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Sterling Jenkins is one of the top offensive tackles in the Class of 2015.
Jenkins, out of Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., stands a towering 6'8 and weighs 305 pounds. As of June, he's rated as a consensus four-star prospect by 247sports, Rivals, Scout and ESPN. The 247 composite, a compilation of data from the four major recruiting services, lists him as the 63rd-best player in America, the sixth-best offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from the state of Pennsylvania.
Jenkins has drawn interest from top programs around the country. He holds scholarship offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others.
Fans can follow Jenkins on Twitter @S_Jenkins72.
My evaluation of Jenkins will consist of two distinctly different parts: Jenkins as an athlete, and Jenkins as a football player.
Jenkins is a fantastic athlete relative to his size and frame. He has certainly grown quite a bit in the last year, and is acclimating to his considerable newfound size.
As a football player, however, Jenkins is a bit of a project. Even in his highlights, he has a tendency to play high, which is unsurprising given his height. His quick feet don't always show up on his highlights, and it's worth noting that he is asked to block on a lot of quick passing plays, which is one of the easiest blocks to make. He has not yet developed the feel for the position.
Jenkins does not show a lot of hip explosion or leg drive, and is not a dominant player at the high school level. At his best, he quickly gets out into his set and uses his long arms to neutralize pass rushers. And he does a good job sticking with his blocks in the open field.
Jenkins is one of the top recruits at offensive tackle nationally because of his size and athleticism combination, but he is not a player I project to make an early impact. After some considerable development in the weight room and the practice field, he could turn into a very good college football player in 2017 and beyond. But I am not as high on him as some other rating services because of his lack of ability to make an early impact. It will be the job of his offensive line coach to take what he shows in shorts and a T-shirt and translate that to the college football game.
Note: Players commit and decommit throughout the process. No effort is made to note commitments or decommitments in these scouting reports. All we note is claimed offers at the time of evaluation.
