WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Monmouth University junior defensive back Jaeden Jones has been named to the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, Stats Perform announced on Tuesday. The Buck Buchanan Award is presented annually to the top defensive player in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) football.

Jones is the second Hawk to be named to the preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, joining Mike Basile (2017). He enters the 2026 season as one of the nation's most accomplished returning defenders after earning Stats Perform FCS Preseason Second Team All-America honors earlier this week.

A consensus postseason All-American in 2025, Jones earned Associated Press FCS All-America Honorable Mention and AFCA FCS Coaches' Second Team All-America recognition after leading the Hawks with 118 total tackles, the third-highest single-season total in program history. He also totaled 74 solo tackles, 44 assisted stops, five tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups, while recording seven double-digit tackle performances.

Jones' standout sophomore campaign also garnered First Team All-CAA honors on defense, Third Team All-CAA recognition as a specialist, First Team Phil Steele All-CAA accolades, and All-ECAC honors. His production and versatility helped anchor a Monmouth defense that propelled the Hawks to a 9-3 regular season and 6-2 conference records, while finishing inside the top 25 in the national polls. Jones is one of four Coastal Athletic Association student-athletes to earn a spot on the preseason watch list for the award.

The Buck Buchanan Award has been presented annually since 1995 and recognizes the top defensive player in the FCS. The 2026 recipient will be announced during the FCS national awards banquet in January.

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