Welcome! - Page 61 of 499 - Front Porch Football

Oct

by Brendan Paschal

It feels like an eternity since Jauan Jennings started at the University of Tennessee back in 2015. Maybe that’s because the amount of drama in Knoxville was enough to last an eternity these past five seasons. During the entire process – from Butch Jones to the hiring fiasco to Jeremy Pruitt – Jennings has played a significant role. He has been the face of Tennessee football during the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. There is nobody in college athletics that has had a career remotely close to Jennings.

Jauan Jennings Makes a Name in Knoxville

As a four-star recruit, Jennings was one of the best quarterbacks in the state of Tennessee. After enrolling early, Jennings quickly converted to the wide receiver position. The true freshman appeared in 11 games with six starts and had a nice campaign in 2015. However, it wasn’t until his sophomore year when Jauan Jennings became a household name. The breakout season included his first 100-yard game against Florida to keep the Vols undefeated in week four, which was quickly over-shadowed with his Hail Mary touchdown reception to beat Georgia.

(Every time I hear/read/think of the name Jauan Jennings I feel the need to repeat it out loud in Vern Lundquist’s voice. But I digress.)

Tennessee would proceed to get beaten by Texas A&M the next weekend, Alabama the next, and lose in a heart-breaker to South Carolina after that. Furthermore, Butch Jones started to lose control of the locker room. Former back, Jalen Hurd, decided he no longer wanted to be part of a program that didn’t listen to him (right or wrong) and transferred halfway through the season. Yet, throughout the entire season Jennings was a rock for the Vols.