Receiver, South Alabama, 2018–⁠21

Jalen Tolbert

Number
No. 8
Height
6′3″
Weight
195 lb
Class (2021)
Junior
Hometown
Mobile, AL
Born
Feb 27, 1999

Jalen Tolbert played receiver at South Alabama (2018–⁠21). The Dallas Cowboys took Tolbert in round 3, No. 88 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,474
Receiving yards, 2021 (South Alabama, 5–⁠7)
Best game
252 yards
At Arkansas State, week 13, 2020: No. 1 receiving game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 6
In FBS in receiving yards, 2021
Drafted
No. 88
Round 3, 2022 NFL Draft (Dallas Cowboys)

Career highs

11catches, career highvs. Georgia Southern, 2021252receiving yards, career highat Arkansas State, 20204receiving touchdowns, career highvs. Arkansas State, 2019

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018South Alabama56012.0025
2019South Alabama2752119.3660
2020South Alabama641,08617.0873
2021South Alabama821,47418.0868
Career1783,14117.62273

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018South Alabama8WRYr 1
2019South Alabama8WRYr 2
2020South Alabama8WRYr 3
2021South Alabama8WRJr. (Yr 4)6′3″195

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
2018South Alabama31.88––5.6–
2019South Alabama600.3621st (n=499)0.5421.68%
2020South Alabama1010.6664th (n=346)0.5566.213%
2021South Alabama1020.9486th (n=410)0.6796.414%

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 South Alabama 12 games, 82 catches, 1,474 yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 4vs.Southern MissW 31–⁠75168049
Sep 11atBowling GreenW 22–⁠19795042
Sep 18vs.Alcorn StateW 28–⁠21254040
Oct 2vs.LouisianaL 18–⁠206143061
Oct 9atTexas StateL 31–⁠33584143
Oct 14vs.Georgia SouthernW 41–⁠1411174140
Oct 23atUL MonroeL 31–⁠4110155255
Oct 30vs.Arkansas StateW 31–⁠13894230
Nov 6atTroyL 24–⁠31465027
Nov 13atApp StateL 7–⁠317108024
Nov 20atTennesseeL 14–⁠607143168
Nov 26vs.Coastal CarolinaL 21–⁠2710191157
2020 South Alabama 11 games, 64 catches, 1,086 yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 3atSouthern MissW 32–⁠216169273
Sep 12vs.TulaneL 24–⁠276100026
Sep 24vs.UABL 10–⁠42359138
Oct 17vs.Texas StateW 30–⁠20991118
Oct 24vs.UL MonroeW 38–⁠14268041
Oct 29atGeorgia SouthernL 17–⁠24638112
Nov 7atCoastal CarolinaL 6–⁠23778019
Nov 14atLouisianaL 10–⁠38564024
Nov 21vs.Georgia StateL 14–⁠31575030
Nov 28atArkansas StateW 38–⁠3110252351
Dec 5vs.TroyL 0–⁠29592033
2019 South Alabama 12 games, 27 catches, 521 yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Aug 31atNebraskaL 21–⁠35238027
Sep 7vs.Jackson StateW 37–⁠14116016
Sep 14vs.MemphisL 6–⁠42437017
Sep 21atUABL 3–⁠35223017
Sep 28atUL MonroeL 17–⁠30444015
Oct 3vs.Georgia SouthernL 17–⁠20160160
Oct 16atTroyL 13–⁠37248034
Oct 26vs.App StateL 3–⁠301202
Nov 9atTexas StateL 28–⁠30221012
Nov 16vs.LouisianaL 27–⁠37114014
Nov 23atGeorgia StateL 15–⁠28274152
Nov 29vs.Arkansas StateW 34–⁠305144436
2018 South Alabama 5 games, 5 catches, 60 yards
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 8atOklahoma StateL 13–⁠551707
Oct 6atGeorgia SouthernL 13–⁠481909
Oct 13vs.Alabama StateW 45–⁠7114014
Oct 23vs.TroyL 17–⁠38125025
Nov 17atLouisianaL 38–⁠481505

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

Before the draft

Played in the 2022 Senior Bowl (American team, lost 10–⁠20).

DrillCombine 2022Combine or pro day 2022
Height6′1⅛″
Weight194 lb
Arm length32¼″
Hand size10″
Wingspan76⅜″W
40-yard dash4.49 s
10-yard split1.54 s
Vertical jump36″
Broad jump10′3″
3-cone drill7.08 s
20-yard shuttle4.24 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). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

5 seasons, 48 games with a stat; latest team: Miami Dolphins.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2022Dallas Cowboys32120
2023Dallas Cowboys14222682
2024Dallas Cowboys17496107
2025Dallas Cowboys12182031
2026 (so far)Miami Dolphins21220
NFL career48921,11510

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

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