The Wolverine

March 2020 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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Although Jenkins has earned a reputation for being a terror on the field, the opposite can be said for the way he acts off of it. Tabbed by Stefanelli as a "big goofball," Jenkins earned the re- spect of his teammates and was voted a co-captain this past sea- son at Our Lady of Good Counsel. "He's a sweet kid with a great personality and is very humble," the head coach noted. "Kris is friends with everyone and is ba- sically just a happy-go-lucky kid. He sings in our choir and is so well-rounded and is very well-liked. "I started recruiting him back when he was in eighth grade, and then coached him all four years of high school. I've known him about six or seven years now, and he was basically the same back then as he is now. We had a good idea he'd turn into a pretty good football player for us once he developed physically." Michigan came into the recruiting picture for Jenkins when he was a junior, before he pledged to the Wolverines on an official visit to Ann Arbor on July 3, 2019. "I knew I wanted to go to an amazing football school, and Michigan has always been a powerhouse on the field," Jenkins noted. "I also wanted the academic balance, and the fact that Michigan has that is a win/win in itself. The players and coaches had a family environment amongst the team when I visited Ann Arbor, and I knew I wanted to go somewhere I felt welcomed." Comparisons between Jenkins and his father will inevitably surface if the former develops into a defensive contributor in college, and those comparisons will only become more profound if he goes on to play at the professional level. "My dad was a beast, but I'm just trying to be better than the old man," Jenkins said with a laugh. ❑ Jenkins was ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect and the nation's No. 19 strongside defensive end. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM MARCH 2020 THE WOLVERINE 41 2020 Projection Jenkins can play defensive end or de- fensive tackle for the Wolverines. Most believe he will end up bulking up and playing inside, which means it'll take some time for Jenkins to see the field. He will likely redshirt as a freshman, and continue to develop toward being a contributor as an upperclassman. KRIS JENKINS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-4 • 239 OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL H.S. OLNEY, MD. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 19* 16 ✪ ✪ ✪ 577 25* 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53^ 22 * Ranked as a strongside defensive end; ^ ranked as a defensive end STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks PBU 2019 40 19 15 5 HONORS • Named Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. • Earned first-team All-WCAC honors as a senior and second-team accolades as a junior. • Tabbed as first-team All-Met by The Washington Post as a senior; earned an honorable mention nod as a junior. • Helped lead his team to a WCAC cham- pionship in 2019. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Michigan on July 3, 2019. • Also had offers from Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and others. • Recruited by defensive coordinator Don Brown. 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE DID YOU KNOW? • Had seven tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack in the WCAC championship game. • His father, Kris Sr., played 10 years in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets, and was a four-time All-Pro selection. THEY SAID IT • Rivals Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman: "Jenkins obvi- ously has a great pedigree and it will be up to the Michigan coaches and their strength and conditioning staff to maximize his potential. He has the skill set to be able to play on the edge and on the interior of the defensive line, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Jenkins Jr. start his career as an end before moving to a primarily interior role. "He doesn't have a wide range of pass-rushing moves to use to beat the man in front of him, but he knows how to play with leverage and has plenty of natural quickness. Expect more of an on-field impact from Jenkins Jr. in year two or three of his career." • Our Lady of Good Counsel head coach Andy Stefanelli: "His dad was built in a similar structure as a high school kid, kind of long and lean. Obvi- ously, he got very, very big in college and the NFL. I think from a physical stand- point, he's just very strong and naturally strong, as is his dad. When he's been in the weight room, it doesn't take long for his numbers to shoot through the roof. "The upside there is going to be tremendous as he gets to college."

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