Jaren Kump

Jaren Kump
No. 64 – Chicago Bears
PositionOffensive lineman
Personal information
Born2000 (age 25–26)
Riverton, Utah, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight315 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High schoolHerriman (Herriman, Utah)
CollegeUtah (2020-2025)
NFL draft2026: undrafted
Career history
Awards and highlights

Jaren Kump (born 2000) is an American professional football offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes, where he started at all 5 offensive line positions and served as team captain in 2025. He signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL draft.

Early life and high school

Kump was born and raised in Riverton, Utah[1] and attended Herriman High School where he was a 3-star recruit and the No. 9-ranked recruit in the state.[1] As a senior he was named 1st-team all-state and helped Herriman win the 2015 Class 5A state football championship.[2][1] He also competed in track and field, winning the Class 6A state shot put championship in 2017 (PR: 61’ 9”, 18.82 m) and the Class 6A state discus championship in 2018 (PR: 169’ 9”, 51.74 m).[1][3][4] Additionally, he played basketball and rugby for Herriman High.[2] Kump chose to play college football for Utah over BYU, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal, Arizona, UCLA, and USC.[5] After high school, Kump served a 2-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, from 2018 to 2020, before enrolling at the University of Utah.[6][3][7]

College career

Kump enrolled at the University of Utah and played for the Utah Utes from 2020 to 2025.[6] Over his career he appeared in 59 games with 40 starts, playing every position along the offensive line -- left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle.[1] He started at right tackle as a freshman in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, started at left tackle until a season-ending injury in 2021, moved to guard in 2022, and settled in at center beginning in 2023, a position he held through the 2025 season.[8][9] During Kump's time at Utah, the Utes won back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, reaching the Rose Bowl both years, and capped his final season with a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Nebraska in 2025.[10][11][12]


Kump was selected by his teammates as a team captain for the 2025 season, which also included participation to the team's over arching leadership council.[13] The 2025 season was also the last at Utah for longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham, who announced he would step down at the end of the season after 21 years leading the program.[14] Whittingham called the 2025 offensive line unit the best offensive line "since I've been at the University of Utah.”[15] In 2025, the unit Kump led helped the Utes to one of the top rushing attacks in the country and in program history in their 11 win and 2 loss season; Kump was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, recognizing college football's top scholar-athlete, and was included on the Rimington Trophy watch list for the nation's top center.[16][17] He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2025[1] and had earlier been named to the College Football Network's 2024 All-Big 12 2nd team.[18] He was also an Academic All-Big 12 selection.[2][17]

Utah's offensive line, led by Kump and traditionally known as the "OBLOCK," was named to the Joe Moore Award midseason honor roll in 2025 before advancing to semifinalist status, 1 of 10 units recognized nationally for the award, which honors the sport's most outstanding offensive line unit.[1][9][19] The 2025 unit, nicknamed "the Wasatch Front" in media coverage, was recognized as Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week 4 times during the season, following wins over UCLA, Arizona State, Colorado, and Baylor, and helped Utah set single-season program records of 3,462 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns, surpassing the previous rushing record of 3,263 yards set in 1984.[20][12] Utah's offense ranked 2nd in FBS in rushing yards per game (266.3) and 4th nationally in scoring (41.2 points per game) in 2025, while Pro Football Network rated the line's 1.58 yards before contact per designed run as 1st nationally (excluding service academies).[21][22][23] The offensive line was also tied for 8th nationally in fewest sacks allowed, giving up just 11 across the season.[24][25] According to Pro Football Focus, Kump allowed just 9 pressures and 0 sacks across 367 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.[1]

Kump was named the University of Utah Athletics' recipient of the "3 C's of Excellence" award for the 2025-26 season, given to a senior student-athlete for combined excellence in the classroom, athletic competition, and community engagement, as voted by fellow student-athletes.[26] While playing his final season for the Utes, Kump completed a master's degree in Health & Kinesiology from Utah in 2026, with a thesis examining student-athletes' transition out of competitive sport.[6][27]

Following his senior season, Kump accepted invitations to play in the inaugural The American Bowl in Lakeland, Florida, and in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, both college football all-star games showcasing NFL draft prospects.[8][28][29]

Professional career

Kump went undrafted in the 2026 NFL draft and signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent shortly afterward.[3][30]

Personal life

Kump is married to Sydney Kump.[6] He is fluent in the Portuguese language.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Jaren Kump -- Football -- University of Utah Athletics". University of Utah Athletics. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  2. 1 2 3 "Jaren Kump's Experience Makes Utah's 2025 O-Line Better". KSL Sports. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  3. 1 2 3 "Jaren Kump (C): Bio, News, Stats & more". Chicago Bears. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  4. ↑ "Herriman wins five of six throwing events at state 6A track and field championships". The Salt Lake Tribune. 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  5. ↑ "Jaren Kump". Hudl. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Utah football: Utes center Jaren Kump earns a master's degree". Deseret News. 2026-04-30. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  7. ↑ Jaren Kump. "Instagram post". Instagram. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  8. 1 2 "Utah center Jaren Kump accepts invite to play in college football all-star game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  9. 1 2 "Utah Football's Jaren Kump Focused On Leading The O-Block". KSL Sports. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  10. ↑ "Oregon vs. Utah score, takeaways: Utes earn first Pac-12 championship, Rose Bowl berth in rout of Ducks". CBS Sports. 2021-12-04. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  11. ↑ "Utah Football Is Rose Bowl Bound For Second Straight Season". University of Utah Athletics. 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  12. 1 2 "Utah breaks 41-year-old school record in Las Vegas Bowl". Deseret News. 2025-12-31. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  13. ↑ "'It's the biggest honor': Jaren Kump's journey to being named Utah's captain". Deseret News. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  14. ↑ "10 moments that defined Utah football's 2025 season". Deseret News. 2025-12-29. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  15. ↑ "What's Next: 3 Priorities for New Michigan Football Coach Kyle Whittingham". Fox Sports. 2025-12-28. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  16. ↑ Forsman, Cole. "Utah football's Jaren Kump named semifinalist for prestigious award". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  17. 1 2 "Kump Named to Rimington Trophy Watchlist". University of Utah Athletics. 2025-08-08. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  18. ↑ "2024 All-Big 12 Team: Awards and Honors". College Football Network. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  19. ↑ "Utah Offensive Line Selected as Joe Moore Award Semifinalist". University of Utah Athletics. 2025-11-12. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  20. ↑ "ASU, BYU, TTU and Utah Claim Big 12 Football Awards for Week 12". Big 12 Conference. 2025-11-17. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  21. ↑ "Utah's leading rusher re-signs with the Utes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  22. ↑ "What will Utah's offense do for encore after productive 2025?". Deseret News. 2026-05-04. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  23. ↑ "College Football OL Power Rankings 2025: Who Boasts the Best Offensive Line in the Nation?". Pro Football Network. 2025-11-27. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  24. ↑ "Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano wins 2025 Outland Trophy". Football Writers Association of America. 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  25. ↑ "Here's Where Utah Ranks in Statistical Categories This Season". 247Sports. 2025-11-05. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  26. ↑ "Annual Student-Athlete Awards Unveiled April 13-17". University of Utah Athletics. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  27. ↑ "Utah Football Captain Tackles Graduate Research and NFL Dreams". University of Utah College of Health. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  28. ↑ "2026 East-West Shrine Bowl Roster". East-West Shrine Bowl. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  29. ↑ "Film study: New Bears UDFA Jaren Kump brings plenty of OL versatility". Windy City Gridiron. 2026-04-26. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  30. ↑ "Tracking the Bears' undrafted free agent signings". Chicago Sun-Times. 2026-04-25. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
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