Game 9 Player Spotlight: Donovan Jennings
NEXT GAME: USF (4-4, 2-2) vs. Temple (5-3, 2-2)
DAY/TIME: Thursday/8 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/RADIO: ESPN/USF Radio Network:
Over the Air: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM &
Digital: Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: Temple leads, 3-2
GAME NOTES: USF (PDF) |
Temple (PDF)
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 7, 2019 – Thursday night is another opportunity for
Donovan Jennings to do what he loves in front of the people he holds dearly.
USF's smooth, starting left tackle from Tampa looks forward to paving the way for another explosive outing by the Bulls' offense against Temple. This time, he gets to perform in prime time at Raymond James Stadium in the program's nationally televised ESPN matchup.
"Playing in my hometown is great, seeing my friends and family come to all the games to support me with all I do," said the former Gaither High School standout. "I love putting on a show for all the fans and all the people I played in front of in high school. For my (former) coaches to be able to come out and see what type of player I've grown into is a good thing for me."
Jennings' cheering section should definitely be proud of the player he's become, just a few years after first putting on the pads. Since playing right away at USF as a true freshman, Jennings has made 12 starts, including six straight in the position that's earning him lots of praise.
"He's, I think, one of the best left tackles in this league and this is a good conference," said offensive coordinator
Kerwin Bell. "He has played at a high level. He's played great in the run game, coming off the football rolling people out and getting movement."
Jennings' solid play of late has helped the Bulls average 263 yards on the ground in the past four games. The last time out, Jennings and the rest of the big guys up front set the tone while USF reached new season highs with 347 rushing yards and 525 total yards in a 45-20 win at East Carolina on Oct. 26.
USF knows a balanced attack on offense is essential for success against tough Temple. Bell is confident Jennings can take care of his business against an opponent that's tied for fourth in the conference with the Bulls in sacks (20).
"We can sort of move our protection away from him, put him on some single situations because we respect him so well with his talent," Bell said. "He can handle almost anybody in this league. He's played outstanding in that position."
Left Tackle Is 'Home'
Left tackle is a position Jennings has grown accustomed to since he began his football career as a junior at Gaither High School.
Jennings gained more experience at the spot last season, playing in 12 games and making his fourth start in the Gasparilla Bowl.
"I love kicking back on the left side," he said.
Once the spring came around, the bulked-up blocker showed a willingness to be a versatile Bull by moving over to right guard.
"He was a 340-something pound guy in the spring," offensive coordinator
Kerwin Bell said. "We were thinking he's just gonna be maybe a 350-360-pound guy who is an unbelievable guard."
Jennings started the first two games of the 2019 season at right guard, but left tackle has proven to be the right position for the slimmed-down Bull to show off his athleticism.
"Now, he's down to 320-something," Bell said. "He's so light. He's quick-footed."
Jennings is all good with going back to left tackle and appreciative of the chance to expand his horizons on the right side of the line.
"It gave me the ability to learn a new position that I wasn't too familiar with, but being back home is great," he said. "I'm making my own name and trying to play the best type of football I can. I love left tackle."
From Hoops to Helmets
Take a moment Thursday night to watch Jennings work on the edge and you'll see he's quite mobile for a 6-foot-5, 328-pounder.
"I've always been the big kid who can jump and move," he said.
Growing up, Jennings used his athletic ability as a basketball player since the age of 5 at the YMCA. By middle school, the eighth-grader was taking his game to another level in the AAU circuit, which helped Jennings play four years of varsity hoops at Gaither High School.
"The basketball never leaves me," he said. "I've played it for so long."
Jennings' love for basketball made him turn down an opportunity to potentially become a football star early in his high school career.
"I had a coach, Jason Stokes. He saw me my freshman year and he wanted me to get out there, but I was all about basketball at the time," Jennings said. "I didn't want to have anything to do with football."
Stokes' persistence paid off and Jennings eventually became an all-state selection at left tackle as a prep senior. Scholarship offers flowed in from USF, rival UCF, Virginia, Marshall, OId Dominion and Toledo.
"(Stokes) kept staying in my ear, 'Come out, come out.' I finally came out," Jennings said. "I played my junior year and from that point on, I loved it. It just stuck with me."
So has basketball, in a way. When Jennings gets free time, you might find him at USF's recreation center, where he likes to take a trip down memory lane.
"Every now and then, I put a couple in there," he said.
Despite being one of the largest offensive linemen at USF, Jennings still has some hops.
"Being able to dunk is one of those things I've always wanted to do," he said. "Now that I can do it, I always do it."
More Donovan Details
ANOTHER PIANO MAN: If USF football players wanted to start a music group, they'd have plenty of talent to choose from, like cornerback KJ Sails (singer) along with linebackers Nico Sawtelle (piano) and Patrick Macon (violin). Add an O-lineman to the mix on the keys. "I can play a little bit of piano," said Jennings, who started his "new hobby" about two years ago. "My grandfather has a jazz band. I've always seen him playing instruments and stuff. I just caught on to the piano a little bit."- JENNINGS WEIGHING MAJOR OPTIONS: Jennings, who turns 20 on Nov. 24, is trying to find out which academic path is right for him during his sophomore year. Right now, he's debating health sciences or integrated public relations. "It's back and forth. I want to help people," he said. "I want to find a balance of helping, but also making a career out of it. That's what I'm trying to do right now."
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22nd season of football, and 19th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
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