FBFootball
Memorial Stadium
Donovan Jones

Donovan Jones Season 2026

#37
PositionDB
Weight200 lbs
Height6-1
YearSophomore
HometownOmaha, Neb.
Donovan Jones
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Honors & Awards 
» AFCA GoodWorks Team Nominee (2026)
» Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2026)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2025)
» Four-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll 
» Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (2026)
» Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar (Fourth Team, 2026)
» Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2025, 2026)
» Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2025, 2026)

2025 (Redshirt Freshman)
Donovan Jones played in all 13 games in 2025 with 11 starts. He totaled 59 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with five pass breakups. Jones became just the fifth Husker freshman to record 50 tackles since the NCAA restored freshman eligibility in 1972. He helped the Huskers rank third nationally in pass defense.

Jones had three tackles against Cincinnati while adding his first career pass breakup as Nebraska limited Cincinnati to 69 passing yards. He recorded one solo tackle against Akron as the Huskers held the Zips to 62 passing yards. Jones made his first career start against Houston Christian and had four tackles with a half TFL. His play helped limit HCU to 67 passing yards, marking the first time since 1990 that Nebraska held three consecutive opponents to fewer than 100 passing yards.
 
Jones recorded six tackles against Michigan. He topped that total with seven tackles against Michigan State. Jones had two solo tackles the next week at Maryland. He made three solo tackles at Minnesota. Jones had seven tackles against Northwestern with his first career interception. He had one tackle and a career-high two pass breakups against USC, as the Huskers held the Trojans to fewer than 150 passing yards for the first time in 83 games. Jones had four tackles in Nebraska's win at UCLA. He also had four tackles at Penn State, including a one-yard tackle for loss.
 
Jones led Nebraska with a career-high nine tackles against Iowa, and he also had a pass breakup. Jones recorded eight tackles and one pass breakup in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah.

2024 (Redshirt)
Jones played in five games - including the Pinstripe Bowl - while redshirting in 2024. He finished with five tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss. Jones made his Nebraska debut against UTEP and recorded one tackle. He had a tackle on kickoff coverage against Wisconsin. Jones played extensively in the secondary against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, recording three tackles, including a two-yard tackle for loss.

Before Nebraska (Omaha North HS)
Jones was a standout defender at Omaha North, helping the Vikings to three consecutive state playoff appearances. 

As a senior, Jones led Coach Larry Martin’s team to an 8-3 record and a trip to the second round of the Class A playoffs. Jones had 57 tackles, five tackles for loss and four interceptions. He also contributed on offense and special teams with six catches for 92 yards, while returning punts and kickoffs. Jones was a first-team All-Nebraska, all-state and all-metro pick by the Omaha World-Herald. Jones was also a member of the Lincoln Journal Star’s Super-State team as a defensive back.

Jones had a similar impact as a junior, helping the Vikings to the playoffs. He had 41 tackles, 2.5 TFL, two interceptions and seven breakups, and earned honorable-mention all-state recognition. As a sophomore, Jones contributed on both offense and defense as Omaha North reached the state semifinals. 

He was also an accomplished track athlete. As a senior, Jones placed fourth in the state track meet in the 100 and fifth in the 200, while helping North to a third-place finish in the 4x100 relay. During his junior season, he qualified for the state track meet in the 100 and 200 meters and helped North to a sixth-place finish in the 4x100 relay. 

Jones was ranked among the top 10 players in Nebraska by both ESPN and Rivals.com. 

Personal
Donovan is the son of Deondre and Jill Jones. Donovan is a child, youth and family studies major.