Jelani McLaughlin holds the SS · Depth spot in San Diego State Aztecs’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Jelani McLaughlin is a safety for San Diego State, standing 6'0" and weighing 205 pounds. From San Jacinto, California, he attended Citrus Valley High School in Redlands, where he recorded 287 tackles over four years and earned co-defensive player of the Citrus Belt League as a senior. McLaughlin redshirted in 2023 and appeared in all 12 games during the 2024 season primarily on special teams, totaling seven tackles. In his sophomore year (2025), he saw action in all 13 games and recorded 10 total tackles, including a career-high four against No. 25 North Texas at the New Mexico Bowl on December 27, where he also recorded his first career interception for 25 yards.

San Diego State2023 — present