Parker Hughes
| No. 53 – Jacksonville Jaguars | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Roster status |  Injured reserve |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 2, 2003 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Elizabethton (Elizabethton, Tennessee) |
| College | Middle Tennessee (2022–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: 7th round, 240th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Troy Parker Hughes (born January 2, 2003) is an American professional football linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders[1] and was selected by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Hughes attended Elizabethton High School in Elizabethton, Tennessee. He helped lead the team to two TSSAA BlueCross Bowl state titles and earned Class 4A Mr. Football honors in his senior season.[2] Hughes received little collegiate recruiting attention and walked on to the football team at Middle Tennessee.[3]
College career
Hughes played in four games in his freshman season before taking a redshirt. He transferred to Samford and was moved to outside linebacker. Hughes felt it was not a good fit and considered dropping football altogether after a season at Samford, but ultimately opted to transfer back to Middle Tennessee. As a redshirt sophomore in 2023, he had 53 tackles, including 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, starting 11 games.[4] Hughes missed three games in 2024 after sustaining an injury over the summer but finished with 69 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, a hurry and a forced fumble.[5] In 2025, Hughes recorded 100 tackles (three for loss), two interceptions, two pass breakups and two hurries.[2] He was named to the Second Team All-Conference USA.[3]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m) | 228 lb (103 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 8+7⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) | 4.43 s | 1.53 s | 2.59 s | 4.41 s | 7.51 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 25 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[6] | ||||||||||||
Hughes was selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft with the 240th overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.[7] On August 17, 2026, Hughes was placed on injured reserve.[8]
References
- ↑ Walker, Brett (April 23, 2026). "MTSU to the NFL? Where Blue Raiders rank ahead of 2026 draft". MTSU Sidelines. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- 1 2 Joyce, Cecil (April 26, 2026). "Pros, cons of Jacksonville Jaguars picking MTSU's Parker Hughes in 2026 NFL Draft". Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- 1 2 Kane, McKenzie. "Elizabethton's Parker Hughes selected by Jaguars in NFL Draft". WJHL. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ ""I literally just want to be here" - Hughes embraces the work to return to MTSU defense". Middle Tennessee State University Athletics. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ↑ "Blue Raiders ready for CUSA Kickoff in Frisco, TX". Shelbyville Times-Gazette. July 21, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Parker Hughes College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "No. 240 Overall: Hughes is the Selection". Jacksonville Jaguars. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Roster Moves: Jaguars Sign OL Timothy McKay & LB Baylon Spector". Jaguars.com. Jacksonville Jaguars. Retrieved 17 August 2026.