Daijahn Anthony Bio
Daijahn Nyckell Anthony (born September 9, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He wears jersey number 33 and plays at the safety position for an active roster spot in Cincinnati. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Anthony is a native of Virginia who built his path to the NFL through three college programs before being selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Anthony is best known for his college journey through the Shepherd Rams, Liberty Flames, and Ole Miss Rebels, along with a memorable pass-interference play against the Kansas City Chiefs early in his rookie NFL season. He has been listed on NFL career statistics as a safety with multiple games played in the league.
Early Life and Background
Daijahn Nyckell Anthony was born on September 9, 2000, in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States. He grew up in the Henrico County area and attended Henrico High School, where he developed as a football player and earned recognition that led to a college commitment.
From his high school days, Anthony committed to continue his football career at Shepherd University, a Division II program. His path reflected the early determination of a young athlete willing to take a nontraditional route toward the highest level of the sport, beginning at a smaller program before climbing through the college ranks.
While details of his family background remain limited in public records, Anthony’s Richmond roots and his time at Henrico High School shaped the early chapter of his football story. His progression from a local high school prospect to a multi-program college player is a notable element of his personal background.
Path to American Football
Anthony’s route to the NFL began in the NCAA Division II ranks with the Shepherd Rams, where he played his 2019 freshman season. He appeared in ten games with five starts and recorded 14 tackles, three pass deflections, and two interceptions, an early sign of his ball-hawking instincts. The 2020 Shepherd season was later cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing Anthony from playing that year.
After the lost 2020 season, Anthony entered the NCAA transfer portal and moved up to the FBS level, joining the Liberty Flames. During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he appeared in 21 games for Liberty and tallied 41 tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, six pass deflections, and three interceptions. A signature early moment came in week nine of the 2022 season, when he intercepted Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson to help Liberty secure an upset win over the Razorbacks.
Following the 2022 season, Anthony again entered the transfer portal, this time landing with the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference. The jump to a Power conference program represented the final step in his college climb and a major opportunity to face elite competition before turning professional.
Daijahn Anthony Career
Early Career at Shepherd (2019–2020)
Anthony began his college career with the Shepherd Rams in 2019, playing in ten games and starting five of them as a freshman defensive back. He finished that debut season with 14 tackles, three pass deflections, and two interceptions, an impressive statistical line for an underclassman. Those numbers helped establish his reputation as a playmaker in the secondary.
The 2020 Shepherd season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Anthony did not play that year. The interruption, however, did not slow his development, as he soon used the transfer portal to elevate his career to the FBS level.
Liberty Flames Tenure (2021–2022)
After transferring to Liberty, Anthony quickly became a reliable contributor in the Flames secondary across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 21 total appearances, he posted 41 tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, six pass deflections, and three interceptions, showing consistency as a coverage defender.
His most memorable Liberty moment came in week nine of the 2022 season, when he intercepted a pass from Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson to help the Flames upset the Razorbacks. That kind of timely play foreshadowed his later success against high-level opponents. After the 2022 campaign, Anthony entered the transfer portal for the second time, positioning himself for a move to a Power conference program.
Ole Miss Rebels Season (2023)
Anthony’s transfer to Ole Miss in 2023 represented his toughest test yet, competing in the Southeastern Conference against some of the nation’s best offenses. In week two of the season, he was graded as one of Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded safeties after recording two tackles and two pass deflections in a win over Tulane, an early statement performance at the highest college level.
He finished the 2023 Ole Miss campaign with 61 tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions, and a forced fumble, the most productive statistical season of his college career. His play in the SEC earned him an invitation to the 2024 NFL Combine, and at the end of the season he declared for the 2024 NFL draft.
Cincinnati Bengals Era (2024–Present)
Anthony was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 224th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft. The pick that brought him to Cincinnati had been acquired from the Houston Texans in a trade that sent running back Joe Mixon out of Cincinnati, tying Anthony’s arrival to a notable roster change.
As a rookie, Anthony quickly found himself in a high-leverage moment in week two against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Cincinnati leading 25–23 and 48 seconds remaining on a crucial fourth-and-16, Anthony was covering Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice, and the resulting pass-interference call allowed Kansas City to kick a walk-off field goal and win 26–25, an outcome that put the young safety in the national spotlight.
Anthony began the 2025 campaign on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. He was activated on November 26, 2025, ahead of the Bengals’ week 13 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, marking his return to the active roster as a second-year pro.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining early moments of Anthony’s NFL career came on that controversial pass-interference play against Kansas City, which directly decided a week-two game and thrust him into a memorable national spotlight. His seventh-round selection in the 2024 draft itself was a milestone, coming after a single Power-conference season at Ole Miss and a Combine invitation that validated his late-blooming trajectory.
Daijahn Anthony Career Stats
As of the 2025 season, Daijahn Anthony’s NFL career statistics include 7 total tackles and 1 pass deflection, figures consistent with a depth and rotational role in his first two professional seasons. Because detailed year-by-year splits and series-specific totals have not been fully verified, no summary table is included here.
Daijahn Anthony Family
Personal Life
Publicly available information about Daijahn Nyckell Anthony’s personal and family life is limited. He was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and attended Henrico High School in the Henrico County area, which shaped the early community around his football development. Beyond his high school background and college stops, additional details about parents, spouse, or children have not been confirmed in verified sources and are therefore not included here.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL season began with Anthony on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury, keeping him out of the early part of the Bengals’ schedule. His absence was notable because the Cincinnati secondary, working under the team’s defensive staff, had to adjust its depth chart during the opening weeks of the campaign.
On November 26, 2025, Cincinnati activated Anthony ahead of its week 13 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, signaling a return to game action late in the regular season. With the Bengals pushing toward the playoff picture, his reentry into the secondary was timed for a competitive stretch run.
Looking ahead, Anthony’s role in the back half of the 2025 season figures to focus on providing secondary depth, contributing on special teams, and building on the limited but encouraging production he showed in his rookie year. His development through the Shepherd, Liberty, and Ole Miss programs suggests continued upside as he gains experience in Cincinnati’s defensive system.