The Missouri Tigers football team strengthened its secondary on Sunday by adding UNLV safety Jalen Catalon, according to multiple reports. Catalon becomes the fourth defensive back and third safety to transfer to Mizzou during the current transfer cycle.
He is a highly regarded three-star transfer, ranked No. 243 overall and No. 12 among safeties in the portal. In 2024, Catalon had one of the best seasons of his career, recording 96 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, five interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), four passes defended, and one forced fumble.
His performance helped lead UNLV to an 11-3 record, and he was named a semifinalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.
Catalon, a four-star recruit from Mansfield Legacy High School in Texas, originally signed with Arkansas in 2019. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound safety spent four seasons with the Razorbacks, playing significant roles in two of those after redshirting his first year.
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In 2020, during the COVID season, Catalon appeared in 10 games and started nine, recording a career-high 99 tackles, two tackles for loss, and three interceptions. His stellar play earned him Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist honors and a spot on the All-SEC first team by The Associated Press.
However, Catalon missed nearly all of the 2022 season due to injury and later transferred to Texas. At Texas, he played in eight games and started four, finishing with 17 tackles and one tackle for loss. After one season with the Longhorns, he transferred to UNLV before ultimately landing at Mizzou.
