Butch Jones calls WR Jauan Jennings ‘as competitive as any young man that I’ve ever coached’
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Participating in his third spring practice for Tennessee, and only his second as a receiver, junior Jauan Jennings will be looked upon as the leader of a very young and largely inexperienced group for the Vols in 2017. Following his breakout season last fall, Jennings will need to take his game to another level if he has any chance of serving as a No. 1 receiver in the SEC and successfully replacing Josh Malone. However, with that role comes more than simply on the field production.
After catching 40 passes for 580 yards and seven touchdowns last season, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones isn’t concerned with Jennings showing him anything in terms of production on the field this spring. Instead, Jones is looking to Jennings to take a leadership role with the program with so many young receivers behind him on the depth chart.
“We’ve challenged him from a leadership standpoint, he’s kinda the veteran of the group,” Jones said following Tennessee’s Tuesday practice. “Jauan had a very good (weekend) scrimmage, and it’s Jauan’s understanding that what you do without the ball in your hands is just as important as the ball in your hands.”
With the Vols hoping to see similar second-year progressions from receivers Marquez Callaway, Brandon Johnson, Tyler Byrd, and Jeff George, Jennings could play a pivotal role in teaching these players everything there is to know to become successful in the Tennessee offense. One aspect Jennings could really rub off on his young teammates is his competitive nature, something Jones went out of his way to point out.
“Jauan is as competitive as any young man that we’ve ever had here, or that I’ve ever coached,” Jones said. “When the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands, and that’s what you want as a football coach.”
Jennings proved that to be the case last season against Georgia, but heading into 2017, he can’t be expected to make all the plays for the receiving corp. Which teammates step up and take their game to the next level remains to be seen, but if they learn nothing else from Jennings, they should all have a competitive edge to them heading into the fall after learning from the Alpha of the group.
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A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
