LSU wide receiver has made his decision regarding NFL Draft

LSU wide receiver Jaray Jenkins is staying in Baton Rouge for his fifth season, Shea Dixon of 247Sports confirmed Monday night.

Jenkins became a key offensive contributor for the Tigers in 2021, entering the season with 28 career receptions for 464 yards and two touchdowns. He doubled that in 2021 with 34 catches for 502 yards and six touchdowns. Jenkins also caught the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the regular season finale win over Texas A&M and followed that performance up with a touchdown in the Texas Bowl earlier this month.

Overall Jenkins has 62 catches for 966 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. With the announcement of his return, it’s almost inevitable that he’ll surpass the 1,000 career receiving yard mark early in the 2022 season.

Jenkins is a former three-star recruit by On3 Sports’ recruiting database. A graduate of Jena High School in Louisiana, Jenkins caught 111 passes for 1,960 yards and 27 touchdowns to go with 448 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his first three years of high school before a tibia injury cut his senior season short.

His redshirt freshman season was his first real taste of college action after sitting out 2018. The Joe Burrow-led Tigers went a perfect 15-0 and captured that years College Football Playoff title as Jenkins appeared in seven games and caught five passes for 67 yards, all of which came against Northwestern State.

Fast forward to 2020 and Jenkins appeared in all 10 games and started in seven. He hauled in 23 receptions for 397 yards and two touchdowns and caught at least one pass in nine different games.

The Tigers are now set toreturn six scholarship wide receivers with the addition to Jenkins. Kayshon Boutte, Jack Bech, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., and freshman Chris Hilton. LSU also signed Landon Ibieta in December and the Tigers just added a transfer portal wide receiver with the addition of Louisiana-Lafayette’s Kyren Lacy.

LSU will look to bounce back from their worst season record-wise (6-7) since they finished 3-8 in 1999. With a combined 11-12 record in the two seasons since their undefeated national championship team in 2019, new head coach Brian Kelly will look to turn things around quickly as he attempts to maintain his receiver core from one season ago.