) |
| High school | Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C.) |
Jalen McLeod is an American football linebacker for the Auburn Tigers. He previously played for the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Early life
[edit]McLeod attended Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C., where he was an honorable mention all-metro selection after making 60 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior; he helped the team to the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association championship in both 2018 and 2019.[1] An outside linebacker, he was ranked a three-star prospect, the 1,640th-best player nationally and the 68th-best recruit at his position by 247Sports.[2] He received relatively little attention as a recruit – having no offers from Power Five teams – and committed to play college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers, one of only two NCAA Division I FBS programs to give an offer.[3]
College career
[edit]McLeod appeared in five games, one as a starter, as a true freshman in 2020, posting nine tackles and two sacks.[4] He then played in all 14 games in 2021 and recorded 26 tackles, a sack, and three tackles-for-loss (TFLs).[4] As a junior in 2022, he posted 41 tackles, six sacks, 7.5 TFLs and two forced fumbles, with both of his forced fumbles coming in an upset win over Texas A&M.[5] He was selected third-team All-Sun Belt Conference (SBC) for his 2022 performance.[6]
McLeod opted to transfer following the 2022 season, concluding his stint with the Mountaineers having made 76 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and three forced fumbles in 30 games played.[7] He ended up transferring to the Auburn Tigers for the 2023 season.[8] With the Tigers that year, he totaled 50 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks.[9] As a senior in 2024, he recorded 57 tackles and a team-leading 14 TFLs and eight sacks.[10] He was invited to the 2025 Senior Bowl.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Jalen McLeod". Auburn Tigers.
- ^ Silva, Richard (May 2, 2023). "Appalachian State transfer pass rusher Jalen McLeod commits to Auburn football". The Montgomery Advertiser.
- ^ Cohen, Matt (August 14, 2023). "Jalen McLeod was very particular in the portal. Auburn provided exactly what he wanted". AL.com.
- ^ a b "Jalen McLeod". Appalachian State Mountaineers.
- ^ Cohen, Matt (November 9, 2023). "How Auburn's Jalen McLeod rose from undersized to a vital pass rusher". AL.com.
- ^ Silva, Richard (November 14, 2023). "Auburn football's Jalen McLeod is finally healthy, and that's bad news for opposing QBs". The Montgomery Advertiser.
- ^ Lee, Ainslie (July 24, 2023). "Year one on The Plains: Meet Auburn's transfer Jack linebacker Jalen McLeod". AL.com.
- ^ Lee, Justin (August 15, 2023). "Auburn's head-turning Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod has already made his impact on the SEC". Opelika-Auburn News.
- ^ Biggs, Terrance (July 13, 2024). "Auburn Tigers Undersized Edge Plays Oversized Role". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ a b Stephenson, Creg (December 2, 2024). "Auburn's Jalen McLeod headed to 2025 Senior Bowl". AL.com.