WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary All-America cornerback Jalen Jones earned an initiation to the inaugural NFL-FCS Showcase, which will be held on Jan. 4-5 in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The event, which is coordinated by the NCAA, the American Football Coaches Association and the National Football League, will feature numerous professional scouts and provide an evaluation platform for 50 FCS prospects who are eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.
 
Student-athletes will be interviewed by representatives of NFL teams on Jan. 4 and then will participate in on-field drills on the morning of Jan. 5.
 
Honored as an All-American by five organizations this season – AP, AFCA, Stats Perform, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele – Jones was one of the nation's top cornerbacks this fall and recently accepted an invitation to the American Bowl, which will be televised live on NFL Network on Jan. 22 at 8 p.m., in Orlando, Fla.
 
A three-time first-team All-CAA selection and two-time Buck Buchanan Award Finalist, Jones ranked second in the CAA and 14th nationally with 1.09 passes defended per game in 2025. Additionally, the Chesapeake, Va., native ranked third in the CAA in interceptions (two) and PBU (10), while he finished the year with 39 tackles and 1.5 TFL en route to being chosen as the Defensive Back of the Year in Virginia by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
 
Honored as a first-team All-America selection by six organizations last season, Jones ranks second in school history with 52 passes defended, which includes eight interceptions.
 
The former CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year (2022) was also a finalist for the 2022 Jerry Rice Award, which recognized the nation's top FCS freshman.
 
Jones will look to join a group of six former Tribe standouts who are currently on NFL rosters – Charles Grant (Raiders), Nate Lynn (Titans), Bill Murray (Colts), Luke Rhodes (Colts), Colby Sorsdal (Lions) and Owen Wright (Buccaneers).