ARKADELPHIA – Ouachita Baptist University football alumnus Gregory Junior has made the 53-man roster for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars heading into the 2023 season.

The Crossett native was Ouachita's first-ever NFL draft selection in April of 2022 when he was picked by the Jags in the sixth round. Last season, he spent most of the year on the practice squad and ended up with six tackles in the team's 31-3 road win over the Houston Texans. He has had a productive preseason for the Jags in 2023 with seven tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception returned for 37 yards. He is among seven cornerbacks listed on the Jags' initial 53-man roster.

"We are so excited for Greg and proud of him," said Ouachita Head Coach Todd Knight. "It's no surprise to us that he is in a position to play football at the highest possible level with the hard work and commitment to the game that he showed here at Ouachita and continues to show with Jacksonville. We are pulling for him and the Jags."

Jacksonville opens the regular season on September 10 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.

Junior graduated from Ouachita in December of 2021 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. As a senior at Ouachita, he earned All-GAC first team honors and was selected to the D2Football.com Elite 100 All-America Team.

Although Junior is Ouachita's first-ever NFL draft selection, he is the eighth individual to represent the Tigers in the NFL, alongside Bill Lafitte (Brooklyn Tigers, 1944), Chuck Taylor (Brooklyn Tigers, 1944), Carl Allen (Brooklyn Dodgers, 1948), Ed Neal (Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, 1945-51), Cliff Harris (Dallas Cowboys, 1970-79), Julius Pruitt (Miami Dolphins, 2011), and Phillip Supernaw (four teams, 2012-17). Harris, who can be seen at nearly all home games at his namesake stadium, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.