JALEN BERGER IN TRANSFER PORTAL FROM MICHIGAN STATE & PREVIOUSLY WISCONSIN
# 8 6' 1" 210 RB/ DON BOSCO PREP
8 Jalen Berger
- Position RB
- Ht./Wt. 6-1 / 210
- Class Redshirt Senior
- Hometown Newark, N.J.
- High School Don Bosco Prep
Biography
CAREER NOTES: Has rushed for 1,165 career yards and 10 touchdowns on 257 carries (4.5 ypc/48.5 ypg) in 24 collegiate games (7 at Wisconsin from 2020-21; 17 at MSU from 2022-23) . . . compiled 389 rushing yards on 84 carries (4.6 ypc/55.6 ypg) with three touchdowns in seven games at Wisconsin (2020-21) . . . transfer joined the Spartan program in January 2022 . . . has 776 yards on 173 carries (4.5 ypc/48.5 ypg) with seven TDs in 17 games, with 11 starts at MSU . . . has 28 career receptions for 198 yards (7.1 ypc), with 24 catches for 168 yards (7.0 ypc) at MSU.
2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR): Had 25 carries for 93 yards (3.7 ypc) with one TD in five games in his second year in East Lansing . . . had one rush for 3 yards against Michigan, but left the game in the first quarter with a season-ending injury . . . had 11 rushes for 49 yards, both season highs, at Rutgers on Oct. 14 . . . returned to limited action in Iowa game after missing previous two games with an injury, tallying three carries for 10 yards, and was target on one pass . . . missed Maryland and Washington games with an injury . . . tallied two carries for 7 yards in Week 2 vs. Richmond, before departing game with an injury . . . scored a 12-yard rushing TD in the third quarter of the season opener vs. Central Michigan, as part of finishing the night with eight carries for 24 yards . . . it marked the second straight season opener he scored a rushing TD . . . also marked the fourth straight season has scored a rushing TD in his first action of the season of his collegiate career as he also scored a TD in his first action in both 2020 (vs. Michigan) and 2021 (vs. Eastern Michigan) during his time at Wisconsin . . . also shared the team lead with four catches for 30 yards, with 26 yards after the catch, against the Chippewas.
2022 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE): Led Michigan State in rushing with 683 yards and carries with 148, both of which were career highs . . . also tied for the team lead with a career-best six rushing touchdowns . . . ranked 15th in the Big Ten in rushing (56.9 ypg), tied for 11th in rushing TDs (6) and 12th in carries (148) . . . ranked fifth on the team with 19 receptions for 128 yards . . . played in all 12 games, including 11 starting assignments . . . had three 100-yard rushing games (career-high 120 vs. Western Michigan; 119 vs. Indiana; 107 vs. Akron) . . . posted a career-high 21 carries in rushing for 119 yards vs. Indiana . . . rushed for 85 yards and one TD on 16 carries in victory over Rutgers . . . led team with 110 all-purpose yards in win at No. 16 Illinois, rushing for 85 yards on 15 carries and hauling in three passes for 29 yards . . . rushed nine times for 17 yards in Michigan game, adding one catch for 6 yards . . . had 59 rushing yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, on 16 carries in double-overtime win over Wisconsin . . . started Ohio State game and had five carries for 7 yards . . . matched career high with three receptions for the third straight game, and added nine carries for 34 yards at Maryland . . . tied career high for second game in a row with three catches for 15 yards, adding four carries for 13 yards in Minnesota game . . . had 27 yards on 13 carries in starting game at Washington, adding three catches for 38 yards, including a collegiate career-long reception of 32 yards . . . rushed for a career-high three rushing TDs in Akron game, scoring on a pair of 1-yard TDs and a 2-yard TD . . . ran for 107 yards on 17 carries against the Zips for his second consecutive 100-yard rushing effort . . . with 120 yards on 16 carries in Spartan debut vs. Western Michigan, became the second straight MSU running back transfer to rush for 100 yards in their Spartan debut, joining Kenneth Walker III with 264 yards in the opening game of the 2021 season at Northwestern . . . started WMU game in making Spartan debut with 32 snaps . . . scored on a 1-yard TD plunge in the fourth quarter . . . his longest rush of the night was a 50-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, that was not only the longest offensive play of the night for the Spartan offense, but also the longest rush of his collegiate career.
2021 SEASON (REDSHIRT AT WISCONSIN): Appeared in three games (vs. Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan) . . . rushed for 88 yards on 24 carries (3.7 avg./29.3 ypg) with one TD, adding two receptions for 17 yards . . . had eight carries for 18 yards vs. Michigan . . . had one carry for 8 yards vs. Notre Dame . . . had 62 rushing yards on 15 carries with one TD vs. Eastern Michigan . . . named to Doak Walker Award preseason watch list.
2020 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT WISCONSIN): Played in four games (vs. Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana, Wake Forest) with one start (vs. Indiana), rushing for a team-leading 301 yards on 60 carries (75.3 ypg) . . . also led team with 5.0 yards per carry . . . scored two rushing TDs . . . added two catches for 13 yards . . . had 34 rushing yards, including a 1-yard TD run, on 15 carries in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory over Wake Forest . . . rushed for 87 yards on 15 carries vs. Indiana . . . registered career-high 93 yards on 15 carries at Northwestern . . . collected 100 all-purpose yards in his collegiate debut in win at Michigan, rushing 15 times for 87 yards, including 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, to go along with two receptions for 13 yards.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Played at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey . . . was a four-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals . . . named the top running back prospect in the state of New Jersey by 247Sports and No. 20 nationally . . . rated No. 159 in the ESPN 300, including rated as the No. 12 player at the athlete position in the nation, the No. 24 overall player in the region and No. 5 overall player in New Jersey by ESPN . . . ranked the No. 87 overall player in the nation, No. 5 at all-purpose back in the country and No. 2 overall player in New Jersey by Rivals . . . was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Bowl . . . rushed for 840 yards and 12 TDs on only 111 carries as a senior, adding 27 receptions for 357 yards and four TDs . . . son of Terrence Berger and Kesha Woodfork-Berger . . . communication major.