According to a report from Tennessee’s Rivals.com affiliate site, the Vols could be without junior wide receiver Jauan Jennings for the remainder of the regular season.
The report alleges that Jennings suffered a dislocated wrist during the second quarter of the Vols’ season opener against Georgia Tech. Jennings left the game in the second quarter holding his wrist after he was sandwiched between two defenders after hauling in a reception. Jennings will reportedly miss up to 12 weeks of action.
Jennings was targeted six times in the first half and came down with three catches for 17 yards in what looks to possibly be his only action of the 2017 season. It’s believed Jennings will qualify for a medical redshirt if he and Tennessee decide to go down that route.
Jennings originally came to Tennessee as a quarterback out of high school, but he made the transition from quarterback to receiver during his freshman year. In his first year with the Vols, Jennings caught 14 passes for 149 yards. Then he had a breakout sophomore campaign last year in which he hauled in 40 receptions for 580 yards and seven touchdowns.
Some of the Vols’ biggest highlights from the 2016 season were because of Jennings. He famously burned Florida’s Jalen Tabor for a touchdown in Tennessee’s streak-busting victory over the Gators, and he caught the game-winning Hail Mary pass against Georgia to propel the Vols to a 5-0 start.
Tennessee was going to depend on Jennings to be a leader for a young offense this season, especially in the receiving corps. But now he might have to be a leader off the field like some of Tennessee’s veterans were last year.
