Jalen Huskey: The Builder

Jalen Huskey has a unique outlook on Maryland’s 2025 football season. 

He sees every challenger or test as a piece to something bigger. Week by week, he’s building team chemistry, his personal resume, his bonds with his family and LEGO sets, his second-favorite hobby behind locking down opposing offenses. 

“There’s a shell model we use,” Huskey said of one of the team’s season philosophies. “It’s kind of like putting pieces together to build a full shell. Just like LEGO, you have to take the season one brick at a time.”

Huskey owns dozens of LEGO sets, both finished and unconstructed in his current apartment. Earlier this week, a Target run resulted in several new acquisitions to hold him over throughout the season

“I’ve always liked LEGOs, even when I was a little kid,” he said. “But ever since I got to college and have been able to afford my own hobby, it’s become something that I’ve really used to fill my time.”

He’s got a LEGO room in his apartment. He says it’s the “focal point” of his residence and an area that continues to grow and flourish.

“It definitely relaxes me as well as keeps me on edge,” Huskey said. “It allows me to have a sense of achievement and accomplishment and feel like I’m always working toward something, so I don’t feel like I’m not doing anything sitting around the house.”

This past spring, he built the jewel of his collection: the LEGO Titanic. A 9,090-brick masterpiece. Beaming with delight, Huskey reports that the Titanic is LEGO’s longest set (135 cm) to date. He built it over the span of two days (with a four-hour sleep break, of course) and displays it with pride.  

“Any time I don’t want to worry about football or think about football, it either goes to LEGO or recovering or trying to get some sleep,” Huskey said. “I love just being able to relax and that’s something that’s been allowing me to relax in a positive way.”

His favorite sets are ones either set around real-world things or pop culture. He’s built several Star Wars and Fortnite sets and is on the hunt for new Stranger Things sets. Since building the Titanic, he’s eyeing the Roman Colosseum. But his next big project is already waiting for him: the 10,001-brick Eiffel Tower, LEGO’s tallest set (149 cm) to date.

LEGO keeps him grounded. During fall camp, the team stayed in a hotel for several weeks, but Huskey brought a small set with him to build during his limited downtime. He said it provided him a “different release” than just watching movies or staring at screens during camp.

He’s incredibly rooted and able to adjust to anything, even heartbreaking tragedy. 

Three years ago, a shockwave hit him and his family, forcing a rebuild that brought them closer together. Huskey unexpectedly lost his sister, Keira Lyle, in Feb. of 2022 (2/22/2022). If all those 2s look familiar, it’s because Huskey dons jersey number 22 in honor and memory of her. 

“I want everyone to know why I wear 22,” Huskey said. “Me being able to wear the number is something that’s super big for me.”

After her passing, Huskey and his family — especially his siblings — didn’t break; they bonded. They leaned on each other, building relationships in their shared pain.

“I think we all handled it differently,” Huskey said. “I think we definitely all came together, though, and it was something that helped bring our family a lot closer. When you lose a sibling, it takes a really big toll on every single person in the family. So, it’s allowed our relationships to become a lot tighter.”

While it could have been something to shy away from or bury down and suppress, Huskey takes every opportunity to honor her with pride. His number is a part of his identity, his love and his ability to build back stronger. 

“It allows me to keep her legacy going, keep her name alive and allows me to share her story,” Huskey said. “I’m super grateful that I’m allowed to wear number 22 here. I’ve been offered the opportunity to wear it and I hope I can for the rest of my football career.”

The aforementioned football career is one that has blossomed since transferring from Bowling Green ahead of the 2024 season. 

Huskey pulled in three interceptions and recovered a fumble as a part of a defensive core that sent several Terps to the NFL. He had his best collegiate season against the best competition he’s seen, all while learning a new position. 

Huskey moved from being a cornerback to a safety last season, a swap that made him incredibly versatile and landed him a spot on the 2026 Senior Bowl Top 300 List.

He’s a guy that his coach calls a “Swiss Army Knife” and garners praise for his flexibility and willingness to better this program.

“I think the big thing with Huskey is the unselfish nature he showed a year ago, moving from corner to safety because we needed him to,” head coach Michael Locksley said. “He’s one of those guys that has corner ability, has safety range, has the physicality to be a down guy. He could easily play the slot-nickel for us, which allows us to play man-coverage. When you have a safety with the ability to play the slot, it lets you disguise better. His versatility has really opened the playbook.” 

As a senior and leader of the Terps’ defense, he has his unit off to an unreal start. Through two games, Maryland has held its opponents to just 16 points, the program's lowest mark since 2001.

“I think we’re just a really close-knit group,” Huskey said. “We’ve found a way to play really well together and we have a lot of confidence in the guys next to us. We believe the guy next to us is going to do their job to the best of their abilities and that’s allowed us to play at our best.”

As a commander of the secondary, he saw his unit pull down six interceptions in Maryland’s 39-7 win over Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30.

“Of course, I wanted one,” Huskey said. “I had my opportunities, but didn’t make the play on mine, but I was obviously really excited for my guys. Seeing multiple guys get their first-career interception was really exciting for me.”

As a captain for the Terps’ second game of the season when they took on Northern Illinois, Huskey tallied a season-high six tackles — one for a loss — as Maryland held the Huskies to just 98 passing yards and nine points on two scoring drives. 

“He’s just an amazing leader,” freshman defensive lineman Zahir Mathis said. “I trust him on the field.”

In both games in 2025, the Maryland defense has sparked the rest of the team and kept opponents on lock as the Terps’ young offense found its rhythm. 

“I think there’s a lot of pride in that, especially on the defense and special teams,” Huskey said. “We know as a defensive unit that the other team can’t win if they don’t score points. We dictate the game. We dictate the energy of every single day, whether that’s in practice or a game. We go out there wanting to be the spark for the entire team.”

Using his unique, LEGO-inspired perspective, Huskey’s been able to look at each opponent as an individual piece of what Maryland’s building in 2025. 

“I love that every single team that we’ve faced so far has had a different type of identity,” Huskey said. “We had the air raid with Florida Atlantic and then the ground-and-pound with Northern Illinois. I think it allowed us as a defense to realize that the face or name of the opponent doesn’t matter. The style of play doesn’t matter. What matters is how we play on defense and our style of play and how we dictate the game.”

He’s taking charge in a young defense and has bloomed into a true leader in the locker room. 

“It’s all about getting to know your guys,” Huskey said. “There’s nobody that’s too big for the program, nobody that’s too small. Everybody has an impact and everybody’s impact is equal. It doesn’t matter who it is. Knowing the guys that help you out on scout team and the guys who are on the field with you. Building those relationships really helps a team win.”

After the season, he’ll turn his focus to the NFL Draft, something he’s been building his resume for his entire career. 

“I think my personal versatility separates me,” Huskey said. “Being able to play any position in the secondary. I’m a commander back there. I can do anything that’s being asked of me. I know the game really well and I’m able to tackle and cover and play the ball in the air really well.”

He learned from being a part of a 2024 Maryland team that sent six Terps to the NFL. Four of them played with Huskey on the defensive side of the ball last season. One of them — Dante Trader Jr. — shared safety responsibilities with Huskey. 

“They just really put down the blueprint,” Huskey said. “They showed me what it means to work and how it looks to get to where I’m trying to go. So, all I have to do is follow what they did and add my own twist to it, and I’ll be right where I want to be when it’s time to look up in April.”

But building his future will have to wait until he puts together more dominating defensive performances (and, of course, some LEGO sets) as he and the Terps piece their way through the season.

“I’m just a really laid-back guy,” he said. “I love my LEGOs, I love football and I love Maryland.”

A simple mantra for a high-caliber player that’s anything but complacent.