Two way star

With the 81st pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Albert Regis has been selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars!

Regis has gone from a 3⭐️ recruit out of La Porte, TX to now being a 3rd round pick! His development has been awesome to see!

Finally getting the shine he deserves!

Wishing… pic.twitter.com/mO7YIvBZtV

— Aggie Sports 365 (@365Aggie) April 25, 2026

Standing at 6’1” and over 300 pounds, it’s difficult to imagine Albert Regis as a dynamic athlete who could moonlight at a skill position on offense when he isn’t busy destroying pass protection or clogging run lanes. But that’s exactly what the defensive tackle did back in high school…

Starring for La Porte High School in Texas, Regis was often seen lining up as a ‘move’ tight end, able to play along the line of scrimmage or even in the backfield as a h-back or a fullback. During the 2020 season, the high school senior managed to record seven receptions as a tight end for a total of 73 yards, helping the Bulldogs to a 3-4 record in district play.

A modest output maybe, but MaxPreps’ scouting profile of Regis describe him as having ‘Described as having a high motor with lateral agility, solid ball skills, and high-pointing ability’ as a tight end. Liam Coen couldn’t, could he?

Unsung hero

Mike Elko, Marcel Reed and Albert Regis are now at the podium for the Las Vegas Bowl pregame press conference. Jealous of Regis’ shades. pic.twitter.com/HifClhEmxS

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) December 26, 2024

As so many interior defensive linemen tend to do, Albert Regis flew somewhat under the radar at Texas A&M. Not a position that gets the most attention, his contribution to the team did not go unnoticed by his head coach Mike Elko, who appreciated the nose tackle’s ability to dictate terms in the run game:

“I’ve said this before, I do believe he’s one of the most unsung members of this defense. What he does for us, being stout in the middle, being physical at the point, he’s a challenge to block. Double teams struggle to move him. He does a really, really good job of anchoring our run defense.”

No game more epitomised Regis’ ability to control the trenches quite like his performance against Notre Dame last September, where he made seven tackles (five solo) as the Aggies shocked the Fighting Irish 41-40 in South Bend. Jaguars fans will be quite happy to see him shut down Jonathan Taylor, David Montgomery and Tony Pollard in a similar fashion in 2026.

Paternal motivation

Texas A&M DT Albert Regis’ daughter was born a couple months ago. On how being a father changed his perspective: pic.twitter.com/qgOJGhz2WA

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 15, 2025

After a breakout season in the SEC in 2024, many expected Albert Regis to declare for the draft a year early. But his commitment to his young family made him re-evaluate his immediate priorities; Albert was soon to be a father, with his daughter Akari born in June last year. With parenthood inbound, Regis decided to return to school, complete his degree and further improve his draft stock with another strong season in College Station.

Regis became the first person in his family to graduate. After his senior year was over, his focus turned to the NFL Draft, using Akari and his fiancee Kaley as motivation to push further. He credits them for giving him the ‘rejuvenation’ needed to record a sub-five second 40-yard dash time, seldom seen for a 300 pound defensive lineman.

In a twist of fate, on the morning of the draft Regis placed four cups with different NFL team logos on the floor. Akari crawled straight to the Jaguars cup, predicting the future for her father. Only hours later, James Gladstone made it official, selecting Albert with the 81st overall pick.

The chicken nugget diet

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When thinking of healthy foods that will help you lose weight, your mind isn’t immediately drawn to chicken nuggets. In fact, the delicious crispy treats often found in takeaways and dunked in dirty sauce is usually one of the guilty pleasures you need to forego in order to be fighting fit.

Not so Regis, who wanted to drop 20 pounds ahead of his Pro Day in order to be at his peak when showing out for NFL scouts. He found it difficult to dip below 310; his body ‘plateauing’ in his pursuit of a more chiselled physique. But surprisingly, the humble nugget came to his rescue…

“I just couldn’t get that last bit off, so I lowered my carb intake. I mean, for dinner, I was eating these protein chicken nuggets you can air fry. I was eating a salad with that and some fruit.”

The result? Regis was one of the strongest pro day performers amongst his peers, casually racking up 27 reps on the bench press despite the weight loss. With Jacksonville his home for the next four years, should Regis head to The Bearded Pig or Jax Hot Chicken? Let us know in the comments below!