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Undrafted 26-year-old rookie trying to make Commanders roster
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- Undrafted 26-year-old rookie trying to make Commanders roster
Each season, Washington fans hear a new name, see a new player in preseason games, and wonder, 'Where did he come from?'
It happens every single year without exception. One of the names Commanders fans will be hearing for the first time this 2026 training camp and preseason is Jeffrey M'ba, an undrafted free agent. The rookie has been given No. 60 by the team. When he is out on the field, you probably won't be able to not notice M'ba because he stands 6 feet 6 inches tall. Weighing 312 pounds, the Commanders have M'ba listed as a defensive tackle.
M'ba is already 26 years old (27 on September 14) and yet is still an NFL rookie. This is because of a couple of factors differing from the typical American path for football careers of high school, college and then the NFL. You see, first of all, M'ba did not grow up in the United States. He was born in France, lived in Cameroon, and returned to France. Therefore, when playing sports, Soccer was a constant. He also delved into track, judo, and horse riding.
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At 18, M'ba moved to Baltimore and began playing football. With his size and athletic ability, he was declared to be a 4-Star recruit and committed to the University of Virginia. There were legitimate issues for M'ba regarding Visa and transcripts, resulting in his not going to Virginia but Independence Community College instead, where he played in 2020 and 2021.
M'ba has mysteriously remained a bit unsettled, moving from place to place on his football journey. For instance, M'ba was an Auburn Tiger for only one season (2022), before playing in 2023 and 2024 for the Purdue Boilermakers. His final college stop was in the Dallas, Texas area, where he played for the SMU Mustangs in the 2025 season. In 2025, M'ba achieved career highs of 42 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 7.5 TFL in his final college season.
Coaches have differed in their evaluation of how best to employ M'ba, and as a result, he has gone up and down in his weight.
"When I was at Auburn [I was] 315 pounds," M'ba said. "Then I went to Purdue, and they wanted me to play 3-tech, so I dropped to 290. Then they wanted me to play inside … I played at 315. Came back [to SMU last] spring, they told me they want me to play 3-tech, so I went back to 305. Then they wanted me to play nose, so during the summer I went back to 330."
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It's really confusing, as the Commanders list M'ba at 312 currently. The Commanders need to figure out quickly where M'ba has his best chance. If it is nose tackle, he will need to be heavier than 312, with that tall 6'6" frame. M'ba will be working hard enough to make an impression to make the practice squad this season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Undrafted 26-year-old rookie trying to make Commanders roster
