1/24/2024 football Edit

Breakout Fla. WR Carl Jenkins Jr. talks early standouts

John Garcia Jr. • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

St. Augustine (Fla.) High School was one of the surprise programs in the Sunshine State in 2023, making a run to the state championship game and nearly knocking off favorite Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland for the crown.

Like in the title game itself, the spark for the program on offense was Carl Jenkins Jr., a long and lean class of 2025 wide receiver who has started to pick up considerable recruiting steam since the 2023 campaign got going.

It has continued into the New Year for the junior, who amassed nearly 1,300 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns on 62 receptions. Tulane offered this week, preceded by Mississippi State, Syracuse and others this month. Arkansas and Louisville offered during the season itself.

"I showed better hands, more speed and overall play-making," Jenkins told Rivals.

Now the junior is beginning to build relationships with multiple coaching staffs. Syracuse, under new head coach Fran Brown, may become his next unofficial visit.

"What I love about Syracuse is that they showed me that they can develop me into a young man and a better player overall ," Jenkins said. "Also the coaches have a lot of experience! The wide receiver coach that offered me (Ross Douglas) has NFL coaching experience which makes it so much better.

"They show me how much they want me!"

Mississippi State gets Jenkins on campus the weekend of February 3.

"They're about loyalty," he said. "There're amazing coaches and amazing people that are all about football and that’s going to ride with you and show you that,. Plus they're in the SEC and I've always dreamed of playing in the SEC."

Another program in the conference, Arkansas, should expect the breakout prospect on campus come March.

"They love me up there and they 100 percent show me how much they love me," Jenkins said. "The old wide receiver coach (Kenny Guiton) that offered me ending up leaving and they got a new coach (Ronnie Fouch) that re-offered me and is showing me how much of a priority I am for them already!

"He told me I'm at the top of the list for them right now."

In-state programs Florida State, the program Jenkins grew up favoring, and UCF are also among those in the mix. Knights head coach Gus Malzahn met with the junior at St. Augustine High on Tuesday.

Jenkins has no early timeline for a decision.

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CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals100

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