At this point, the novelty of a matchup with a high-profile receiver has mostly worn off for Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
On a near-weekly basis, he’s found himself lined up against players like Alabama’s Julio Jones and Georgia’s A.J. Green, considered arguably the most NFL-ready receivers in the nation, and Kentucky’s Randall Cobb and LSU’s Terrance Toliver, two of the league’s notable playmakers.
So his upcoming matchup with South Carolina standout Alshon Jeffery, he says, is nothing to get too worked up over.
“(It’s) exciting, because during the week you guys hype it up,” said Jenkins, who insisted Wednesday. “(But) I just go out and have fun.”
Still, it would be hard to blame the Gators’ junior cornerback for entering this Saturday’s 7:15 p.m. game with a little more energy than usual.
Jeffery, a 6-foot-4, 233-pound sophomore, has been one of college football’s breakouts stars this year. He’s currently averaging an SEC-best 114.9 receiving yards per game and leads the conference with seven touchdown catches — on pace to easily surpass the numbers he posted as a first-team freshman all-American last season.
The good news for Gators fans is that, if past performance is any indication, Jeffery could be in for a long night Saturday at The Swamp.
Jenkins has been dominant against just about everyone this fall, but his specialty seems to be shutting down the big-name receivers he occasionally finds himself lined up against.
Just ask Jones, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior currently ranked second in the SEC in receiving yards per game. Against Florida and Jenkins, who stands only 5-foot-11, Jones finished with four catches for 19 yards — the first time all season he’d been held to less than 49 yards — and was rendered essentially useless in the Tide’s passing game.
Or Green, who entered the Bulldogs’ matchup with Florida averaging nearly 100 yards and a touchdown per game. Covered mostly by Jenkins, Green, considered by some the nation’s top receiver, managed just two catches for 12 yards through three quarters before finishing with four catches for a season-low 49 yards.
“He’s physical, he’s thick, he has great athleticism and he understands the game,” head coach Urban Meyer said of Jenkins, who is currently seventh on the team with 36 tackles to go along with a team-high three interceptions and six pass break-ups. “His anticipation is fantastic, and he’s a competitor. Those are all pretty good qualities for a corner.”
On paper, though, Jeffery looks to be Jenkins’ staunching test of the season.
He racked up 192 yards and two touchdowns in a narrow loss to No. 2 Auburn, for instance, and in a victory over Vanderbilt, he added 158 yards and another score. In all, he’s surpassed 100 receiving yards in five of the team’s nine games and ranks fifth nationally in receiving yards per game.
“I’ve been telling my guys all week he looks like he’d probably be a heck of a basketball player the way he moves around,” said Florida defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “He’s got tremendous hands, and … he’s pretty good after the catch, as well. He makes some guys miss. For a big guy, you wouldn’t see it in him, but he’s good.”
Then again, so is Jenkins, who overcame the occasional issue last season to evolve into one of the Gators’ most consistent defensive weapons.
There were times last season, Meyer says, when Jenkins “drank the poison” — Meyer’s term for losing focus and buying into outside hype — and concern that might happen again is ongoing, particularly considering Jenkins’ success this fall has led to speculation that he might forego his senior season and enter next spring’s NFL Draft.
“There is nothing worse on a Saturday sitting in that darn hotel and you see the draft board come across (the TV) and you’re like, ‘What in the world?’” Meyer said. “… Hopefully we are (focusing on) the game, but I know how the thing works.”
For the most part, though, Meyer says he’s been impressed with Jenkins’ mindset this season.
With the exception of senior safety Ahmad Black, the Pahokee native has been the defense’s top player this season, and while keeping up his recent level of success could prove difficult this weekend, coaches don’t seem overly concerned.
“There’s going to be times (receivers) win theirs,” Austin said. “But overall, I’ll take what he’s done so far.”
— Gator Country reporter Dugan Arnett can be reached at dugan@gatorcountry.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/duganarnett.