Fresno State Athletics
2021 Football Roster
Roster
Jalen Moreno-Cropper
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 172
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Parlier, Calif.
- High School:
- Buchanan HS
Last Updated: Jan. 11, 2023
CAREER NUMBERS IN THE RECORD BOOKS:
- Pass Receptions: 220 - 5th All-Time
- Receiving Yards: 2,701 - 9th All-Time
- Receiving Touchdowns: 21 - 8th All-Time
- Consecutive Games With a Catch: 37 - 2nd All-Time
- 100-Yard Receiving Games: 8 - T9th All-Time
2022 (SENIOR): All-Mountain West first team wide receiver … selected as a first team All-MW receiver by Phil Steele … started all 14 games for Fresno State … led the team with 83 receptions for 1,086 yards … averaged 13.1 yards per reception … became the first Bulldog receiver to have 1,000 yards in a season since 2018 … had three 100-yard receiving games this season, tying for a team-high … had a season-high 164 yards and two touchdowns at UNLV (Nov. 11) … had at least two receptions in every game this season … led the Mountain West in receptions per game (5.93) and receptions (83) … ranked No. 17 in the FBS in receiving yards, No. 26 in receptions per game, and No. 40 in receiving yards per game … was No. 6 in the MW in receiving touchdowns (5), No. 3 in receiving yards per game (77.57), and No. 2 in receiving yards (1,086) … finished the season with at least one reception in each game, bringing his streak to at least one reception in 37-straight games - the second-longest streak in program history … his last game without an reception was as a freshman on Oct. 18, 2019 … totaled five touchdowns this season … scored two touchdowns twice … had a 75-yard touchdown reception at New Mexico (Oct. 22), the 18th longest reception in program history … led the team in receiving yards in five games this season … added seven rushes for 19 yards … had a season-long 27-yard run at USC (Sept. 17) … was selected as an offensive team captain in Fresno State’s game against Oregon State (Sept. 10) … preseason honors included: Preseason All-Mountain West wide receiver, Phil Steele first team All-MW, Athlon Sports first team All-MW, Athlon Sports fourth team All-America, Shrine Bowl 1000, and All-State Good Works Team (community service) … added to the preseason watch list for the following awards: Biletnikoff Award, Wuerffel Trophy, and the Senior Bowl … accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl ... accepted his invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine on January 27, 2023.
2021 (JUNIOR): All-Mountain West second team wide receiver … appeared in all 13 games and started in 10 … was the team’s leading wide receiver, in all categories … totaled 85 receptions for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns … added 76 yards rushing and two additional touchdowns on 19 carries … averaged 69.15 receiving yards per game … ranked in the top 10 in the Mountain West in receptions per game (No. 4), receiving touchdowns (T-No. 2), receiving yards per game (No. 6), receptions (No. 3), and receiving yards (No. 6) … ranked No. 16 in receiving touchdowns, No. 18 in receptions per game, No. 37 in total touchdowns, No. 50 in receiving yards and No. 56 in receiving yards per game in the FBS … had two 100-yard receiving performances on the year … had a season-best 141 yards receiving at then-No. 13 UCLA, leading Fresno State to its 40-37 win and scoring the game-winning touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game … put up 141 yards on 14 catches at the Rose Bowl. His 14 receptions tie for the fourth-most in a game in program history … tied the single-game program record and the Mountain West record with four receiving touchdowns against UNLV (Sept. 24). Cropper finished the game with 10 catches for 108 yards and four touchdowns … Cropper was the first of six players from across the FBS to score four receiving touchdowns in a game, a mark that led the country through the season … opened the season with a seven-game streak with at least one receiving touchdown per game. Cropper had an active streak of eight games (dating back to the final game of the 2020 season) with at least one receiving score, a streak that tied for third in program history … had an 86-yard touchdown reception in the season opener against UConn (Aug. 28), it was the 10th longest pass completion in program history … had 21 receptions against Power Five opponents, the most in the conference through the regular season. Also had two touchdown receptions against those opponents, tied for the most in the conference in the regular season … had a career-best 51-yard touchdown pass against Cal Poly. It was the seventh-longest touchdown pass for the ‘Dogs this season … his 2021 season numbers broke into the top among the program’s best for a single season - 85 receptions (tied for 7th all-time), 11 receiving touchdowns (tied for 8th all-time) … Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 27) … Biletnikoff Award watch list … helped Fresno State to two wins over ranked opponents, both on the road. It was the first time Fresno State defeated two Top 25 opponents in a season for the first time since 2004, and the first time both wins came on the road in the 100 year history of the program.
2020 (SOPHOMORE): All-Mountain West honorable mention selection … was fourth in the conference in receptions per game (6.17) … finished fifth in the league averaging 86.7 receiving yards per game … was seventh in the MW in all-purpose yards per game (121.8) … finished ninth in the conference in kick return average (20.4) … was No. 28 in the NCAA in receptions per game (6.2) … finished No. 31 in the FBS receiving yards per game … was No. 43 in the NCAA in all-purpose yards per game ... started five of six games played … was the Bulldogs’ leading receiver in receptions and receiving yards with 37 catches for 520 yards and five touchdowns … averaged 14.1 yards per catch and 86.7 yards per game ... added four carries for 27 yards … produced 184 yards on nine kick returns … finished the season with 731 all-purpose yards, was second on the team in the category ... had three 100-yard receiving games to close out the season, with a 200-yard game in that mix … is one of six Bulldog receivers to have three consecutive 100-yard receiving games ... the first Bulldog to have three 100-yard receiving games in a season since KeeSean Johnson in 2017 … his 100-yard receiving games were at Utah State (Nov. 14), at Nevada (Dec. 5) and vs. New Mexico (Dec. 12) ... had three receiving touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ game at Utah State … Cropper’s 18 points versus the Aggies were tied for third-most in the conference this season … his three scores tied for the second-most in a game in program history … he became the first Bulldog to score three receiving touchdowns since KeeSean Johnson in 2017 … Cropper registered a career-high 202 yards receiving against Utah State and had the most receiving yards in a game since Davante Adams had 256 on Nov. 29, 2013 … his 202 yards receiving are the 16th-most in a single game in program history … the 202 yards receiving were the third-most by any conference player this year ... he broke into the program’s all-time single game pass reception leaders list with 10 at Utah State and 12 against New Mexico (Dec. 12). He is tied for 26th and 19th, respectively … he is tied for sixth all-time with two career games with 10 or more receptions … his 12 receptions against New Mexico tied for a conference best ... had 256 all-purpose yards versus Utah State and owns the ninth-most in a single game in program history … 256 all-purpose yards were the most by any Mountain West player on the year ... recorded his first career touchdown reception against Colorado State (Oct. 29) … was the Bulldogs’ primary kick returner in the final three games of the season … had a season-best 69 return yards against New Mexico … had a 25-yard return, the longest return of the season for the sophomore at UNM … was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after his performance at Utah State … became the first Bulldog wideout to earn the honor since Adams in 2013 … winner of ESPN’s Joey Galloway’s helmet sticker following the Utah State game … was the team’s Co-Offensive Player of the Game following the Utah State game … Phil Steele All-Mountain West second team selection.
2019 (FRESHMAN): Appeared in 10 games and made five starts as a true freshman … was second on the team with 652 all-purpose yards … recorded 343 rushing yards on 20 carries … had an additional 196 receiving yards on 15 catches … totaled three rushing touchdowns … threw a 36-yard touchdown pass at Hawai’i … holds the 10th and 14th-longest plays from scrimmage in Fresno State football history with a 79 and 82-yard run this season … became the first Bulldog to have a 79+ yard run and break into the category since Robbie Rouse had a 94-yard run in 2012 … owns the top two single-game total offense per play averages in the Mountain West (45.5 vs. UNLV and 32.3 at Hawai’i) … posted two of the top three single-game yards per rush average in the Mountain West this season (45.5 vs. UNLV and 30.5 at Hawai’i) … owns the longest rush of the season in the Mountain West with an 82-yard dash against UNLV … added five kick returns for 113 yards in a four-game stretch … averaged 22.6 yards per kick return.
HIGH SCHOOL: A versatile athlete who has lined up at wide receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back and as a returner throughout his high school career at Buchanan High School (2018) and Sanger High School (2015-17) ... primarily a wide receiver with Buchanan, he recorded 22 receptions, three touchdowns and a team-high 565 yards for a 25.7-yard average ... he also rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries on offense, and recorded two interceptions on defense ... as a sophomore, led Sanger to a 13-1 record and the CIF Division 2-A Regional Final. Recorded over 700 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns during the season ... listed as an athlete, Cropper is a four-star recruit according to ESPN and a three-star on 247sports ... announced his top five college choices: Boise State, Cal, Fresno State, Utah and Oregon but later changed to a top four of Cal, Utah, Nebraska and Fresno State ... Cropper helped Sanger win the 2016 section Division II championship and reach a state championship game.
PERSONAL: Born in Parlier, Calif. … son of Aaron Cropper and Lisette Moreno … has four younger siblings - Marquis, Kaylee, Devin and Kameron … also recruited by Utah, Oregon, Nebraska, Boise, UCLA and Oregon State … chose to stay in Fresno because he loves every part of Bulldog football … majoring in communication.
Head Coach’s remark on Cropper...
“We’ve been recruiting Jalen really since the day we got here when he was back at Sanger. Brought in his former teammate and close friend Arron Mosby in our first class and can’t wait to get Jalen on campus. Awesome kid and special athlete with the ball in his hands. Played both ways for Buchanan this last year, big name in the area we are fired up to keep home in the Valley.”
