Receiver, Michigan State, 2018–⁠21

Jalen Nailor

Number
No. 8
Height
6′0″
Weight
185 lb
Class (2021)
Sophomore
Hometown
Palmdale, CA
Born
Mar 2, 1999

Jalen Nailor played receiver at Michigan State (2018–⁠21). The Minnesota Vikings took Nailor in round 6, No. 191 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
695
Receiving yards, 2021 (Michigan State, 11–⁠2)
Best game
221 yards
At Rutgers, week 6, 2021: No. 3 receiving game in FBS that week
Drafted
No. 191
Round 6, 2022 NFL Draft (Minnesota Vikings)

Career highs

8catches, career highvs. Western Kentucky, 2021221receiving yards, career highat Rutgers, 20213receiving touchdowns, career highat Rutgers, 2021

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018Michigan State813817.3248
2019Michigan State151067.1023
2020Michigan State2651519.8475
2021Michigan State3769518.8665
Career861,45416.91275

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTDPRYdsTD
2018Michigan State–––4140
2019Michigan State37702170
2020Michigan State12102180
2021Michigan State6810–––
Career1017908490

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2019Michigan State110000
2020Michigan State110000
2021Michigan State440000
Career660000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018Michigan State8WRYr 1
2019Michigan State8WRYr 2
2020Michigan State8WRYr 3
2021Michigan State8WRSo. (Yr 4)6′0″185

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2018Michigan State201.06––21.34%
2019Michigan State270.12––3.28%
2020Michigan State520.5955th (n=346)0.5530.611%
2021Michigan State600.7257th (n=410)0.6743.311%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2021 Michigan State 9 games, 37 catches, 695 yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Sep 3atNorthwesternW 38–⁠212200112–
Sep 11vs.Youngstown StateW 42–⁠144391–––
Sep 18atMiamiW 38–⁠174822–––
Sep 25vs.NebraskaW 23–⁠20–––115–
Oct 2vs.Western KentuckyW 48–⁠3181280–––
Oct 9atRutgersW 31–⁠1352213110–
Oct 16atIndianaW 20–⁠15422018–
Oct 30vs.MichiganW 37–⁠334750120–
Dec 30 ✦vs.PittsburghW 31–⁠2161080116–
2020 Michigan State 7 games, 26 catches, 515 yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Oct 24vs.RutgersL 27–⁠386841––2
Oct 31atMichiganW 27–⁠242680–––
Nov 7atIowaL 7–⁠4941190–––
Nov 14vs.IndianaL 0–⁠24190–––
Nov 28vs.NorthwesternW 29–⁠203991121–
Dec 5vs.Ohio StateL 12–⁠524360–––
Dec 12atPenn StateL 24–⁠3961002–––
2019 Michigan State 4 games, 15 catches, 106 yards
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Aug 30vs.TulsaW 28–⁠73502512
Nov 23atRutgersW 27–⁠05270–––
Nov 30vs.MarylandW 19–⁠162140–––
Dec 27 ✦vs.Wake ForestW 27–⁠215600126–
2018 Michigan State 6 games, 8 catches, 138 yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Aug 31vs.Utah StateW 38–⁠311140–––
Sep 8atArizona StateL 13–⁠16140–––
Sep 22atIndianaW 35–⁠211161–––
Oct 27vs.PurdueW 23–⁠133701–––
Nov 3atMarylandW 24–⁠3180–––
Dec 31 ✦vs.OregonL 6–⁠71260––4

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2022Combine or pro day 2022
Height5′11¼″
Weight186 lb
Arm length30¼″
Hand size9⅛″
Wingspan73″W
40-yard dash4.50 s
10-yard split1.54 s
Vertical jump38″
Broad jump10′8″
Bench press14 repsW
3-cone drill7.03 s
20-yard shuttle4.28 s

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

5 seasons, 46 games with a stat; latest team: Las Vegas Raiders.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2022Minnesota Vikings891791
2023Minnesota Vikings33290
2024Minnesota Vikings15284146
2025Minnesota Vikings17294444
2026 (so far)Las Vegas Raiders35520
NFL career46741,11811

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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