The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

March 29, 2012

Mountaineers’ Jenkins seeks starting job at CB

By Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — Brodrick Jenkins has played 26 games as a defensive back for West Virginia University, including four as a starter last season.

The 5-foot-10, 185-point junior-to-be from Fort Myers, Fla., ranked eighth in the Big East last season in passes broken up with eight. He also tied a career-high with five solo tackles in the 70-33 blowout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl at Miami.

Jenkins finished his sophomore year with 27 tackles — 22 solos — and two for lost yardage as well as the eight passes he broke up.

For his two seasons, he shows a total of 39 solo tackles, six assists, 10 pass deflections, and two interceptions.

Before leaving for this week’s spring break, Jenkins said he thought the Mountaineers were giving great effort and performing with a lot of speed in spring drills.

As far as the techniques of the new defensive system, he said he felt like a freshman. He explained that some of the schemes carried over from last year were very different.

Asked what the biggest change instructed by the new defensive staff has been, Jenkins said, “Just our tempo and attitude. We’re a younger defense as far as how we think and how we act.

“We have more high-flying energy as far as getting to the ball, and we are trying to be more physical.”

With six days of practice behind them, the Mountaineers will have nine more remaining when they return from this week’s spring break.

The annual Gold-Blue intrasquad game, winding up spring drills, will be played Saturday, April 21. The kickoff time has yet to be set.

Jenkins is being groomed as a cornerback by assistant coach Daron Roberts.

“Coach Roberts is high energy,” Jenkins stated. “When something happens, he’s running to you and talking over everything with you. If you’re on first or second team defense, he’s running the field with you, and he’s hands on.”

Jenkins, who is expected to be used on special teams too, is competing for a starting job at cornerback in the new defense.

He was a standout at South Fort Myers High, was chosen Florida District 16 player of the year and made the Class 3A all-state third team.

Text Only
College Sports
  • Harrick was greatest 2-sport coach at WVU

    The late Steve Harrick was the longest serving, most successful two-sport head coach in West Virginia University’s athletic history.

    May 18, 2013

  • Concord wastes 2-run lead in 9th, eliminated from regional

    Concord University lost a two-run lead in the ninth inning and was eliminated from the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region baseball playoffs by the Winston-Salem State Rams, 7-5 on Friday afternoon at Gene Hooks Field.

    May 18, 2013

  • Musgrave named Pitcher of the Year Finalist

    May 16, 2013

  • Concord drops NCAA Tournament opener to Millersville 5-4 in Winston-Salem

    May 16, 2013

  • Crutchfield talks about his system, recruiting, focus

    Jim Crutchfield, whose basketball program at West Liberty University is the nation’s best in NCAA Division II, insists that there’s really no secret to his team’s soaring success.
    The Hilltoppers not only lead the collegiate basketball world in scoring with an incredible 103-point average but also are No. 1 in marginal victory at 25-plus.
    “I try to stay as local as I can in recruiting,” the 57-year-old Clarksburg native said. Most of his players come from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

    May 16, 2013

  • 051613 wvu marshall ‘It’s been great for the state’

    West Virginia and Marshall are going to continue to meet on the baseball diamond. After a nearly 15-year break in the series, all involved agreed that rekindling the rivalry between the state’s two biggest schools — a series that culminated with a 6-5 Marshall victory Tuesday at Linda K. Epling Stadium — was a solid idea.

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • WVU closes season against OSU

    The West Virginia University baseball team will close out the regular season this weekend against Big 12 foe Oklahoma State at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., and there will be a great deal on the line.

    May 15, 2013

  • Brett Morris will walk on at WVU

    The West Virginia University basketball team will be filled with southern West Virginia flavor next season after Brett Morris announced this week that he’ll be joining head coach Bob Huggins’ program as a preferred walk-on. Morris, the Class AA all-state captain, will join Shady Spring’s Chase Connor, who will also be walking on for the Mountaineers, and Greenbrier East’s Richard Romeo, who is already a walk-on in the program.

    May 15, 2013

  • Jim Crutchfield ‘miracle man’ at West Liberty

    May 15, 2013

  • No doubt about it, WVU-MU series should continue

    West Virginia and Marshall need to play baseball every year. Period.

    May 15, 2013