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Tennessee football adds commitment from 2022 New Jersey DL Jayson Jenkins

By Caleb Calhoun

Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Footballs lay on the field before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Footballs lay on the field before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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It was clear for a while Tennessee football needed to add one more defensive lineman to its 2022 recruiting class, and over the weekend, Josh Heupel managed to pull that off. He went up to the East Coast to add the Vols’ 21st commitment.

New Jersey prospect Jayson Jenkins, a three-star across the board, has now joined Rocky Top. A product of Trenton, N.J., Jenkins attends Notre Dame High School, which is in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, a part of Mercery County.

Standing between 6’5″ and 6’6″ and weighing in the range of 250 to 260 pounds, Jenkins is listed as a strongside defensive end on Rivals, a defensive tackle on ESPN and just as a defensive lineman everywhere else. He announced his commitment to Tennessee football on Twitter.

Given the departures of Matthew Butler and Ja’Quain Blakely, this was obviously a huge position of need for UT. There are still questions as to whether or not LaTrell Bumphus and Aubrey Solomon will come back for one more year, but either way they’ll be gone next year, so adding Jenkins was still crucial.

Jordan Phillips and Tyre West are more high-profile, pure defensive tackles in the class, but Tim Banks’ system uses hybrid guys who can line up inside or outside. Caleb Tremblay was that for the Vols this past year and was a huge part of the rotation.

There’s a reason Banks and Rodney Garner both recruited Jenkins. He can help fill that void that Tremblay left, making him a huge pickup for the Vols and one who will add immediate depth. Here’s a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, whipping blocks is Jenkins’ biggest skill. He’s got a great move that can get him into the backfield, which will be incredibly valuable in the SEC and can fit with anybody position a player plays up front in Banks’ 4-3 scheme.

Next. Five things for Vols to address by Signing Day. dark

Of course, to be able to show that versatility, Jenkins will have to put on some weight, and speed could be a concern. However, Tennessee football definitely addressed a depth issue with Jenkins’ commitment, so they have a lot to be happy about.

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