Miami Central quarterback Keyone Jenkins commits to Auburn
Miami (Fla.) Central quarterback Keyone Jenkins has committed to Auburn.
Jenkins announced his decision on Saturday after leading Miami Central to a 34-30 playoff win over Northwestern Friday night.
Jenkins had been committed to Florida International since July.
“I love it at Auburn, man,” Jenkins told Auburn Live. “The fans, I love them. I just feel at home at Auburn.”
Jenkins should know. He took an unofficial visit to Auburn last weekend. It was then that he learned that the Tigers were offering a scholarship and it didn’t take him long to know he would accept it.
“I knew Sunday before I left,” he said.
Of course, it helped that he attended Auburn’s 13-10 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. The atmosphere inside Jordan-Hare Stadium is one he won’t soon forget.
“I never experienced a crowd like that,” he said. “The fans are amazing. Even outside the stadium they are walking up the streets saying ‘War Eagle!'”
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Jenkins also spent a lot of time during the visit talking to interim head coach Carnell Williams and area recruiter Roc Bellantoni. Jenkins has developed a good relationship with Bellantoni.
“Coach Roc is my guy,” Jenkins said. “I love Coach Roc and the rest of the coaches. They made me feel at home. The relationships they build with their players, I could feel it in the room. When Coach Cadillac, Coach Roc and the rest of the coaches speak, it comes from the heart. They are just like the coaches I have now.”
Jenkins understands that Auburn is in the midst of a head coaching search and that some, if not all, of the staff won’t be retained.
“I love the coaches and I love Auburn,” he said. “My love for Auburn is a little bit of both.”
Jenkins plans to return to Auburn in December for an official visit. He likely will get to meet the new head coach at that time. In the meantime, he’ll be recruiting for Auburn and it starts with his teammate/cousin, four-star edge Rueben Bain.
“Auburn’s chances have been high for (Rueben),” Jenkins said. “But they’re even higher now that I’m going.”
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Jenkins won’t stop with Bain. He’ll also be recruiting Louisville linebacker commitment Stanquan Clark and Pitt wide receiver commit Lamar Seymore. Both Clark and Seymore, teammates of Jenkins, visited Auburn last weekend, as did Bain.
“There are some more committed recruits that I’ve been talking to,” Jenkins said. “I’m trying to get them to come to Auburn, too. I’m going to try and get Tony Mitchell and Edwin Joseph and a couple of others.”
Jenkins, who is listed at six-feet tall and 185 pounds, is on pace to graduate in December and enroll at Auburn in January. He is the Tigers’ 11th commitment in the 2023 class.
