Jenkins found it challenging to focus on mental reps while being sidelined during his recovery.
Coaches and teammates have praised Jenkins for his work ethic and leadership during his rehabilitation.
The Tennessee transfer feels more confident at FSU, crediting the staff for believing in him.
It almost feels like Jayson Jenkins has not lost a step.
Since joining Florida State football, the junior was working his way back to full strength after dealing with an injury earlier in the spring that set him back throughout the offseason.
He made his game debut against Alabama when he recorded two tackles in the garnet and gold uniform. The following week, he registered a 0.5 sack against East Texas A&M. In just two games, the Tennessee transfer slowly but surely felt back in full strength after months of rehabbing and being on the sidelines.
“Physically, I feel great,” Jenkins said.
“I feel like they’ve been doing great in terms of monitoring my situation and everything,” Jenkins said. Just making sure that I’m being put in the best position to play at 100 percent, keeping up with all the treatments, rehabs, and all that stuff that they offer here.
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Jayson Jenkins faces challenges while recovering
It’s not easy for any player to watch from the sidelines while recovering from his injury, but it was a challenge that Jenkins had to embrace.
The most challenging part for Jenkins was not only returning to his full strength, but also having to focus on mental reps when he prefers to be on the field.
“It was working my way back and everything, but mentally just staying into it, taking a lot of mental reps and all that stuff,” Jenkins said. “Continue to just do everything on my part to put myself in the position I’m in today.
Whenever his name is called, he is expected to make use of the snaps he does take after chatting with defensive coordinator Tony White.
“They’ve been extremely cautious of me getting me back and everything like that,” Jenkins said.
“I had a conversation with Coach (Tony) White about the exact same thing, and his whole thing was we really just want to make sure when it’s time to go, or when you feel like we see that you’re ready, you feel that you’re ready, that it’s time to go and everything like that. So, having everything and continuing to work at the same time has been good, and I feel great.”
His teammate James Williams spoke highly of Jenkins for the way he conquered rehab and worked his way back to health.
“Jenk is very, very intelligent. He’s very smart about what he does. He’s very intentional about what he does.,” Williams said.
“I’m really proud of him because he’s done quite a bit of excellent work off the field to try and get back to this point. He beats Coach (Mike) Norvell here every single day for treatment, which is hard to do. That man works really hard. So, I’m really proud of Jenks.”
Jayson Jenkins makes an impact, even when he is not playing
When Jenkins joined the Seminoles, he was expected to be a key contributor on the defensive line after playing three seasons at Tennessee.
Even though he was sidelined while rehabbing his injury that kept him out all spring, he still made his presence known. He has been looked at as one of the leaders on the three-man front.
“That’s just me. I feel like I have a lot of drive and when I set my mind to something,” Jenkins said.
“Obviously, it was a little setback, but it set my mind to it. I felt like I had a great support system around me here at Florida State, which kept me going. I just kept pushing for them, and it drove me to where we are now. Got through fall camp and everything like that.”
Even when Jenkins was a full-go late in the camp, coaches remained careful in how they wanted to utilize the junior defensive lineman.
While the Seminoles were in Jacksonville, defensive line coach Terrance Knighton was concerned about putting Jenkins out there, not confident that he was fully 100 percent, but was impressed by the way he was healing faster than expected while being a leader on the defensive line.
“He stepped up his leadership, and the guys see him go out here and work, and they’ve seen him work to get back from rehab and those types of things, and I don’t think anybody has ever come back this fast from an injury that he had, but he’s busting his butt, man,” Knighton said.
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Jayson Jenkins never lost confidence in himself
Jenkins is all about the work. That’s likely the reason why he fits well with the Seminoles. Jenkins played three seasons at Tennessee. He played 20 games, producing 15 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Joining the Seminoles was a way for him to elevate his game.
“It’s given me the opportunity to go out and do what I love to do, and that’s work,” Jenkins said.
“Continue to get better and just keep striving to be the player I want to be and feel like this. These types of weeks are defining for character and as a team. So, we have to keep attacking it the right way.”
FSU allowing Jenkins to be himself boosted his confidence even more. He is beyond satisfied in his career, but believes he has taken a step forward by joining the Seminoles.
“I feel like just the staff and everybody have instilled the confidence in me that I may not have had at my last school, to just go, ‘Hey man, just go play football.,'” Jenkins said.
“Just having that has been great, and I feel like I just got to continue to take those steps. I know I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but just coming into the season and everything.”
Heading into Week 4, when FSU hosts Kent State, its last nonconference game before the ACC opener, Jenkins continues to focus on thriving during his time with the Seminoles.
“My focus is purely on becoming the football player that I want to be and working day in and day out, game in and game out, just to leave it all on the line and do my 1-11 for the whole group. Just do my part and what I was brought here to do,” Jenkins said.
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How to watch FSU vs.Kent State
Date: Saturday, Nov. 20
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Seminoles.com
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Florida State football 2025 schedule
Aug. 30, Alabama, W, 31-17
Sept. 6, East Texas A&M, 77-3
Sept. 20, Kent State, 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 26, at Virginia (Friday), 7 p.m.
Oct. 4, Miami, TBA
Oct. 11, Pittsburgh, TBA
Oct. 18, at Stanford, 10:30 p.m.
Nov. 1 Wake Forest, TBA
Nov. 8 at Clemson, TBA
Nov. 15 Virginia Tech, TBA
Nov. 21 at North Carolina State (Fri.), 8 p.m.
Nov. 29 at Florida, TBA
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