According to CF.C, DE Malik Jenkins (Ennis, TX) is the newest commit for the Class of 2013. Jenkins is a two star prospect by both Scout and Rivals. At 6'3 and 210 pounds, Jenkins is a likely candidate for a redshirt and the weight training program. I envision Jenkins in a role much similar to what Logan Mayes will be playing for Mike Breske's defense. You'll hear a lot about the "Buck" position for the Cougars, and much like Pete Carroll's "Leo", the LB/DE has a specific purpose: get to the QB.
Jenkins currently holds offers from WSU, Houston, North Texas, Rice, and the mighty Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin State University. lol u mad SFA?
There is no embeddable video on Jenkins, but you can visit his Hudl page here. Aside from the fact that they label the video as "Malik Jenkins's highlights", Hudl does a pretty solid job.
First and foremost, I dig the kid's athleticism. He played both DE and TE in high school, but he'll be a hybrid DE/LB for the Cougs. At 210 pounds, he's not the strongest kid in the room, but he understands leverage and still winds up bull rushing the tackle on occasion. He's not a freak of nature running a 4.4 or anything, but there are places he's listed at 4.6. I think that may be a little generous, but I still think he's pretty quick. I don't worry that he'll lose a step once he gains weight because they won't be bulking him up a ton. I envision him playing somewhere around 225 or 230.
There are a couple of times in the video where the tackle just sort of gives up and Jenkins crushes the QB. Good on him for never stopping, but he wasn't exactly dominating the competition. I think he's a good, solid player for sure, but let's ease up on anointing him the next big thing.
I'd be super surprised if he didn't redshirt, as guys like Jeremiah Allison, Keith Ewing, and Kache Palacio were all much more impressive on film and should be ahead of him on the depth chart. I do like this addition because it shows not only does Leach want to maintain a presence in the Lone Star State, but he has specific targets in mind for the system he wants to run. This means we may get more guys who are overlooked because they really only do one thing well, but if that's all Leach intends them to do, we still come out on top.
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