USF a major player for rising 2025 WR Carl Jenkins

St. Augustine (Fla.) High class of 2025 wide receiver Carl Jenkins Jr. has been a hot commodity this spring, adding Illinois, Duke, Toledo, Maryland, Iowa and most recently Miami to his offer sheet.

Jenkins tells On3 that he’s working on the finishing touches of his summer plans. Currently, he has officials scheduled with UCF June 1, Louisville June 8, Illinois June 15 and USF June 22.

“I’ve been scheduling official visits and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming next,” Jenkins said. “I’ll be making a decision before my senior season on June 29.”

Jenkins is considering adding Miami and Kansas to his official visit schedule. Additional trips could replace schools that he’s currently scheduled to see. It’s all up in the air.

“I could eliminate one of the schools,” he noted. “I want to take five official visits; I don’t want to take 10 of them. I’ll pick the best five and that’s what I’ll go by.”

Jenkins notes USF is safely on his summer itinerary. He thinks highly of the Bulls, and it helps USF’s chances with him that his high school quarterback, Locklan Hewlett, is committed to the school.

“USF is not one that you’d have to worry about being eliminated,” Jenkins noted. “It’s one of the schools I love the most. I love the coaching staff and how family oriented they are. They keep up with me every single day. And obviously, my quarterback is committed there. USF is a great school with a great atmosphere.”

Jenkins’ connection on and off the field with Hewlett is important.

“He’s a really big factor, and I’m really tight with him,” continued Jenkins. “He’s my quarterback, and outside of football we’re hanging out a lot. USF has been a big school for me, but with him committing there, it makes it 10 times better. He’s been recruiting me really hard, and the coaches are on me.”

Both USF and UCF present close-to-home, in-state options, but Jenkins says that distance won’t be a factor in his decision-making process.

On3 has yet to rank Jenkins, but Rivals lists the 6-3, 164-pounder as a four-star recruit and No. 60 wide receiver in the country.

On April 26, Jenkins announced a top six schools list of Mississippi State, Illinois, USF, Louisville, Syracuse and UCF.

During his outstanding 14-game junior season, Jenkins caught 60 passes for 1,172 yards with 15 touchdowns.