Numbers & Notes: Behind the Keyone Jenkins commitment to Auburn
Keyone Jenkins, a 3-star quarterback from Miami (Fla.) Central, flipped his commitment to Auburn from Florida International on Saturday. Here’s more on Jenkins and what this verbal means to the Tigers.
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RELATED: THE WAR ROOM: Official visits halted as Auburn’s search for head coach continues; QB commitment coming?
RELATED: Cadillac Williams has Auburn ‘fighting harder’ according to 5-star target
RANKING/RATING: Jenkins, who is listed at 6-foot, 187 pounds, is the No. 118 quarterback recruit in the country for the On3 Consensus. He checks in as the No. 273 prospect in the state of Florida. Jenkins holds an 80.61 On3 Consensus rating. On3 has him significantly higher, at 84.
NIL VALUATION: Jenkins has an On3 NIL Valuation of $32K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
JENKINS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter — @LyghtzO; Instagram — @lyghtzout; Tik Tok — @lyghtzout
RECRUITER OF RECORD: Roc Bellantoni
2023 NUMBERS: At last check, Jenkins had completed 91 of 146 passes for 1,565 yards, 22 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. Central is 11-0, nationally ranked and has a win this season over national power Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.
1 KEY STAT: Jenkins is 42-13 as a high school starter with two state championships. Earlier in his high school career, he started at both Miami Carol City and Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy (when he was an 8th-grader).
1 KEY FACT: Jenkins is cousins with 4-star Auburn edge target Rueben Bain, also of Miami Central.
THE 411: When Jenkins visited Auburn unofficially last weekend, he already was strongly considering the program even though all he had was an opportunity to be a preferred walk-on.
But then Auburn sweetened the pot.
Saturday, interim coach Cadillac Williams offered him a scholarship. That evening, Jenkins said Auburn had moved into the top spot — despite the fact he was committed to FIU.
“It felt great,” Jenkins said at the time. “Amazing. I’ve worked for this a long time. My hard work didn’t go unnoticed. I’m proud of myself. It means a lot. Words can’t explain. Auburn is No. 1. I’m still committed. Not for long.”
Earlier this week, Jenkins privately committed to the Auburn staff. Saturday, he went public.
AUBURN BY THE NUMBERS: Jenkins is commitment No. 11 for the Tigers. According to our intel, the program could have 40-45 new additions between the early signing period, February signing period and transfer portal.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Jenkins is not very tall and doesn’t have a rocket arm. However, he brings a lot to the table. For starters, he’s a winner. Second, he’s extremely effective and efficient. Third, he’s got a high football IQ.
Said a source who is plugged in down in South Florida: “He’s a winner that gets the ball there on time and he knows where to throw it. He runs that offense and has it humming. He’s a very smart kid.”
And, don’t forget this: Jenkins not only is close with Bain, but also with 4-star linebacker Stanquan Clark, a Louisville commit, and 3-star receiver Lamar Seymore , a Pittsburgh commit. All four were on Auburn’s campus for the Texas A&M game.
