Jenkins Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season
In Savannah, GA lies Jenkins High School, and plenty of other high schools within their region that do not get nearly enough respect or attention as they deserve. To start, Jenkins High School, even though they are predominantly unknown to…
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Continue ReadingIn Savannah, GA lies Jenkins High School, and plenty of other high schools within their region that do not get nearly enough respect or attention as they deserve. To start, Jenkins High School, even though they are predominantly unknown to plenty of high school football followers in GA, has their own fair share of talent, and finds ways to compete with some of the better teams in which they are paired against each season. Last season, they finished with an overall 4-4 record, and have displayed the fighting spirit that makes them the Jenkins Warriors. This season, as we enter into a normal season, Jenkins will look to improve upon their overall record from last season, and some of their top returners will also be expected to step up to the plate. Below, we listed a few of their players that you should look out for going into next season.
Ashton Jackson Ashton Jackson 6'5" | 310 lbs | OL Jenkins | 2022 State GA – OL
Listed at 6’5, 310 pounds, Jackson is a force for Jenkins’ offensive line, and his overall size, length, and strength will continue to be a rock for the Warriors in the 2021 season. Off of the ball, Jackson uses his size, and length to his advantage, making it even harder for defensive players to work their way past him. He rolls his hips well, and uses his hands, and technique to his advantage, which helps him to finish blocks. His arms allow for good separation, and decreases the likelihood of penalties. This also helps to open up great running lanes for ball carriers, and in pass protection, proves to be a great buyer of time for the QB. Jackson also moves his feet well, and this is proven by the way he is able to adjust to pass rushes from different angles.
Bernard Bentley- LB
While Bentley can move a bit stiffly at times, he is a good role player at the LB position for the Warriors, as he is able to be productive when stopping the running game. He reads and reacts well to the movement of ball carriers, and he takes decent angles, and uses the right amount of pop to bring ball carriers to the ground on contact. Bentley is not overly fast, but uses the right amount of short area quickness to make plays from sideline to sideline, or in the backfield. Going into the 2021 season, we would like to see Bentley work on his flexibility, as well as the way he gets out of his breaks. Working on transition steps, as well as his burst out of his breaks will be very beneficial to his future development.
D’Angelo Sheppard- DL
Sheppard is an all around DL, as he has the ability to not only explode off of the ball with good burst, but he also delivers blows upon contact. Even though he is a bit stiff with lateral movement, he moves well vertically, and he uses his length to his advantage, as he is able to catch ball carriers from awkward angles, making it hard for them to run past him. Sheppard also does a good job of finding his way to the football, and he uses his size to help plug holes and absorb contact from ball carriers, creating tackles at the line of scrimmage. The way he keeps his legs moving is certainly a factor of his success, as he is easily able to overpower offensive linemen, causing him to push the pocket. Next season, to add to his ability, we would like to see him work on his hand use, flexibility, and lateral movement. Improvements in these areas can take his game to the next level.
Jashard Richey- DB
One thing we like about Richey is his ability to be a key player on defense, while also being a factor in the return game. This is due to his quickness and ability to change direction on a dime. On defense, this translates to his ability to get out of his breaks, even though we would like to see more polished footwork in this area of his game. Richey is also good at turning and running with defenders, which is great down the field, especially paired with his ball skills. As a tackler though, he is a bit raw, and the angles he takes can be questionable at times, which can hinder his defenses overall ability to make stops. In 2021, even though he is a solid player for the warriors, we would like to see him improve in this area, and to be able to work on his overall movement skills and fluidity to become a better, and more reactionary defensive player.