Jaden Dugger

Jaden Dugger grew up in Pittsburgh with his parents (Lance and Tanisha). Following in the footsteps of his two older brothers, he played basketball and football as a kid. Tragically, his oldest brother (Dajuan) died at age 24 in 2023. At Penn Hills High School, Jaden was a standout receiver and defensive back and also played basketball, averaging 12.4 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior. On the football field, he caught 13 touchdowns as a senior from his younger brother (Julian), who played quarterback. Julian signed with Pittsburgh in 2024 and now plays for Washington State. A no-star recruit, Jaden Dugger started to receive interest from FCS programs and committed to Georgetown. After two seasons as a safety, he wanted to challenge himself and move up to FBS, so he transferred to Louisiana. He moved to dime linebacker and edge (Sam and Jack) as a junior and then moved inside for his senior year in 2025, when he grabbed the attention of NFL scouts. Dugger has remarkable size, with a lean, filled-out build and go-go gadget arm length. His instincts and communication skills as a Mike ‘backer are still maturing, but he adapted quickly to the new position because of his ability to see ball-get ball. When he keeps himself clean, he has sideline range and can open and run. He explodes through his hips as a tackler, although he has to improve the consistency of his details as a flow tackler. He hasn’t yet fully realized how to weaponize his long arms to combat blockers, but he plays with toughness to battle through contact. As a former safety, he looks comfortable dropping in space and has match-man potential against tight ends. Overall, Dugger is an ascending player with a blend of size and reactive athleticism worth developing on the back end of an NFL roster or practice squad.