William & Mary stars Jalen Jones, Luke Banbury land NFL rookie minicamp invites

William & Mary kept pushing NFL doors open on Tuesday as Jalen Jones and Luke Banbury earned rookie minicamp invites, Jones with the Washington Commanders and Banbury with the Baltimore Ravens. For two players who piled up All-America honors without the draft spotlight, the next step is not a formality. It is a proving ground.

That is the larger story for William & Mary, which has watched former Tribe players keep moving onto NFL rosters and now added two more names to a group that already includes Charles Grant, Nate Lynn, Bill Murray, Luke Rhodes, Colby Sorsdal and Owen Wright. Jones and Banbury were both named AFCA FCS All-America second-team selections, and their invites underscored how NFL clubs keep rewarding top-end FCS production when it comes with verified production, versatility and finishing ability.

Jones brought the resume of a cornerback who made offenses pay all season. The Chesapeake, Virginia native was named an All-American by five organizations in 2025, including the Associated Press, AFCA, Stats Perform, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele. He finished with 39 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups, and ranked second in the CAA and 14th nationally with 1.09 passes defended per game. The former CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 also was a three-time first-team All-CAA selection, a profile that shows how long his production has translated against the best competition in the league.

Banbury’s path was different, but just as compelling. After transferring to William & Mary from Cornell, the linebacker became one of the most productive tacklers in the country, finishing 2025 with 137 tackles, the most by a William & Mary player since 1988. He ranked fourth nationally with 11.4 tackles per game, added 2.0 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery, and finished his career with 278 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 13 passes defended, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He was recognized as an All-American by four organizations and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.

The timing matters, too. The National Football League said each club may begin its 2026 rookie football development program on May 11, while the Ravens’ offseason calendar lists rookie minicamp windows of May 1-4 or May 8-11 depending on club scheduling. For William & Mary, which closed 2025 with its fifth consecutive winning season, the program’s longest streak since the 1990s, Jones and Banbury gave the Tribe another reminder that at the FCS level, the real test often starts after the draft ends.