When Jayson Jenkins saw the Oklahoma right guard looking directly at him, he knew exactly what was going to happen Saturday when the ball was in play.
The Tennessee football defensive lineman had seen it all week in film – the Sooners’ linemen looked where they were going before the snap. Jenkins already happened to be slanting away from where the opposing lineman’s eyes told Jenkins he was going.
“Seeing that hole wide open, my eyes lit up like Christmas,” Jenkins said Wednesday. “I just knew I had to go and make a play.”
The ball was snapped from the Oklahoma 2-yard line, and Jenkins slipped through the opening. He made the tackle before Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes could get out of the end zone for a safety. Jenkins made one of the biggest plays of the game in one of his five defensive snaps in the No. 6 Vols’ 25-15 win over the No. 18 Sooners.
In a win where Tennessee relied on its defense, Jenkins showed why the Vols can do just that.
The 6-foot-6, 281-pound sophomore gets 12th-most snaps of Tennessee’s 12-player rotation on the defensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. But he’s an example of why the Vols’ depth has been effective. The most snaps any defensive lineman has played through four games is 107 by ends James Pearce and Dominic Bailey.
Jenkins has made the most of every one of his 33 snaps. He made 1.5 tackles-for-loss, including a half sack and his safety.
His family wasn’t able to make it to the game from Bordentown, New Jersey, but Jenkins’ phone was blowing up after the game. His mother made the first phone call after the Vols sealed the win. His whole family was on the phone, and he could hear the joy in their voices.
“All my family was watching from New Jersey and they were all proud of me and everything,” Jenkins said. “They made a lot of sacrifices for me to get to where I am today.”
Heupel has seen Jenkins’ development since he arrived in 2022, which included a physical transformation and honing in on fundamentals.
Sep 21, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Bryson Eason (20) and Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Christian Harrison (5) and Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins (97) celebrates with teammates after a safety against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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“He’s done an unbelievable job just continuing to invest every single day,” Heupel said. “And when you invest, it may not always be on your time, but you’re going to cash it in at some point. And he made a huge play in the football game last week, he played extremely well when he was out there.”
Heupel praised Jenkins’ consistency over the last couple years. It didn’t matter how many snaps he was playing or that he only played in six games last season – Jenkins went to work every day.
“Everybody’s journey is a little bit different,” Heupel said. “Sometimes it happens fast, sometimes it doesn’t. He’s just continued to work and invest, and that’s why he’s playing the way that he does. It’s a great lesson for for a lot of young guys.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Jayson Jenkins safety an example of Vols depth
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 07:21:00
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