Joshua Hines-Allen Bio
Joshua Hines-Allen is an American professional football defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, winning the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy as a junior. Hines-Allen was selected seventh overall by the Jaguars in the 2019 NFL draft and has received two Pro Bowl selections with the team.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Hines-Allen was born on July 13, 1997, in Cumberland, Virginia, to parents Robert Allen and Kim Allen. He grew up with a twin brother, Isaiah, and four older sisters. Due to a stutter, he spent part of his studies in the special education system in New Jersey before later relocating to Alabama to live with relatives and attending Abbeville High School. He was also diagnosed with ADHD during his youth.
Although Hines-Allen grew up playing basketball, his uncle convinced him to try out for his high school football team. He did not play as a freshman, started as a varsity receiver in his sophomore year, and became an all-state receiver with 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. For his senior year, Hines-Allen returned to New Jersey and attended Montclair High School, where he switched from receiver to defensive end.
Path to American Football
Despite leading New Jersey in sacks during his senior season at Montclair High School, Hines-Allen was rated as a two-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked outside the top 2,000 players in the 2015 recruiting class. Head coach John Fiore attempted to get Rutgers to evaluate him, but the school showed no interest. At the time of his verbal commitment to Monmouth, no Football Bowl Subdivision program had offered him a scholarship.
Hines-Allen’s recruitment to Kentucky began when West Orange High School head coach Jim Matsakis contacted his brother Louie, who was on the Kentucky coaching staff. Louie passed the information to outside linebackers coach D. J. Eliot, who then contacted defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley. Ansley detoured to New Jersey to meet Hines-Allen and arranged an immediate campus visit. Hines-Allen signed with the Wildcats three days later.
Joshua Hines-Allen Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Hines-Allen was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. On May 23, 2019, he signed his four-year rookie contract, worth a fully guaranteed $21.8 million, including a $14.6 million signing bonus. During his rookie season, he recorded his first two career sacks against Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 and added sacks against the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets.
Hines-Allen finished 2019 with a team-leading 10.5 sacks, 44 tackles, and two forced fumbles, setting a franchise rookie sack record. He became the first Jaguars player in history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, earning the nod as an alternate, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In 2020, he recorded his first sack of the season against the Miami Dolphins before being placed on injured reserve on November 24, 2020, with a knee injury.
Jacksonville Jaguars Breakthrough (2022–2023)
In 2021, Hines-Allen helped lead the Jaguars to a 9–6 upset over the Buffalo Bills with eight tackles, a sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery against Bills quarterback Josh Allen. He became the first player in NFL history to record a sack, interception, and fumble recovery from a quarterback sharing the same name. The Jaguars picked up the fifth-year option on his contract on April 28, 2022.
In the team’s 2022 regular-season finale, Hines-Allen scored the game-winning touchdown on a fumble recovery against the Tennessee Titans, securing Jacksonville’s first division title and playoff berth since 2017. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance. In 2023, Hines-Allen opened with three sacks against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and recorded 2.5 sacks against the Houston Texans in Week 12, again earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He finished the season with 17.5 sacks, a career high and franchise record, and was named to the 2024 Pro Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars Era (2024–Present)
On March 5, 2024, the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Hines-Allen. On April 10, 2024, the team signed him to a five-year extension worth $150 million, including $88 million guaranteed. After playing the last five seasons as an outside linebacker in a 3–4 defense, Hines-Allen switched to defensive end under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who implemented a 4–3 scheme.
On November 15, 2025, Hines-Allen sacked Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to record his 56th career sack, breaking the Jaguars franchise record previously held by Tony Brackens, who had 55 sacks. He continues to serve as one of the defensive cornerstones of the franchise.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hines-Allen combines size, length, and pass-rush technique to pressure opposing quarterbacks from the edge. His transition from outside linebacker to defensive end in a 4–3 scheme has allowed him to attack upfield with greater consistency, while his run defense and tackling have remained reliable.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hines-Allen’s most notable milestones include his 2019 Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, his game-winning fumble recovery against the Titans in 2022, his franchise-record 17.5 sacks in 2023, and breaking Tony Brackens’ career sack record in 2025. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2018 unanimous All-American.
Joshua Hines-Allen Career Wins
Joshua Hines-Allen has built a résumé anchored by the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lott Trophy, the Jack Lambert Trophy, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award, and unanimous All-American honors from 2018. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection in 2019 and 2023, and a member of the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
NFL Highlights
Hines-Allen has recorded 56 career sacks as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, including a franchise rookie-record 10.5 sacks in 2019 and a franchise single-season record of 17.5 sacks in 2023. He has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week multiple times and earned Pro Bowl selections following the 2019 and 2023 seasons.
College and Personal Accolades
At Kentucky, Hines-Allen finished as the program’s all-time sack leader with 31.5 sacks and earned First-team All-SEC honors in 2018 after a Second-team All-SEC selection in 2017. His family includes his sister Myisha Hines-Allen, a professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings, and other sisters who played college basketball.
Joshua Hines-Allen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hines-Allen comes from a deeply athletic family. His sisters Myisha, LaTorri, and Kyra all played basketball, with Myisha playing professionally for the Dallas Wings. His uncle Gregory Hines was a legendary basketball player at Hampton and was selected in the fifth round of the 1983 NBA draft, while another uncle, Keith, played basketball at Montclair State.
Personal Life
Hines-Allen married Kaitlyn Morrison on April 17, 2019, after meeting during their freshman year at the University of Kentucky in 2015. The couple has three children: sons Wesley and Julian, and daughter Vanessa. On July 9, 2024, he officially announced a legal name change from Joshua Allen to Joshua Hines-Allen, in honor of his sisters and uncles who were all athletes.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has featured a major milestone for Joshua Hines-Allen, who broke the Jaguars’ all-time career sack record on November 15, 2025, with sack number 56 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Operating as a defensive end in Ryan Nielsen’s 4–3 scheme, he has continued to anchor Jacksonville’s pass rush.
His transition back to a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end role has aligned with his most productive stretch as a pro. With a five-year, $150 million extension keeping him in Jacksonville through 2029, Hines-Allen remains a central figure in the team’s defensive identity.
Looking ahead, Hines-Allen’s primary objective is to build on his franchise sack record while helping the Jaguars remain competitive in the AFC South. His continued production will be a key storyline for Jacksonville as the team pursues another division title and a deeper playoff run.