Meet the Wolfpack: Jadarius Byrd - Defensive Back

Jadarius Byrd

Defensive Back 

5'10' 185lbs

Jadarius Byrd returns to the Wolfpack for the 2026 season! The 5’10” 185lbs defensive back played in six games for Washington in 2025. Byrd is a very aggressive defensive back who has the ability to interrupt a receiver’s route before their first step. He refuses to let any receiver pass him or go over the top of him. Last season for the Wolfpack, Byrd recorded 15 tackles, forced a fumble, and picked off three passes. He did all that in just six games with the team. 

Byrd hails from Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Edward White High School, where he was a three-year player before finishing his senior season at Cedar Creek Christian Academy. Jadarius was named an all-conference player in both his junior and senior seasons, earning him a 3-star recruit. Byrd received interest from the likes of Oregon State, Missouri, Maryland, and others. 

Jadarius made stops at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, before landing at Stephen F Austin. In nine games at Ellsworth Community College, he racked up 27 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. At Butler Community College, the aggressive defensive back played in 11 games, where he totaled 22 tackles, 21 of which were recorded as solo tackles. He also grabbed five tackles for loss and three interceptions. That led him to being named a 2017 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference All-Conference honorable mention. 

Byrd’s journey took him to Stephen F Austin to finish out his college career. In his nine games for the Lumberjacks, he recorded 20 tackles; once again, most of them (17) were solo tackles. Byrd is a veteran of the arena game with stops at the Jacksonville Sharks and Quad City Steamrollers along the way. Off the field, you are likely to catch this lockdown defensive back fishing, one of his favorite ways to relax and unwind.