Jackson State lands former Tennessee State, Eddie George recruits

Jackson State won the 2024 Celebration Bowl only a few months ago, and they look poised to make a serious run at a repeat bid with the offseason moves that they’ve made. While they’re losing a few of their senior players, as stars such as Robert McDaniel look to get a shot in the NFL, they made savvy acquisitions on offense and defense. A roster acquisition that made headlines to start the year was former Edward Waters and Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Nate Rembert. Now, T.C. Taylor’s squad is bringing in two lineman with FCS Playoff pedigree.

Former Tennessee State offensive linemen Alex Valbuena and Ace Meadows are headed to Jackson State from Tennessee State, departing the program following the exit of Eddie George to Bowling Green. Valbuena and Meadows both announced their transfer on their social media accounts, accompanied by a graphic of them sporting Jackson State jerseys.

Both Meadows and Valbuena have an interesting background. Valbuena redshirted in 2022 before gaining valuable experience as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and continuing to make an impact as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. Wearing jersey number 51, he primarily played guard and started in the game against Southeast Missouri State on November 23, 2024. A Lipscomb Academy graduate from Nashville, Valbuena earned first-team all-conference and all-state honors during his high school career.

Meadows is a towering 6’7″ and made a name for himself as a skilled offensive lineman in the state of Tennessee. Being drawn to Tennessee State because of George, he joined the Tigers in the 2024 season. Both Tennessee-raised linemen made a difference for a Tennessee State team that ended the season with an FCS Playoffs bid and an OVC-Big South title. They provided valuable protection for Tennessee State quarterback Draylen Ellis and increased running lanes for the stable of running backs that George recruited last season.

Now, they head to Jackson State to become huge pieces of a talented offense that looks to reclaim their title as the best of the SWAC in the Fall.