Career: Four-time member of The Athletic’s “Freaks List” based on his athleticism — No. 4 overall (No. 1 among offensive skill players) in 2021, No. 3 overall (No. 1 on offense) in 2020, No. 15 in 2019 and No. 11 in 2018 ... Scored 15 career touchdowns (three on kickoff returns, 11 receiving, one rushing) … Tied school record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns (100 yards at Georgia Southern in 2020, 100 yards at Miami in 2021 and 97 yards against Georgia Southern in 2021) … Produced 15 plays of at least 40 yards in his career, including a 57-yard kickoff return at South Carolina in 2019 and TD catches of 83, 73, 60, 56 (twice), 54 and 53 yards for the Mountaineers … Ran 100 meters in 10.29 seconds to place second at the 2018 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships as a late addition to the track team … Measurements of 40.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10-11 in the broad jump to go along with lifts of 405 in the bench press, 345 pounds in a close-grip bench press and 600 pounds on the box squat … Invited to the Hula Bowl following the 2021 season … In 61 career games (12 starts at receiver), totaled 98 catches for 1,436 yards (14.7 average) and 36 kickoff returns for 1,142 yards (31.7 average) …. No. 8 in school history in career kickoff return yards despite returning for only two seasons.
2021: All-Sun Belt second team as a return specialist (league awards) and kick returner (Phil Steele) … Played in 12 games and started one (Boca Raton Bowl) … Scored three touchdowns of 60-plus yards with a 100-yard kickoff return at Miami, a 97-yard kickoff return against Georgia Southern and a 60-yard touchdown reception on a catch-and-run play against WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl … Ranked No. 7 nationally with a kickoff return average of 30.0 yards and No. 2 in App State history in single-season kickoff return yards (781, the third-highest total in the country in 2021) … Led App State in all-purpose yards in each of the final three games, including 220 in the bowl game (75 receiving, 146 on five kickoff returns) … Finished season with 15 catches for 226 yards and 26 kickoff returns for 781 yards as part of 1,006 all-purpose yards for the season … Tied for No. 2 nationally with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
2020: All-Sun Belt third team as a return specialist in 2020 … No. 3 on national "Freaks" list (No. 1 offensive player) via The Athletic ... Had a go-ahead 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Georgia Southern and played in nine games, making six starts at receiver … Finished season with 22 catches for 225 yards with three TD receptions and seven kickoff returns for 215 yards … Came up big in Statesboro, as he was named the Sun Belt Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week by the league after he scored two touchdowns, including the kick return that gave App State its first lead in a 34-26 victory … Virgil's 171 all-purpose yards in Statesboro came from 126 yards on two kickoff returns and 45 yards on three critical catches — App State trailed 14-0 late in the first half before he made a contested grab in the back of the end zone on a third-and-goal throw from the 16 … The third 100-yard kickoff return in program history was also the first time in program history that App State had a fourth-quarter kickoff return erase a deficit and put the Mountaineers in front … With App State's lead down to five points later in the fourth quarter, Virgil's gain of 33 yards on a diving catch was the highlight of a drive that ended with a field goal to push the lead to eight … Started the first two games, making an acrobatic 11-yard touchdown grab at the edge of the end zone at Marshall in Game 2, before missing the next three games and dealing with leg injuries throughout the regular season … After missing the three straight games, had a 9-yard touchdown catch at Texas State in his return to the lineup ... Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 watch list.
2019: Played in all 14 games and made five starts … Ranked fourth on the team with 24 catches for 383 yards and scored four receiving touchdowns … Had four kickoff returns for 146 yards (36.5 average), including a 57-yard return to the 39 that set up App State’s final touchdown in a 20-15 win at South Carolina … With 42 rushing yards on 10 carries, totaled 571 all-purpose yards … Started at an outside receiver spot in wins against ETSU, Charlotte, North Carolina, Louisiana (Sun Belt title game) and UAB (New Orleans Bowl) with Corey Sutton unavailable … Totaled three touchdowns in the first two games, as he rushed for a 15-yard score in the opener against ETSU … Had three catches for 86 yards with scoring plays of 10 and 73 yards against Charlotte … Had five catches for 95 yards with a 44-yard touchdown catch at Troy … Caught a 56-yard touchdown pass against ULM ... Listed at No. 15 on The Athletic’s “Freaks List” and named the Sun Belt’s “Fastest Receiver” by Street & Smith.
2018: Sun Belt’s “Fastest Receiver” according to Street and Smith and ranked No. 11, along with Jalin Moore, on the “Freaks List” from The Athletic ... Ran 100 meters in 10.29 seconds as a late addition to the track team in the spring of 2018 ... Saw action in all 13 games … Tallied 238 receiving yards on 17 receptions with a 14.0-yard average … Longest catch was a 41-yard reception at Arkansas State ... Caught a pass in each of App State’s first five contests … Had a season-high five receptions for 51 yards at Texas State … Hauled in two passes for 58 total yards, including a 35-yard catch to set up App State’s first score, in the 45-13 New Orleans Bowl victory over Middle Tennessee … Rushed for 5 yards on one attempt.
2017: Saw action in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and made one start at UMass … Finished the season with 364 receiving yards on 20 receptions and had at least one reception in all but two games. Led the team with 18.2 yards per reception … Had five catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina, scoring on plays of 83 and 53 yards … The 186 receiving yards rank 10th in school history and were the most for an App State player since Sean Price had 231 receiving yards against Georgia Southern in 2012. … The nine single-game yardage totals higher than 186 all featured at least seven catches by that receiver. The highest receiving yardage total for an App State player with five catches or less before Virgil was 172 on four catches from Brian Quick against Wofford in 2008 … Scored his first career TD with a long, weaving run on a 56-yard reception against Savannah State.
2016: Redshirted
High School: Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports ... First-team all-region honoree ... Recorded 41 catches for 614 yards and five touchdowns as a senior ... Selected to play in the Gwinnett County all-star game and made three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns ... Finished second at the Georgia Class AAAAAA state championships and won the Gwinnett County title as a junior in the 100-meter dash (10.45 seconds) ... Coached by Nick Bach ... High school teammate of fellow Appalachian State player Kaiden Smith ... Chose App State over Ga. Southern, Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee and Old Dominion.
Personal: Full name is Jalen Lorenzo Virgil … Son of Yvette and Tracy Virgil … Has one sister: Bria … Dad, Tracy, played basketball at Clarke University in Iowa.
