Georgia Bulldogs UGA logoGeorgia freshman outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins realizes he has a pretty good gig, coming in and learning under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and All-American Jarvis Jones.
That doesn't mean his transition has been smooth.
"The linemen are huge here, which makes me have to work harder, and that makes me get tired quicker," Jenkins said Thursday by phone following Georgia's ninth preseason workout. "I remember going out there early on and doing about four straight plays, and I remember thinking, 'I'm not used to this.' We do a lot of conditioning drills, though, so I'm starting to get adjusted to it."
Though he has experienced the highs and lows that accompany newcomers, Jenkins has done more than show a little flash. The 6-foot-3, 257-pounder from Harris County High in Hamilton, Ga., had a sack in Wednesday's scrimmage and has been described by Grantham as potentially being more explosive off the edge than any freshman nationally.
Jenkins was rated by Scout.com as the No. 19 overall prospect in the 2012 signing class, while ESPN.com had him at No. 32 and Rivals.com rated him No. 56.
"Jordan has all the pass-rushing skills that you would hope for a guy to have," Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt said. "He has to become a little more physical in the run game."
There has been no word whether Jenkins will play or redshirt, but Grantham's comment has led him to believe he'll play. He is working on a lot of special teams.
Until a decision is announced, Jenkins will continue to learn from the 6-3, 241-pound Jones.
"Jarvis is a great guy, and I've known him since my sophomore year since we're both from the Columbus area," Jenkins said. "We've known his family, and we always talked mess about the Harris County-Carver games in the past. He likes to help me out because we're from the same area, and we definitely want to see each other succeed.
"He's teaching me a lot. During a pass-rushing drill today, he made me go back-to-back-to-back about eight times."
Jenkins has watched Jones enough on television and now up close to know the two share similarities and differences.
"We both like to do a good bit of stutter steps, and I've sort of copied him on that lately," Jenkins said. "Coach Grantham described us as being salmon trying to swim upstream and how the fish swim quickly from side to side.
"What makes us different is that I'm probably more violent. I use more club and power moves, whereas Jarvis is really quick and uses speed moves and finesse moves to get around."
Odds and ends
Richt said Thursday's practice was anticlimactic following Wednesday's scrimmage, which was not unexpected. ... Freshman Marshall Morgan has emerged as the top candidate to handle extra points and field goals. ... Senior cornerback Branden Smith was singled out by Richt for having an excellent camp. ... Richt said tailbacks Ken Malcome, Richard Samuel, Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley are "really rolling like they are all co-No. 1s." ... Sophomore defensive end Ray Drew remains out of practice with a concussion. ... When asked about the potential suspensions of inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and safety Bacarri Rambo, Richt said, "I don't know when we will let you know that."