2018 Football Roster
Darden, Jaelon
Jersey Number 1
Jaelon Darden
- Position:
- WR
- Ht./Wt.:
- 5-9 / 165
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Houston, TX
- High School:
- Eisenhower HS
Bio
Finished his career as the program's all-time leader in career receptions (230), receiving yards (2,782) and receiving touchdowns (38), is the program record holder for single-season receiving touchdowns (19 in 2020), ranks second in total (receiving/rushing/returns) career touchdowns (39) and second in single-season receiving yards (1,190 in 2020). Had nine career multi-touchdown games and six career three-touchdown games, with four coming in 2020.
Named a finalist for the 2020 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the 2020 Biletnikoff Award
Ranked second in the nation in receiving touchdowns (19), third in receiving yards (1,190) and fourth in receptions (74) during the 2020 season - as of 1/4/2021 -
2020:
• Named an ESPN All-American
• Named a First Team All-American by Pro Football Focus and the Football Writers Association of America
• Named a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News, the American Football Coaches Association and The Athletic
• Named the Conference USA Most Valuable Player and earned First Team All-Conference Honors
• Named the Pro Football Focus Conference USA Player of the Year
• Named the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Texas College Offensive Player of the Year
• Preseason Conference USA selection
• On the preseason watch list for the Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Tyler Campbell Rose awards while also featured on the Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 list
• Finished with 74 catches for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns, all team highs, while starting all nine games this season
• Had team-highs with eight catches for 173 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (the ninth multi-touchdown game of his career), became the program leader in career receptions (230) and receiving yards (2,782) while also taking over second-place all-time in single season receiving yards with 1,190 and total career touchdowns (rushing/receiving/returns) with 39 in the win vs. UTEP on 12/11
• Named the Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after having team-highs with eight catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns (the fifth three-touchdown game of his career) and becoming the program leader in career touchdown catches (34) and single-season touchdowns (15) vs. Louisiana Tech on 12/3
• Had a team-high eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown (which tied the career program record) at UTSA on 11/28
• Had a team-high four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown (the 30th of his career) in the win vs. Rice on 11/21
• Had a team-high 10 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17
• Had a team-high 13 tied his career-high with 13 catches for a career-high 244 yards and three touchdowns vs. Charlotte on 10/10
• Had a team-high and tied his career-high with 13 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown vs. Southern Miss on 10/3
• Caught a team-high five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns vs. SMU on 9/19
• Caught five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening win vs. HBU on 9/5
2019:
• Had 76 receptions for 736 yards and 12 touchdowns, all of which lead the Mean Green along with two carries for 13 yards while starting all 12 games and was a first-team all-conference selection
• Caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown vs. UAB on 11/30
• Had one catch and returned four punts for 36 yards at Rice on 11/23
• Caught six passes for 16 yards at Louisiana Tech on 11/9
• Had six catches for sixty yards and tied his career-high with three touchdowns in the win vs. UTEP on 11/2
• Caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown at Charlotte on 10/26
• Had a career-high 13 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown in the win vs. Middle Tennessee on 10/19
• Caught five passes for a team-high 87 yards and a career-high three touchdowns at Southern Miss on 10/12
• Caught eight passes for 43 yards and returned one punt for 15 yards vs. Houston on 9/28
• Caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown and returned one punt for 13 yards in the win vs. UTSA on 9/21
• Caught two passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for eight yards at California on 9/14
• Caught six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown at SMU on 9/7
• Had a team-high 10 catches for 59 yards and returned three punts for 25 yards in the season-opening win vs. Abilene Christian on 8/31
2018:
• Had 48 catches for 575 yards and four touchdowns to go along with three carries for 16 yards in 13 games, five of which were starts
• Had two catches for eight yards in the New Mexico Bowl vs. Utah State on 12/15
• Made three catches for 17 yards on 11/24 at UTSA in the win
• Caught three passes for four yards in the win vs. Florida Atlantic on 11/15
• Had four catches for 29 yards on 11/10 at Old Dominion
• Made one catch for 19 yards in the win vs. Rice on 10/27
• Caught a career high 10 passes for 143 yards and two scores, also career highs, on 10/20 at UAB
• Had three catches for 21 yards vs. Southern Miss in the win on 10/13
• Made five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 10/6 in the win at UTEP
• Caught four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in the win at Liberty on 9/22
• Had five catches for 87 yards on 9/15 in the win at Arkansas
• Made two catches for 10 yards and averaged 20.3 yards per punt return on three attempts in the win vs. Incarnate Word on 9/8
• Caught six passes for 81 yards, in the win on 9/1 vs. SMU to open his sophomore season
2017:
• Finished with 32 catches for 281 yards with three touchdowns in 14 appearances
• Made two catches for 16 yards in the C-USA Championship Game at Florida Atlantic on 12/2
• Named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 81 yards for a score and caught three passes for 22 yards at Rice in the win on 11/25
• Had two grabs for 19 yards in the win vs. Army West Point on 11/18
• Caught five passes for 11 yards and two touchdowns vs. UTEP on 11/11
• Made three catches for 33 yards on 11/4 at La Tech
• Had one catch for 18 yards in the win vs. Old Dominion on 10/28
• Made four catches for 40 yards on 10/21 at Florida Atlantic
• Had four catches for 25 yards, one carry for one yard and a pair of kickoff returns for 47 yards on 10/14 vs. UTSA in a win
• Returned two punts, with a long of 12 yards on 9/23 in a win vs. UAB
• Had three catches for 30 yards at Iowa on 9/16
• Recorded 154 all-purpose yards on 9/9 at SMU, catching five passes for 67 yards and the first touchdown of his career
• Made collegiate debut and returned a kickoff for 29 yards vs. Lamar on 9/2
High School:
• Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports Composite, 247Sports, Rivals and two-star by Scout
• Played quarterback in high school
• Named honorable mention All-District 16-6A as a senior
• Named first-team All-District 18-6A as a junior
• Rushed for 869 yards on 129 carries and 10 TDs and completed 53-of-89 passes for 637 yards and five TDs as a junior in 2015
• Held offers from Virginia Tech, UNLV, Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis and Southern Miss
Named a finalist for the 2020 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the 2020 Biletnikoff Award
Ranked second in the nation in receiving touchdowns (19), third in receiving yards (1,190) and fourth in receptions (74) during the 2020 season - as of 1/4/2021 -
2020:
• Named an ESPN All-American
• Named a First Team All-American by Pro Football Focus and the Football Writers Association of America
• Named a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News, the American Football Coaches Association and The Athletic
• Named the Conference USA Most Valuable Player and earned First Team All-Conference Honors
• Named the Pro Football Focus Conference USA Player of the Year
• Named the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Texas College Offensive Player of the Year
• Preseason Conference USA selection
• On the preseason watch list for the Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Tyler Campbell Rose awards while also featured on the Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 list
• Finished with 74 catches for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns, all team highs, while starting all nine games this season
• Had team-highs with eight catches for 173 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (the ninth multi-touchdown game of his career), became the program leader in career receptions (230) and receiving yards (2,782) while also taking over second-place all-time in single season receiving yards with 1,190 and total career touchdowns (rushing/receiving/returns) with 39 in the win vs. UTEP on 12/11
• Named the Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after having team-highs with eight catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns (the fifth three-touchdown game of his career) and becoming the program leader in career touchdown catches (34) and single-season touchdowns (15) vs. Louisiana Tech on 12/3
• Had a team-high eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown (which tied the career program record) at UTSA on 11/28
• Had a team-high four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown (the 30th of his career) in the win vs. Rice on 11/21
• Had a team-high 10 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown in the win at Middle Tennessee on 10/17
• Had a team-high 13 tied his career-high with 13 catches for a career-high 244 yards and three touchdowns vs. Charlotte on 10/10
• Had a team-high and tied his career-high with 13 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown vs. Southern Miss on 10/3
• Caught a team-high five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns vs. SMU on 9/19
• Caught five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening win vs. HBU on 9/5
2019:
• Had 76 receptions for 736 yards and 12 touchdowns, all of which lead the Mean Green along with two carries for 13 yards while starting all 12 games and was a first-team all-conference selection
• Caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown vs. UAB on 11/30
• Had one catch and returned four punts for 36 yards at Rice on 11/23
• Caught six passes for 16 yards at Louisiana Tech on 11/9
• Had six catches for sixty yards and tied his career-high with three touchdowns in the win vs. UTEP on 11/2
• Caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown at Charlotte on 10/26
• Had a career-high 13 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown in the win vs. Middle Tennessee on 10/19
• Caught five passes for a team-high 87 yards and a career-high three touchdowns at Southern Miss on 10/12
• Caught eight passes for 43 yards and returned one punt for 15 yards vs. Houston on 9/28
• Caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown and returned one punt for 13 yards in the win vs. UTSA on 9/21
• Caught two passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for eight yards at California on 9/14
• Caught six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown at SMU on 9/7
• Had a team-high 10 catches for 59 yards and returned three punts for 25 yards in the season-opening win vs. Abilene Christian on 8/31
2018:
• Had 48 catches for 575 yards and four touchdowns to go along with three carries for 16 yards in 13 games, five of which were starts
• Had two catches for eight yards in the New Mexico Bowl vs. Utah State on 12/15
• Made three catches for 17 yards on 11/24 at UTSA in the win
• Caught three passes for four yards in the win vs. Florida Atlantic on 11/15
• Had four catches for 29 yards on 11/10 at Old Dominion
• Made one catch for 19 yards in the win vs. Rice on 10/27
• Caught a career high 10 passes for 143 yards and two scores, also career highs, on 10/20 at UAB
• Had three catches for 21 yards vs. Southern Miss in the win on 10/13
• Made five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 10/6 in the win at UTEP
• Caught four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in the win at Liberty on 9/22
• Had five catches for 87 yards on 9/15 in the win at Arkansas
• Made two catches for 10 yards and averaged 20.3 yards per punt return on three attempts in the win vs. Incarnate Word on 9/8
• Caught six passes for 81 yards, in the win on 9/1 vs. SMU to open his sophomore season
2017:
• Finished with 32 catches for 281 yards with three touchdowns in 14 appearances
• Made two catches for 16 yards in the C-USA Championship Game at Florida Atlantic on 12/2
• Named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 81 yards for a score and caught three passes for 22 yards at Rice in the win on 11/25
• Had two grabs for 19 yards in the win vs. Army West Point on 11/18
• Caught five passes for 11 yards and two touchdowns vs. UTEP on 11/11
• Made three catches for 33 yards on 11/4 at La Tech
• Had one catch for 18 yards in the win vs. Old Dominion on 10/28
• Made four catches for 40 yards on 10/21 at Florida Atlantic
• Had four catches for 25 yards, one carry for one yard and a pair of kickoff returns for 47 yards on 10/14 vs. UTSA in a win
• Returned two punts, with a long of 12 yards on 9/23 in a win vs. UAB
• Had three catches for 30 yards at Iowa on 9/16
• Recorded 154 all-purpose yards on 9/9 at SMU, catching five passes for 67 yards and the first touchdown of his career
• Made collegiate debut and returned a kickoff for 29 yards vs. Lamar on 9/2
High School:
• Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports Composite, 247Sports, Rivals and two-star by Scout
• Played quarterback in high school
• Named honorable mention All-District 16-6A as a senior
• Named first-team All-District 18-6A as a junior
• Rushed for 869 yards on 129 carries and 10 TDs and completed 53-of-89 passes for 637 yards and five TDs as a junior in 2015
• Held offers from Virginia Tech, UNLV, Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis and Southern Miss
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