Week 3: Jalen Coker, Holy Cross

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mark seliger photo

College of the Holy Cross wide receiver Jalen Coker, who starred at Potomac Falls High School in Sterling, was named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week after catching nine passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns as the Crusaders beat Yale, 49-24, this past Saturday.

Coker, a senior, has led Holy Cross in receiving each of the past two seasons, earning a number of accolades, including first-team All-Patriot League, as he teamed with quarterback Matthew Sluka to form one of the most productive tandem’s in the Football Championship Subdivision.

“This is my guy,” Coker said, while doing a postgame interview with Sluka on Saturday. “My job is to go get the ball. Wherever he puts it, my job is to catch it.”

Coker has delivered spectacular plays throughout his career at Holy Cross. Last year, he caught a 46-yard touchdown pass on the game’s final play as the Crusaders beat Buffalo, 37-31. In 2021, Coker caught a 35-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left as the Crusaders beat Sacred Heart, 13-10, for their first-ever FCS playoff win.

“He is one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever been around,” Potomac Falls Coach Paul Barnes said, noting that Coker still holds school record for most interceptions in a season (10) and career (12). He said that while most college coaches recruited Coker as a defensive back, he chose Holy Cross in part because the Crusaders wanted him to play wide receiver. “I can’t tell you how many times we threw a fade to him and he came down with it, it didn’t matter if they were double-teaming him.”

In addition to his on-field success, Coker also has been busy off the field throughout college. He is heavily involved with the Love Like Adam Foundation that was created in honor of a childhood friend and also with Working for Worcester.

“He’s not only a very good player, but one heck of a human being, too,” Barnes said.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week Honor Roll is:

  • Christopher Newport QB Connor Barry (Madison), making his first collegiate start, completed 14 of 20 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score as the Captains beat Gettysburg, 49-17.

  • Ball State RB Marquez Cooper (Quince Orchard) rushed 22 times for 177 yards and one touchdown as the Cardinals beat Indiana State, 45-7.

  • Lafayette RB Jamar Curtis (St. John’s) rushed 20 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns as the Leopards beat Columbia, 24-3.

  • Merrimack RB Tyvon Edmonds Jr. (Bishop McNamara) rushed 30 times for 213 yards and one touchdown as the Warriors beat Virginia Lynchburg, 44-0.

  • Oklahoma WR Jalil Farooq (Wise) caught six passes for 126 yards and one touchdown and averaged 35 yards on three kickoff returns, including a 62-yarder, as the Sooners beat Tulsa, 66-17.

  • Catholic WR Preston Jeffrey caught 10 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals beat SUNY-Morrisville, 31-20.

  • Wake Forest WR Taylor Morin (Westfield) caught six passes for 112 yards and two second-half touchdowns as the Demon Deacons rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to beat Old Dominion, 27-24.

  • Maryland CB Tarheeb Still made five tackles and intercepted two passes, both in the fourth quarter, as the Terrapins pulled away for a 42-14 win over Virginia.