The pipeline from HBCU football to the Power Four continues to grow. Alabama State wide receiver Jalen Jones is the latest example. Jones, an All-SWAC performer and one of the most productive receivers in HBCU football, has signed with Texas Tech. He now joins a Big 12 program fresh off a conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth.
For Jones, the move brings opportunity. For HBCU football, it brings validation.
From Alabama State to the Power Four
Jones’ rise followed a steady path rather than an overnight leap. After redshirting in 2023, he worked his way into Alabama State’s receiver rotation. By 2024, he led the team in receiving while sharing snaps.
Then came his breakout.
During the 2025 season, Jones caught 51 passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged nearly 23 yards per reception, turning routine plays into explosive gains. Notably, he posted a season-high 189 receiving yards against Tuskegee, while an 87-yard reception against Texas Southern highlighted his vertical threat.
By the end of the season, Jones finished his Alabama State career with 1,392 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. As a result, he emerged as one of the top wide receivers in HBCU football.
Built and Developed at the HBCU Level
Jones’ development underscores the role HBCU programs continue to play. Alabama State provided him time, structure, and opportunity. In turn, that investment directly translated into production.
Before arriving in Montgomery, Jones starred at Ramsay High School in Birmingham. There, he helped lead the program to the 2022 AHSAA 5A state championship. That same trajectory carried over to the college level.
At Alabama State, Jones refined his route running and improved his physicality. More importantly, he learned how to carry an offense. His film showed consistent separation, strong hands, and big-play ability. Those traits now drive Power Four recruiting in the transfer portal era.
Why Texas Tech Is the Right Fit
Texas Tech enters this moment as one of the fastest-rising programs in the country. The Red Raiders finished the season 12–1, captured the Big 12 championship, and earned the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff. They will also make their first appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Under head coach Joey McGuire, Texas Tech has paired an aggressive offense with a defense capable of closing games. As a result, the Red Raiders recorded 12 wins by 20-plus points, a feat matched by only one other team in the modern AP era.
For Jones, the fit is clear. Texas Tech’s system values speed, spacing, and downfield efficiency. At the same time, it provides immediate opportunity for receivers who can stretch coverage and finish plays.
Part of a Growing HBCU-to–Texas Tech Pipeline
Jalen Jones is not the first HBCU standout Texas Tech has identified. In late 2025, the Red Raiders added Amarie Fleming, a dominant defensive end from Allen University.
Fleming finished the season with 14.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, earning first-team All-SIAC honors. Shortly after the season ended, he committed to Texas Tech. That rapid transition reflected how closely Power Four staffs now monitor HBCU programs.
Allen head coach Cedric Pearl previously acknowledged this shift. He emphasized that modern roster management requires both development and realism.
“The power of the dollar changes lives,” Pearl said. “Anybody that gets an opportunity to better themselves, we’re all for that.”
Rather than weakening HBCU football, these moves continue to reshape its role. HBCUs remain places where players are developed, trusted, and featured. Often, national attention follows later. Jones did not leave Alabama State as a projection. Instead, he departed as a proven commodity.
His signing reinforces a clear trend. HBCU programs continue to develop Power Four–ready talent, and the transfer portal has made that pipeline more visible. For programs like Alabama State, success now includes both wins and opportunity creation. Meanwhile, Jalen Jones begins the next chapter of his career in Lubbock. And for HBCU football, the message remains unchanged: the talent has always been here.