| No. 6 – Tennessee Volunteers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) |
| College | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Jalen McMurray is an American football defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers. He previously played for the Temple Owls.
McMurray attended Gonzaga College High School, where he was a 3 year starter and an All Conference performer in the highly competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). As a sophomore, Gonzaga won the 2018 WCAC Championship in what some have described as the best high school football game ever. To date, this game contained 5 current NFL players. The 2020 COVID epidemic postponed Jalen's senior season until Spring of 2021. As Captain, he was integral in leading the Eagles to an undefeated (5-0) truncated season. Coming out of high school, McMurray was rated as a two-star recruit, where he committed to play college football for the Temple Owls. [1]
During his first collegiate season in 2021, McMurray used the season to redshirt. [2] Over the next two seasons in 2022 and 2023, he started in 23 games, where he totaled 88 tackles, eleven pass deflections, an interception, a fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles. In 2022, he started all 12 games, became the first freshman cornerback to earn a single-digit jersey number since 2019 second-round draft pick Rock Ya-Sin and was named a second-team All-American by College Football News [3] [4] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, McMurray decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. [5]
McMurray transferred to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. [6] During his first season with the Volunteers in 2024, he totaled 14 tackles and four pass deflections. [7] McMurray entered the 2025 season, as a starter in the Tennessee secondary. [8] In week one of the 2025 season, he notched a sack and a pass deflection in a season opening win over Syracuse. [9] [10] For his performance during the 2025 season, he was named to the SEC Community Service Team, an SEC Academic Honor Roll member, as well as accepting an invite to participate in the 2026 Senior Bowl. [11] [12]