The type of program Josh Heupel is running for the Tennessee Vols is something people must be envious about. Following the 33-14 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Tennessee is 8-1 on the year and they're now up to No. 5 in the AP Top 25.
Not only that, but guys are buying into what he's doing with the program. Need further proof of that? Over the summer, multiple reports/rumors arrived stating that defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins, a New Jersey native, was thinking about entering the transfer portal because of depth concerns.
He appeared in one game in 2022 and followed that up with six showings in 2023. However, following the Week 11 victory, Jenkins said, per 247's Wes Rucker, that he never thought about leaving Knoxville. Nope, he's all in on the Vols:
#Vols sophomore DL Jayson Jenkins said that despite reports this summer that he was thinking about going into the transfer portal because of the team's D-line depth, he never wanted to be anywhere other than Tennessee.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 10, 2024
DL Jayson Jenkins is ready to give his all to the Vols and Josh Heupel
Boom. Jenkins is coming off a strong showing against Mississippi State too, as he posted a strip-sack in the third quarter with the Bulldogs driving. At this time, the Vols were up 20-17, but MSU was looking to make things a one-score game.
Jenkins had other ideas, flying through the opposing line. Tennessee's Jeremiah Telander recovered the ball quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. coughed up. It was a game-changing play for the Tennessee defense. To make things even better for Jenkins, he was the highest-graded Tennessee player in Week 11 per Pro Football Focus.
This was a statement game for Jenkins and one that's going to give him a ton of confidence moving forward. That's obviously great news for Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks, especially with Georgia on the schedule next.
When Jenkins was coming out of high school, he had offers from Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia and many others. Had he entered the portal, several schools would have been ready to try and recruit him. However, the thought of leaving Tennessee in the summer before Week 1 never crossed his mind. He stayed in Knoxville where he belongs.