Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste Bio
Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste, born May 31, 2001, is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football for the UCF Knights and the Ole Miss Rebels before signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 229 pounds, he has built his career on steady tackling and positional versatility on the defensive side of the ball.
Jean-Baptiste grew up in Florida City, Florida, and attended South Dade Senior High School in nearby Homestead, where he became a notable linebacker prospect. After a four-year run at the University of Central Florida and a final college season at Ole Miss, he declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and made the jump to the professional ranks.
Early Life and Background
Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste was born on May 31, 2001, in Florida City, Florida. He grew up in the South Florida football pipeline, a region known for producing college-ready defensive talent. He attended South Dade Senior High School in Homestead, Florida, where he developed into one of the more productive linebackers in the area.
During his junior season at South Dade, Jean-Baptiste recorded 131 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five sacks. He also led his team to a regional championship game appearance, showing early signs of leadership on defense. Recruiting outlet 247Sports rated him as the No. 71 inside linebacker in the nation and the No. 213 player in the state of Florida.
Jean-Baptiste was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the University of Central Florida. He chose the Knights over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Buffalo, Georgia Tech, and UMass, a sign of his early range of college interest.
Path to American Football
Jean-Baptiste arrived at the University of Central Florida in 2019 as a true freshman and quickly earned a reserve role at linebacker. He played in all 13 games that season, finishing with 12 total tackles, 11 solo and one assisted, along with two tackles for loss and one pass breakup. The experience gave him a foundation in the Knights’ defensive system.
Across his four seasons at UCF, he progressed from a situational defender into a starter. By the end of his senior year in 2022, he had appeared in 45 games for the Knights, posting 152 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, multiple pass breakups, forced fumbles, a sack, and an interception. On December 6, 2022, he announced that he would enter the NCAA transfer portal to use his final season of eligibility elsewhere.
On December 16, 2022, Jean-Baptiste announced his transfer to Ole Miss. The move gave him the chance to compete in the Southeastern Conference and raise his profile ahead of the NFL Draft.
Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste Career
Early Career at UCF (2019–2022)
Jean-Baptiste’s first three seasons at UCF mirrored a typical developmental arc. In 2020, he appeared in all 10 games and started two, finishing with 37 total tackles, 27 solo and 10 assisted, along with half a tackle for loss. His role grew again in 2021, when he appeared in 12 games and started five, closing the year with 51 total tackles, 22 solo and 29 assisted, 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one sack, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
In his 2022 senior season, Jean-Baptiste played in and started 10 games for the Knights. He posted 52 total tackles, 37 solo and 15 assisted, five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble, capping his UCF career as a reliable run-defending linebacker.
Ole Miss Rebels (2023)
Jean-Baptiste joined the Ole Miss Rebels for the 2023 season and immediately became a featured linebacker. He appeared in all 13 games and started 10, finishing fifth on the team with 54 total tackles, 24 solo and 30 assisted, 4.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries.
His lone season in the Southeastern Conference confirmed he could handle a high-level schedule and the speed of opposing offenses. On January 2, 2024, Jean-Baptiste announced that he would declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, closing his college career with the Rebels.
Los Angeles Chargers Era (2024–Present)
On April 27, 2024, Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent, beginning his professional career in the AFC West. He was waived on August 27, 2024, but was re-signed to the team’s practice squad the same day, allowing him to remain within the organization.
On January 13, 2025, Jean-Baptiste signed a reserve/future contract with the Chargers, securing a spot on the offseason roster. On May 13, 2025, he was waived by the team, continuing the journeyman phase common for young linebackers working toward a full-time NFL role.
Notable Events and Milestones
Jean-Baptiste’s standout moment came during his 2023 season at Ole Miss, where his 54 tackles ranked fifth on the team and showed that his UCF production could translate to a Power Four conference. His signing with the Los Angeles Chargers and quick return to the practice squad marked his first sustained entry into an NFL building, and his reserve/future contract in January 2025 reflected the organization’s continued interest in his development.
Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste Career Stats
Across his college career at UCF and Ole Miss, Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste appeared in 58 games with 31 starts and posted 206 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, multiple pass breakups, forced fumbles, interceptions, and sacks. His professional career statistics with the Los Angeles Chargers have been limited to practice squad and reserve/future contract time.
UCF Knights Highlights
Jean-Baptiste played four seasons at UCF from 2019 through 2022. He appeared in 45 games for the Knights and finished with 152 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
Ole Miss Rebels Highlights
In his only season at Ole Miss in 2023, Jean-Baptiste started 10 of 13 games and ranked fifth on the Rebels with 54 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries.
Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste was raised in Florida City, Florida, a community with a deep tradition of producing football players. Publicly available details about his parents and immediate family remain limited, and he has not shared extended family information in his verified profiles.
Personal Life
Jean-Baptiste keeps his personal life largely private. There are no publicly verified details about a spouse, partner, or children. He maintains a presence on Instagram under the handle @_jay11k, where he shares updates related to his football career.
2025 Season Performance
Jeremiah Arshad Jean-Baptiste’s 2025 outlook with the Los Angeles Chargers remains in development. After signing a reserve/future contract with the team in January 2025, he was waived on May 13, 2025, leaving his immediate roster status uncertain heading into training camp. His path forward will likely depend on impressing the Chargers’ defensive staff and securing a depth role at linebacker.
Across his time at UCF and Ole Miss, Jean-Baptiste showed the ability to handle a heavy tackling load, contribute on passing downs with breakups and pressures, and start against top-level competition. That résumé gives him a credible foundation as he works to break through on a Chargers defense that has invested in young linebackers in recent years.
If he returns to the field in 2025, Jean-Baptiste will be looking to convert his offseason opportunity into a steady special-teams role and a rotational spot on defense, with the longer-term goal of becoming a regular contributor in the Chargers’ linebacker rotation.