A versatile defensive lineman who spent his early career at Michigan State before finishing at Cincinnati, Jalen Hunt signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Jalen Hunt is a 315-pound defensive lineman from Detroit who logged significant snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle during his college career, giving him positional versatility on the interior. After transferring from Michigan State to Cincinnati, he went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Jaguars, who value his run-stopping ability along the defensive front.
Path to the league
Hunt began his college career at Michigan State before transferring to Cincinnati, where he spent his final two seasons and missed the 2024 season due to injury. At 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds, he lined up both inside and on the edge for the Bearcats, playing 284 snaps at defensive end and 132 snaps on the interior in his final season. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL draft and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Hunt played in all 12 games at Cincinnati in 2023 before his 2024 season was cut short by injury. He returned for a full senior season in 2025, earning recognition as one of Pro Football Focus's top-graded run defenders among interior defensive linemen while showing the athleticism to line up across multiple spots on the defensive front.
2025 season recap
In his final college season, Hunt started all 13 games for Cincinnati and recorded 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, splitting time between defensive end and defensive tackle. The production and versatility helped him earn an undrafted free agent contract with Jacksonville worth a $215,000 guarantee.
Sources
- ESPN: Jalen Hunt
- Jaguars.com: Jalen Hunt
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Cincinnati
- Hometown
- Detroit, MI, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
