Tag: Jaray Jenkins

Jaguars waive rookie WR Jaray Jenkins from IR with settlement

Jaray Jenkins is reportedly a free agent after the rookie receiver reached an injury settlement with the Jaguars.

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jaray Jenkins was waived from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ injured reserve with a settlement on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.

Jenkins, 23, was one of more than two dozen Jaguars players waived by the team during final cuts last week. After catching two passes for 32 yards through the Jaguars’ first two preseason games, Jenkins sat out the last game due to an injury. According to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver had foot surgery last week.

As a player who was waived with an injury designation, Jenkins returned to the Jaguars’ injured reserved after clearing waivers. Now Jenkins is a free agent after reaching an injury settlement with the team.

With seven receivers on the active roster — including rookies Parker Washington and Elijah Cooks — as well as Jacob Harris and Seth Williams on the practice squad, the Jaguars are loaded at the position. While Jenkins had a couple moments in preseason, his path to a role in Jacksonville was muddy, to say the least.

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Jenkins was a three-year starter at LSU where he recorded 1,370 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: WR Jaray Jenkins

Jaray Jenkins earned a reputation for clutch plays at LSU. Now he’s trying to beat the odds with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is underway. Join us for a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

Jaray Jenkins developed a reputation for the dramatic during his time with the LSU Tigers.

When Arkansas rallied to take a fourth quarter lead in 2020, it was Jenkins who caught the game-winner in the final minutes. When No. 15 Texas A&M came to Baton Rouge in 2021, Jenkins hauled in a 28-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left to hand the Aggies an upset loss.

Now Jenkins is trying to beat the odds again as an undrafted rookie hunting for a roster spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While veterans Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Jamal Agnew are essentially locks for the 53-man roster, it’s a logjam of young receivers hunting for the final spots.

Contract (2023): $750,000 base salary, $2,500 prorated signing bonus, $752,500 cap hit.

Acquired: The Jaguars signed Jenkins as a rookie free agent on May 1, 2023.

PFF grades:

  • 66.2 (2022 – LSU)
  • 68.0 (2021 – LSU)
  • 65.4 (2020 – LSU)
  • 63.2 (2019 – LSU)

Highlight:

Quote: “I want to attack every play, whether it’s one of those crunch moments or not. The quarterback goes through the reads, and obviously in those times, he comes back to me and I make the catch. I feel like I don’t change anything at all; I just do what I do.” – Jenkins

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50)
Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55) Yasir Abdullah (No. 56)
Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64) Chandler Brewer (No. 67)
Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73) Cam Robinson (No. 74)
Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79) Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80)
Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87) Oliver Martin (No. 88)
Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Dawuane Smoot (No. 91) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus Jacob Harris
Josh Pederson

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2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 11 Brian Thomas Jr.

After two seasons as a mostly rotational receiver, Brian Thomas Jr. could be poised to break out in 2023.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

We’re looking at a player in the receiver room who has shown a lot of signs of promise but is yet to put it all together in the form of a breakout campaign in Brian Thomas Jr. Entering a receiver room that he’s poised to be a leader in during his junior season, he has the potential to do just that in 2023.

Brian Thomas Jr. Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Walker, Louisiana

Ht: 6-3

Wt: 205

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four Stars | No. 4 in Louisiana | No. 13 receiver

Class in 2022: Sophomore

Career Stats

Year G Rec Yards Avg TDs
2021 12 28 359 12.8 2
2022 13 31 361 11.6 5


Depth Chart Overview

A former top-100 recruit coming out of high school, Thomas has made 25 appearances over the last two seasons with 15 starts. He’s had just moderate production in that time, and though his numbers didn’t skyrocket as a sophomore, he did finish fourth on the team in receptions, fifth in yards and second in touchdowns.

With [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] heading to the NFL while [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] transfers out, that room is much less crowded in 2023. Alongside one of the SEC’s top receivers in Malik Nabers, Thomas could be an impact player in that group.

There will be others competing for targets, though, such as [autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and Alabama transfer [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag]. The Tigers added a pair of highly-rated true freshmen as well in [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag]

Brian Thomas Jr.’s Photo Gallery

2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 2 Kyren Lacy

Kyren Lacy could be poised for a huge season after making a lot of noise during spring practice.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

We’re looking at a receiver who could be poised to break out in his second year with the Tigers in [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag]. A transfer from Louisiana that arrived last season with Kelly, Lacy saw a limited role in 2022 that will likely expand during his final season this fall.

Kyren Lacy Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Thibodaux, Louisiana

Ht: 6-2

Wt: 212

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three Stars | No. 46 in Louisiana | No. 157 Wide Receiver

Class in 2022: Junior

Career Stats

Year G Catches Yards Avg TDs
2020 (Louisiana) 11 28 364 13.0 4
2021 (Louisiana) 12 22 304 13.8 6
2022 14 24 268 11.2 0


Depth Chart Overview

A minimally recruited prospect coming out of high school, Lacy was a role player in his two years with the Ragin’ Cajuns, but he was one of the team’s most productive receivers. He played in 24 games in that span with six starts, leading the team in receiving as a freshman and in receiving touchdowns as a sophomore with six.

Lacy appeared in 14 games last fall during his first season at LSU, making two starts and totaling 24 catches for 268 yards, though he didn’t find the end zone.

He had a huge spring for the Tigers and was one of the stars of the spring game. Lacy is expected to compete for a lot of targets this fall with the departures of [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] to the NFL. Alongside players like Malik Nabers and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], Lacy is a major part of what could be an elite receiving corps.

Kyren Lacy’s Photo Gallery

Malik Nabers among the SEC’s top receivers in 2023

College Sports Wire is high on Nabers entering 2023.

LSU has a number of players poised for potential breakouts in 2023, but few have garnered more national anticipation than [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

Nabers had a promising true freshman season in 2021, but he really took things up a notch last fall. He quickly became the favored target of new quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and that allowed him to finish the season beyond the 1,000-yard threshold, though he only had three touchdowns.

While a campaign like that will be hard to top, many see him as one of the best (if not the best) receivers in the SEC this season. In College Sports Wire’s rankings, Nabers sits in second behind only South Carolina’s Antwane “Juice” Wells, who also had a breakout 2022 season.

2022 Stats:

Rec Yards YPR TDs
72 1,017 14.1 3

Why The Ranking:

Nabers emerged as WR1 last season after Kayshon Boutte’s disappointing season in 2022. Nabers and new quarterback Jayden Daniels built quite a rapport last season and I look forward to seeing how it grows for the upcoming season.

With LSU losing [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and veteran [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], Nabers could be poised to see a bigger role. Other talented pass-catchers like [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] remain, but Nabers should be the most targeted of that group once again.

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LSU boasts one of the nation’s best receiver units entering 2023 season

On3 ranked LSU’s receiving corps third in the country behind Ohio State and Texas.

LSU returns a lot of production from a year ago, especially on offense. But perhaps no position group on the entire team enters the 2023 campaign with higher expectations than the receiving corps.

Though the unit lost two main contributors to the draft in [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] (as well as [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] in the transfer portal), this group brings back leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] as well as productive players like [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], who had a massive spring game.

[autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag] is also back from a season-ending injury last year, and the Tigers added Alabama transfer and former five-star prospect [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag]. They also signed a pair of blue-chip true freshmen.

With all these pieces and a quarterback with four years of starting experience to throw them the ball, expectations are high for the LSU passing game. On3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the unit third in the country behind only Ohio State and Texas.

One of the reasons folks are high on the Tigers in 2023 is their stacked set of playmakers at receiver.

Malik Nabers led the SEC in receiving last season, and could be even better this fall with the growth of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Other headliners in LSU’s wideout room include Brian Thomas, Kyren Lacy, a spring standout, Chris Hilton and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson.

The Tigers also have a pair of Top-100 freshmen signees pushing for playing time in Jalen Brown and Shelton Sampson.

With Nabers potentially poised to become one of the best receivers in the country and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ emergence toward the end of last season, it’s understandable why many think this group could take a leap forward this season.

Alabama has a lot of questions as it has to replace a number of players including two of the top three picks in the 2023 NFL draft. If LSU’s passing game is as good as advertised, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] could have this team in a position to repeat as SEC West champions.

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Jaguars announce 10 undrafted free agent additions

The Jaguars’ list of 10 undrafted signings includes three receivers, two players named Jackson, and two players from UCF.

Update: After announcing Eastern Kentucky linebacker Matthew Jackson as one of their signings, the Jaguars have since removed him from the list. He is reportedly set to join the Tennessee Titans instead.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added 13 players during the 2023 NFL draft and rounded out the roster with 10 more rookies signed in undrafted free agency.

The list, which was mostly reported immediately after the draft ended Saturday, includes three wide receivers, three linebackers, two players named Jackson, and two from UCF:

  • Jayson Ademilola, DT, Notre Dame — 6’3, 285
  • D.J. Coleman, OLB, Missouri — 6’5, 263
  • Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State — 6’4, 215
  • Kaleb Hayes, CB, BYU — 6’0, 195
  • Dequan Jackson, LB, Colorado State — 6’1, 225
  • Samuel Jackson, OL, UCF — 6’6, 325
  • Jaray Jenkins, WR, LSU — 6’2, 200
  • Oliver Martin, WR, Nebraska — 6’1, 200
  • Leonard Taylor, TE, Cincinnati — 6’5, 255
  • Divaad Wilson, CB, UCF — 6’0, 195

To make room for the 10 additions, the Jaguars released safety Tyree Gillespie and offensive lineman Jimmy Murray. Gillespie was on the field for 28 special teams snaps with the Jaguars during the 2022 season. Murray spent the year on the practice squad.

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Projecting the stats for LSU receivers in 2023

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s receivers in 2023.

Despite losing [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], LSU returns a talented wide receiver room in 2023.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] enters his junior year after leading the SEC in catches last year. Behind Nabers, there’s [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], both of which earned praise from offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] this spring.

There’s also [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], one of the sport’s most impressive freshmen in 2022.

When I did this last year, I got a bit too eager with the projections. This year, I’ve taken more of a conservative approach. With that out of the way, lets jump right in and take a look at what we might see from LSU’s receivers this fall.

Best photos of LSU’s NFL draft prospects at Tigers pro day

The Tigers’ draft hopefuls took the field in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, LSU’s draft hopefuls took the field at the team’s pro day in Baton Rouge looking to put on a show for the NFL scouts in attendance.

The major story on the day was [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who struggled at the NFL scouting combine. His pro day was highly anticipated, but he only participated in drills and not in athletic testing, meaning his subpar combine numbers — including a 4.50 40-yard dash — will stand.

In addition to Boutte, [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] didn’t participate in athletic testing.

[autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Harris Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] were full participants.

Here were the best photos of LSU players participating in drills on Wednesday.

Where Kayshon Boutte’s departure leaves LSU’s receiver group in 2023

The Tigers should be alright at receiver next fall, even without Boutte.

Wednesday was a strange day on the [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] front for LSU.

After his surprise decision on Dec. 5 to forgo the opportunity to go pro and return to the Tigers in 2023, Boutte reversed course and declared for the NFL draft. Earlier in the day, LSU announced that Boutte would not play in the Citrus Bowl vs. Purdue on Jan. 2 but was still enrolled in spring classes.

Boutte returning to LSU in 2023 always felt a bit too good to be true. The junior was considered one of the top receiver prospects in college football entering the season after a monster campaign in 2021 that was cut short due to injury after six games.

He never developed a strong connection with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] this fall and his production dropped, though he still had 538 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches.

Getting Boutte back in an already talented receiver room would have given the Tigers one of the top corps in college football, but the outlook is far from bleak, even without him.

Though the team loses role players [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] (transfer portal) and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] (NFL draft), the Tigers will return leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], who had a breakout campaign as a true sophomore. He finished with 63 catches for 854 yards and two touchdowns, and he should be Daniels’ favorite target once more.

LSU also brings back [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who only had 330 yards on 27 catches but found the end zone four times, and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], a Louisiana transfer who saw an increased role down the stretch. [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] should also return to the group after missing much of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury.

That doesn’t even take the new additions into account. LSU landed one of the top receivers in the transfer portal in [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who was once committed to the Tigers. Anderson made a minimal impact as a true freshman at Alabama in 2022, and the New Orleans native has returned to his home state.

We also can’t forget the pair of recently signed top-100 prospects in [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag], who could each make an impact as true freshmen in 2023.

There’s no way to sugarcoat Boutte’s loss. He’s one of the game’s most talented receivers at this level, and his departure will hurt. But this is a receiving corps that certainly has the talent and depth to handle that loss.

Daniels should have no shortage of targets in the passing game next fall.

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