A hometown linebacker who anchored Cincinnati's defense for three seasons, Jack Dingle joined the Bengals as an undrafted free agent with a football family pedigree.
Jack Dingle spent five years at the University of Cincinnati, starting three seasons at middle linebacker before signing with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft. He is the son of former Bearcats defensive lineman Nate Dingle and attended Louisville's Trinity High School.
Path to the league
Dingle attended Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, before enrolling at the University of Cincinnati, where he spent five years and developed into a three-year starter at middle linebacker. His father, Nate Dingle, played defensive line for the Bearcats in the 1990s, and his older brother, Jacob Dingle, also played at Cincinnati from 2019 to 2022.
Career highlights
As a run-defending, gap-closing linebacker, Dingle was named to The Athletic's annual college football 'Freaks List' for his combination of size and athleticism. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals worth roughly $3.1 million.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Cincinnati in 2025, Dingle started 10 of 12 games and posted 60 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks, with career highs of nine tackles against BYU and seven against UCF. That production as a run-stopper in the middle of the Bearcats' defense helped him land a rookie deal with the Bengals that spring.
Sources
- ESPN: Jack Dingle
- Bengals.com: Jack Dingle
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Cincinnati
- Hometown
- Louisville, KY, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
