Jacob De Jesus
| No. 21 – California Golden Bears | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Class | Graduate student |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Manteca, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Manteca (Manteca, California) |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Jacob Marcus De Jesus is an American college football wide receiver for the California Golden Bears. He previously played for the Modesto Junior College Pirates and UNLV Rebels.
Early life
De Jesus attended Manteca High School in Manteca, California. As a junior, he was named co-Offensive Player of the Year of the Valley Oak League.[1] After receiving no football scholarship offers following his high school career, De Jesus enrolled at Modesto Junior College.[2]
College career
As a freshman, De Jesus totaled 1,243 all-purpose yards and two receiving touchdowns.[2] During his sophomore year, he hauled in 64 catches for 914 yards and five touchdowns, before transferring to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.[3] In his first season at UNLV, De Jesus made an instant impact, establishing himself as the team's primary return specialist.[4] He finished the 2023 season leading the nation in total return yards with 1,079, while also catching 60 passes for 606 yards and two touchdowns.[5] In the 2024 LA Bowl, De Jesus totaled 142 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, being named the game's offensive MVP.[6] Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, he announced his decision to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley.[7] During the 2025 season, De Jesus hauled in 108 receptions, establishing the school record for single season receptions.[8] At the conclusion of the season, he was named first-team All-ACC.[9]
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | Punt returns | Kick returns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2021 | Modesto | 9 | 41 | 466 | 11.4 | 2 | 7 | 96 | 13.7 | 0 | 21 | 462 | 22.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Modesto | 11 | 64 | 914 | 14.3 | 5 | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 0 | 12 | 224 | 18.7 | 0 |
| 2023 | UNLV | 14 | 60 | 606 | 10.1 | 2 | 16 | 257 | 16.1 | 0 | 32 | 815 | 25.5 | 0 |
| 2024 | UNLV | 13 | 36 | 512 | 14.2 | 3 | 25 | 252 | 10.1 | 0 | 9 | 190 | 21.1 | 0 |
| 2025 | California | 13 | 108 | 1,021 | 9.5 | 6 | 22 | 259 | 11.8 | 0 | 18 | 363 | 20.2 | 0 |
| JUCO Career | 20 | 105 | 1,380 | 13.1 | 7 | 18 | 148 | 8.2 | 0 | 33 | 686 | 20.8 | 0 | |
| NCAA Career | 40 | 204 | 2,139 | 10.5 | 11 | 63 | 768 | 12.2 | 0 | 59 | 1,368 | 23.2 | 0 | |
References
- ^ Niendorf, Kevin. "De Jesus stars in Manteca's blowout victory". The Stockton Record. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Teeguarden, Ethan (September 6, 2025). "'I'm going to show you': Jacob De Jesus stands tall beyond his frame". www.dailycal.org. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ Grimala, Mike (August 14, 2023). "Jacob De Jesus emerging as star of UNLV football practice — again". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ Fin, Callie (October 4, 2024). "Jacob De Jesus balances family, football dreams at UNLV". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ "Athlon Sports tabs UNLV football's De Jesus, White Preseason All-Americans". Fox 5 Vegas. June 18, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ Vannoy, Jenelle (December 27, 2024). "UNLV's Jacob De Jesus shines as Outstanding Rebel of the Week". KSNV. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ "UNLV star return specialist announces transfer to Cal". KSNV. January 10, 2025. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ Kroner, Steve. "How diminutive Jacob De Jesus is standing tall on Cal's all-time receptions list". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Cal's Jacob De Jesus Finds 3 Spots on All-ACC Football Team". California Golden Bears On SI. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 27, 2025.