Jayson Jenkins Transfer Portal: Potential landing spots for Tennessee DT
With Tennessee's season ending with a road thumping from Ohio State, the Vols enter transfer portal time. With Tennessee reaching the College Football Playoff, there weren't a ton of Vols ready to hit the portal. But with the season over, players are tricking in and Jayson Jenkins is one of them.
Jenkins was a late recruit in the 2022 class who Tennessee snagged out of New Jersey. He's shown flashes of talent in three seasons but has just 15 career tackles and five for loss. Still, at 6-foot-6 and 281 pounds, players like Jenkins don't grow on trees. Here are some potential portal destinations for him.
Jayson Jenkins Transfer Portal: Possible portal landing spots
4. Florida
The Gators received Jenkins's next-to-last official visit when he was being recruited out of high school. Before Tennessee locked him down, the Gators looked like a decent possibility. Billy Napier's Florida squad is having a rebirth but is still chasing the Vols in the Southeastern Conference.
Napping Jenkins might help Florida make up some of the difference. While Jenkins showed flashes of talent at Tennessee, he could probably get more snaps with the Gators to see if he can pan out in a larger role.
3. Rutgers
Many players dive into their original college destination halfway across the country. They subsequently decide that there is, in fact, no place like home. Jenkins could be one of those players.
Rutgers has improved to a 7-5 mark and is preparing for its bowl game. Jenkins might decide to stay home and help beef up the Scarlet Knight defense. Rutgers had just 20 sacks in 2024, with no player getting more than four. Jenkins had two in limited time at Tennessee, so he could jump in and add some intensity to the pass rush.
2. West Virginia
Another school that recruited Jenkins significantly out of high school, the Mountaineers could merit a second look from the big man. After a 6-6 season with Neal Brown, WVU has tried for lightning in a bottle by bringing back Rich Rodriguez to the site of his prior glory.
Rodriguez built some of the strongest West Virginia teams in memory. He would probably appreciate a massive and athletic defensive tackle to shorten his rebuild. Meanwhile, Jenkins would see more time, be closer to home, and still play some significant college football.
1. Pittsburgh
The Panthers had the best and worst of times in 2024. A 7-0 season had fans hoping for the College Football Playoff. A five-game losing streak to end the season had fans hoping to fire coaches. Some stability would help the Panthers.
Jenkins has two seasons of remaining college eligibility. Pat Narduzzi runs an aggressive defense (40 sacks in 2024) but could use more big bodies up front. Don't be surprised if Jenkins strongly considers life as a Pittsburgh Panther.
What do you think of Jenkins's portal options? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!