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TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 02: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) gets stopped by Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders linebacker Parker Hughes (21) and safety Jakobe Thomas (30) during a college football game on September 02, 2023 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Conference USA finally arrived to the 2026 NFL Draft at pick No. 240.
Middle Tennessee inside linebacker Parker Hughes was the league’s first representative at the draft in Pittsburgh, hearing his name called as the 240th overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round. Hughes is the first player drafted directly out of Middle Tennessee since wide receiver Richie James in 2018 and the first defensive Blue Raider taken since Kevin Byard in 2016.
Hughes spent all five college seasons in Murfreesboro, TN, even sticking with the Blue Raiders through a head coaching change in December 2023. His production amplified in all five years, starting out as a safety that played 21 snaps in 2021 and concluding his Middle Tennessee tenure as a linebacker with 100 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
The safety-turned-linebacker earned Second Team All-CUSA honors in 2025 as the Blue Raiders’ leading tackler. Without wearing another uniform, he totaled 252 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, and six pass breakups during an accomplished college career.
Hughes did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine, but the Middle Tennessee alum tested his mettle at Pro Day. The 6’1”, 228 pound linebacker showcased elite linebacker speed, registering a 4.39-second 40-yard dash — which would have ranked first among all linebackers at the 2026 Combine.
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Hughes moves southeast to Duval County, where he joins the reigning AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars. The linebacker room is currently led by Foye Oluokun, Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, and Dennis Gardeck. Hughes looks to learn from those veterans while establishing a name of his own, as his NFL career officially launched Saturday as pick No. 240.
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