Jalen Redmond Bio
Jalen Redmond (born March 12, 1999) is an American professional football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, Redmond plays on the defensive line and is recognized for his combination of size, speed, and explosiveness. He previously played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, and was a member of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL and the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL).
Born in Midwest City, Oklahoma, Redmond developed into one of the most heavily recruited defensive prospects in the state before launching his professional career as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He has since worked his way back to a full NFL roster through a combination of practice-squad experience and spring-league play.
Early Life and Background
Jalen Redmond was born on March 12, 1999, in Midwest City, Oklahoma. He grew up in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and attended Midwest City High School, where his athletic profile emerged later than most top recruits. During his first two years of high school, Redmond focused on basketball rather than football, and he had not yet played a varsity down on the gridiron.
That changed when football coaches at Midwest City noticed his size and athletic ability and convinced him to try out for the team as a junior. During spring practice, before he had ever played a varsity football game, Redmond received his first athletic scholarship offer from Memphis. Taking the field that year as both a defensive end and an outside linebacker, he recorded 82 tackles and 14 sacks, and his recruitment quickly accelerated.
By the start of his senior season, Redmond had accumulated roughly 20 scholarship offers. He posted 87 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, and 19.5 sacks as a senior, earning first-team all-state honors from The Oklahoman. He was rated as a five-star recruit and the 16th-best prospect nationally by 247Sports before announcing his commitment to play college football at the University of Oklahoma.
Path to Professional Football
Redmond arrived at Oklahoma with a chance to compete for immediate playing time as a freshman in 2018, but a blood clot issue kept him out for part of the season. He ultimately returned midseason and appeared in three games, finishing his first year with six total tackles while learning the college defensive scheme.
In 2019, Redmond appeared in 13 of 14 games and posted a team-leading 6.5 sacks, while placing third on the Sooners with 11 tackles for loss. He then opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued concerns about his blood-clot condition, a decision that delayed his on-field development but preserved his long-term career outlook.
Jalen Redmond Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Redmond returned to the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021 and appeared in eight games, starting seven, despite missing five games because of injury. He finished that season with 19 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, showing that he could be a disruptive presence when healthy.
As a senior in 2022, Redmond appeared in 12 games and recorded 23 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. Across his Oklahoma career, he established himself as a reliable edge rusher whose combination of length, quickness, and motor made him a candidate for professional opportunities.
NFL Combine and Undrafted Free Agency (2023)
Redmond impressed at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, posting a 40-yard dash time that ranked second among players at his position. He also produced the second-best 10-yard split and recorded both the best broad jump and vertical jump numbers at his position, confirming the athletic traits that had marked his high-school evaluation.
Despite those measurables, Redmond went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft and signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023. His initial stint with the Panthers was short, as he was waived on August 8, 2023, during roster cuts.
Arlington Renegades and Minnesota Vikings (2023–Present)
On December 11, 2023, Redmond signed with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL, which later merged into the United Football League. He spent the spring of 2024 with the Renegades before having his contract terminated on June 17, 2024, in order to sign with an NFL team.
Redmond signed with the Minnesota Vikings on June 18, 2024. He was waived on October 11, 2024, but returned to the organization on the practice squad three days later. On November 6, 2024, he was promoted back to the active roster, where he has continued to work as part of the Vikings’ defensive line.
Driving Style and Strengths
Redmond’s game is built on first-step quickness and explosiveness, the same traits that showed up in his combine testing. He uses his length and active hands to disrupt passing lanes, and he has demonstrated the ability to play both defensive end and outside linebacker, the kind of position flexibility that helps defensive coordinators deploy multiple fronts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the highlights of Redmond’s career are his 2023 NFL Scouting Combine testing numbers, which led his position group in broad jump and vertical jump, and his late-2024 promotion back to the Vikings’ active roster. He also posted a team-leading 6.5 sacks for Oklahoma in 2019 and a 19.5-sack senior season at Midwest City High School.
Jalen Redmond Career Wins
Jalen Redmond’s competitive resume is defined more by statistical production and athletic testing than by championship hardware. His verified on-field achievements include a team-leading 6.5 sacks for Oklahoma in 2019 and combine-leading explosion numbers at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Additional award totals are not fully verifiable from the available sources.
College and Combine Highlights
Redmond’s college highlights include his 2019 sack totals and his strong finish to his Oklahoma career with 10 tackles for loss as a senior in 2022. His combine performance stands as his most measurable pro-day success, reinforcing the athletic profile that defined his recruiting ranking out of Midwest City High School.
Other Performances
Redmond also played a spring season with the Arlington Renegades in 2024 before returning to the NFL ranks with the Minnesota Vikings, giving him experience in both the Vikings’ defensive system and the up-tempo style of the UFL.
Jalen Redmond Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Verified details about Jalen Redmond’s immediate family, parents, and any extended athletic lineage are not available in the supplied sources. Public reporting on his family background remains limited.
Personal Life
Verified public details about Redmond’s marital status, spouse, and children are not available in the supplied sources. Off the field, he maintains a presence on social media under the handle @jalen_redmond on X and @jalen_redmond31 on Instagram.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Jalen Redmond’s storyline centers on whether he can lock down a steady role on the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line after his late-2024 promotion to the active roster. His path back to the 53-man roster, following a brief stint on the practice squad in October 2024, suggests the organization values his explosiveness and special-teams potential.
Redmond’s primary competition for snaps will come from established Vikings edge defenders and fellow young pass rushers on the depth chart. His ability to contribute on special teams and to remain healthy, after past battles with blood-clot issues, will likely determine his usage in defensive packages.
If Redmond can translate the combine-caliber athleticism that defined his pre-draft profile into consistent training-camp production, he has a credible chance to earn a rotational role along the Vikings’ defensive front in 2025.