Lockdown cornerback Jeff Gladney earned All-American honors in 2019
12 | CB Jeff Gladney (2015-2019)
An elite shutdown cornerback for the Horned Frogs, Jeff Gladney earned All-Big honors three seasons and was named a Second-Team All-American in 2019. Arriving in Fort Worth as a three-star wide receiver and defensive back prospect, ranked outside the top 1,500 nationally in the Class of 2015 out of New Boston, TX, Gladney moved into the secondary full time. He started from his first game as a redshirt freshman, making at least seven tackles in three games. Gladney helped the Horned Frogs reach the Big 12 Championship, Alamo Bowl victory, and Top Ten final AP ranking in 2017, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors, ranking second on the team in passes defensed with an interception returned 94 yards for a touchdown vs. Texas Tech.
House call for Gladney! #BeatTech pic.twitter.com/E4CUj3JAfK
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) November 18, 2017
Gladney’s production took a leap for his final two seasons as receivers could not find space in matchups yet quarterbacks kept testing the 6-foot, 183-pound corner. Gladney’s 13 passes defensed in 2018 was second in the Big 12, topped in 2019 with a conference-leading 14 pass break-ups. Gladney’s 38 total career passes defensed ranks second all-time in the Big 12 and 21st nationally since 2005. His 2018 season closed with one of the many interceptions of the infamous Cheez-It Bowl win over Cal and his standout 2019 senior campaign featured an eight tackle, 3 PBU performance in a win over Texas as Gladney would earn First-Team All-Big 12 and Second-Team All-American.
TCU’s Jeff Gladney is a tough, physical cornerback prospect with legit speed and can recover when overly aggressive really well. pic.twitter.com/o6LkzquH2r
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) February 19, 2020
Gladney would be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the First Round of the 2020 NFL Draft, starting 15 games as a rookie, making 81 tackles (seven for loss), with three passes defensed and a forced fumble.