Grant Morgan enters his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive assistant in 2026.
Morgan got his start in the NFL coaching ranks as a defensive assistant for the New York Giants in 2025. The Giants totaled 91 tackles for loss, the sixth most in the NFL in 2025 and the fifth most by a Giants defense since 1999. They were one of nine teams in the NFL to have multiple players with 20-plus quarterback hits with 31 by OLB Brian Burns and 23 by LB Abdul Carter. Burns was voted to his third career Pro Bowl and named an All-Pro for the first time in his career after ranking second in the NFL in sacks (16.5), while Carter led all NFL rookies and set a rookie franchise record in quarterback hits. ILB Bobby Okereke finished with 143 tackles, tied for 10th-most in the NFL and good for fourth-most by a Giant in a single season.
Morgan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2023 before serving as the team's assistant linebackers coach in 2024, as the Fighting Illini posted a 10-3 record, tying the program's single season win record. Following a win in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl over No. 14 South Carolina, Illinois finished the season ranked 20th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Morgan played five seasons as a linebacker at Arkansas (2016-21), appearing in 58 games (22 starts) and recording 313 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. In 2020, he was named All-American, and in 2021, he was the recipient of the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the nation's best player who started his career as a walk-on. He was also a finalist for the 2021 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. Morgan earned two degrees while at Arkansas, a Kinesiology degree in 2019 and a master's degree in operations management in 2020.
After his time at Arkansas, Morgan signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. He spent the 2022 offseason with the team as well as a portion of the regular season as a member of the practice squad.
A native of Fort Smith, Ark., Morgan and his wife Sydnie have a son, Vic, and a daughter, Zoe.
