Jalen Catalon

Position:
Safety
Ht./Wt.:
5-10 / 200
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Mansfield, Texas
High School:
Mansfield Legacy
Prev School:
UNLV

2025: An impact transfer in his seventh season of college football … Has started in all six games to open the 2025 season ... Has totaled 23 tackles (seven solo), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry on the year. Central Arkansas: Recorded three solo tackles in the home opener vs. Central Arkansas. Kansas: Finished with six total tackles (three solo) in the win over the rival Jayhawks. Louisiana: Logged one tackle in the win against the Ragin’ Cajuns. South Carolina: Chipped in a pair of tackles in the SEC opener against the Gamecocks ... Helped the Tigers limit USC to minus-9 rushing yards. Massachusetts: Led the team with five total tackles (one solo) and a pass breakup in the homecoming win over the Minutemen. Alabama: Matched a season high with six tackles (three solo) and hurried the quarterback once in the three-point loss to the No. 8 Crimson Tide … Key piece of a Tiger defense that limited the Crimson Tide to a season-low 325 total yards and quarterback Ty Simpson to a season-low 200 yards through the air.

PRIOR TO MIZZOU: Four-year letterwinner in football at Arkansas (2019-22), one-year letterwinner at Texas (2023) and one-year letterwinner at UNLV (2024) … two-time team captain at Arkansas (2021 and 2022) … a 2020 Third Team All-America selection by Phil Steele Publications and a 2024 Second Team All-America recipient by College Football Network … a 2020 Freshman All-America honoree from the Football Writers Association of America and The Athletic … earned Second Team All-SEC recognition in 2020 and First Team All-Mountain West nods in 2024 … named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2020 and 2024 … garnered 2020 First Team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press … two-time SEC Honor Roll member (2020 and 2021), Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2023) and UNLV Dean’s Honor List (2024) … in 14 career games (all starts) at UNLV, compiled 96 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, five INTs, four PBUs, one caused fumble and one QB pressure … tallied 4+ tackles in 13 games and 7+ stops six times, including a season-high 17 against Syracuse … logged a season-best 1.0 TFL on four occasions versus Utah Tech, Utah State, Oregon State, and San Deigo State … registered a year-high 1.0 sacks in contests with Oregon State and San Diego State … secured one INT in four games, including a season-best two against Houston in UNLV’s season opener … returned one INT against the Cougars 36 yards for a TD … notched one PBU against Houston, Fresno State, Syracuse and California … lone caused fumble came versus Oregon State and added one QB pressure against Houston … named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on two occasions (Oct. 21 and Sept. 23) … finished the 2024 season with a 76.0 overall grade, a 63.4 passer rating allowed and a 75.0 coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus ... in eight career games (four starts) at Texas, recorded 17 tackles, 1.0 TFL and one caused fumble … posted 2+ tackles on four occasions, including a year-best seven against Alabama … logged lone TFL in a contest with Alabama … registered one caused fumble versus Kansas … in 21 career games (16 starts) at Arkansas, secured 159 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 5 INT, nine PBUs, three caused fumbles, one fumble recovery and two QB pressures … led the Razorbacks in INTs and caused fumbles in 2020 … recorded 4+ tackles on 16 occasions and 8+ tackles 14 times, including a career-high 16 tackles against LSU in 2020 … tallied double-digit tackles in seven games against Mississippi State (13; 2020), Auburn (14; 2020), Tennessee (12; 2020), Florida (12; 2020), LSU (16; 2020), Alabama (10; 2020), Rice (11, 2021) … carded a career-best 1.5 TFL in a contest with LSU in 2020 … registered 1+ INT versus Ole Miss (2020), Tennessee (2020), Florida (2020), Rice x2 (2021) … returned one INT against the Rebels 35 yards for a TD … logged 1+ PBU in seven contests, including a career-high two against Florida (2020) and Georgia Southern (2021) … tallied one caused fumble in a contest with Western Kentucky (2019), Georgia (2020), Tennessee (2020) and lone fumble recovery occurred against Ole Miss (2020) … recorded one QB pressure versus Ole Miss (2021) and Cincinnati (2022) … named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week on Nov. 9 after making 12 tackles with an INT and a forced fumble in Arkansas' win over Tennessee … in 2020, averaged 9.90 tackles per game, which tied for the FBS freshman lead and was fourth among all SEC defenders … also became the only FBS freshman to post 95+ tackles and at least three INTs during the regular season and first SEC freshman since 2007 (Eric Berry, Tennessee) to post 86+ tackles with three picks … additionally that year, was the first SEC freshman since 2012 to record 70+ tackles with 3+ INT … played 2,488 career snaps throughout career at Arkansas, Texas and UNLV … lettered four seasons at Mansfield Legacy under Chris Melson … consensus four-star prospect according to ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com ... rated as the No. 243 and No. 289 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, respectively … listed as the No. 29, No. 31, and No. 42 prospect from the state of Texas according to 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com, respectively … charted as the No. 20, No. 23 and No. 28 overall safety prospect by Rivals.com, 247Sports.com, and ESPN.com, respectively … helped Mansfield Legacy to a 35-16 four-year ledger and four consecutive state playoff appearances, including a Texas Class 5A-II state quarterfinal showing as a sophomore and semifinal appearance as a junior … played on both sides of the ball at safety and quarterback for the Broncos … played in one game as a senior before a season-ending injury … on defense as a sophomore and junior, compiled 276 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 12 INTs, five fumble recoveries, four caused fumbles and one INT for a TD … on offense during those two years, finished 66-of-124 passing (.532) for 1,190 yards with 15 TDs, while adding 107 rushes for 941 yards (8.79) and 14 scores … added two receptions for 32 yards (16.00) to register 2,163 yards of total offense … also logged two kickoff returns for seven yards (3.50) and 19 punt returns for 142 yards (7.47) with one score … earned four Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017 from Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star Telegram, Associated Press and District 10-5A … also lettered in baseball and basketball.

PERSONAL: Born March 15, 2001 … son of Phyllis and Sherman Catalon … graduated from Arkansas in December 2022, with a communications degree … brother, Kendall, played football for six years at Southern University (2017-18), Arkansas (2019-21), and Abilene Christian University (2022).