#35

Jalen McLeod

Former nose tackle at Auburn. 2024: 8 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, 56 tackles.

NT · Auburn · Sr. · #35

6′1″ · 236 lb · Washington, DC

CFB Index 98 · #1 of 285 interior linemenLow confidenceJacksonville — drafted 2025, Rd 6, Pick 18, #194 overall

Recruiting

3★

ILB recruit

No. 1590 nationally · Signed with App State

Statement game9 tackles · 4 TFL · 3 sacksat Arkansas (FBS) · W 48-10

Top 1% tackles for loss game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former nose tackle at Auburn. 2024: 8 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, 56 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to App State in 2020.
Transferred from App State to Auburn in 2023.
Drafted round 6 by the Jacksonville in 2025.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Auburn, 181 tackles — drafted at #194 overall by Jacksonville.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20204 games

Signed with App State3-star out of Friendship Collegiate Academy

202312 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

2025

Drafted by Jacksonvilleround 6, pick 194

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1590 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2020–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

R6 · #194

Jacksonville · 2025

Coaching lineage · 2020–2024

4 coaches

2020

Kevin Steele

Auburn

2021

Bryan Harsin

Auburn

era →

2022

Cadillac Williams

Auburn

era →

2023–2024

Hugh Freeze

Auburn

era →

Played under 4 different head coaches: Kevin Steele, Bryan Harsin, Cadillac Williams, and Hugh Freeze. Multi-era developmental context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

JacksonvilleEntering 2nd NFL season

#194Rd 6 · Pick 18

JacksonvilleEntering 2nd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020App State9-3HC: Shawn Clark · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2021App State10-4HC: Shawn Clark · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2022App State6-6HC: Shawn Clark · Run-leaning

2023Auburn6-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-heavy

2024Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

98All-America level #1 of 285?

Low confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (99th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (99th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Sacks#32 / 2892 · 99th pct

8.0

Tackles for loss#36 / 2892 · 99th pct

13.5

Solo tackles#211 / 2892 · 92nd pct

Tackles#460 / 2892 · 84th pct

QB hurries#585 / 2892 · 74th pct

Passes defended#1155 / 2892 · 49th pct

Forced fumbles#55 / 700 · 46th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	4.8	1.3	0.6	0.1
Road4g	4.5	0.8	0.8	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	4.2	1.2	0.5	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	5.2	1.0	0.8	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Alex Golesh

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Impact starter

Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

98 · #1 of 285 interior linemen

Three-star recruit. Now #1 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Auburn	56	40	13.5	8.0	1	--	--
2023	Auburn	50	37	10.5	5.5	1	--	--
2022	App State	40	18	7.0	6.0	1	--	1
2021	App State	26	11	3.0	1.0	3	--	--
2020	App State	9	7	2.0	2.0	--	--	--
Career		181	113	36.0	22.5	6	--	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 13 · 2024

W 43–41

vs Texas A&M

10 TOT · 8 SOLO · 1 SACKS

Edged out Texas A&M at home in a shootout.

With P. Thorne — 301 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 77.3 · 38 rush yds (11 car) · O. Chapman — 34 AVG · 46 LONG · 5 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 73-3vs Alabama A&M	5	5	2.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 14-21vs California	5	4	2.5	0.0	—	0	2.5 TFL
Wk 3	W 45-19vs New Mexico	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 14-24vs Arkansas	7	6	2.0	1.0	—	1
Wk 5	L 21-27vs Oklahoma	4	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 13-31@ Georgia	2	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 17-21@ Missouri	6	4	2.0	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 9	W 24-10@ Kentucky	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	L 7-17vs Vanderbilt	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 48-14vs UL Monroe	4	3	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 43-41vs Texas A&M	10	8	2.0	1.0	—	0	Season-high 10 tackles
Wk 14	L 14-28@ Alabama	9	4	1.0	1.0	—	0
Total		56	40	13.5	8.0	—	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Jalen McLeod

20204 games

202312 games

2025

2024 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Impact starter

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

3-Tech Penetrator

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