Gabe Jenkins gives Deion Sanders, Colorado football an ‘impact player’

Gabe Jenkins committed to Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team just a few days after his official visit to Boulder.

It’s crazy to think that a specific chain of events led to the four-star safety becoming a Buff.

On the same day that James Franklin was fired as Penn State’s head football coach back in October, Jenkins decommitted from the Nittany Lions. As a result, Rashad Rich made the transition from Penn State’s recruiting staff to Colorado as the Buffs‘ director of recruiting in January.

The Buffs offered Gabe Jenkins later that month, he took an unofficial to Boulder in March and committed on Wednesday. If it wasn’t for Rich’s prior connection and Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s ties to the city of Pittsburgh, the Buffs might not have even been in the running for one of the top safeties in the 2027 class.

“He (Gabe Jenkins) felt the staff,” Propel Imani head coach LaRoi Johnson told DNVR. “The staff has good connections to Pittsburgh. Coach Marion being from the area, that helps. He (Jenkins) was impressed with his conversation with Coach Prime.

“I think our programs are similar in a sense in the way we coach and he’ll be able to relate a lot easier to some guys. He’ll fit right in.”

Gabe Jenkins is the No. 8 overall recruit in Pennsylvania and the state’s No. 1-ranked defensive back, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-2, 187-pounder chose Colorado over Georgia, Michigan, Pitt, Virginia Tech and others.

Versatility is the name of Jenkins’ game as he has been deployed all over the field. He began his high school career playing a star backer role before kicking out to cornerback and settling in at safety.

Gabe Jenkins had never played quarterback until his junior season but he thrived at that, too. The newest Buff threw for 1,765 yards and 28 touchdowns while running for 1,409 yards and another 13 touchdowns. He also added 24 tackles and three TFLs on defense.

“Because we have a low roster size, we want guys to be versatile and play multiple different positions,” Johnson told DNVR. “We tell our guys to forget about the position and be a football player. Gabe took heed to that.

“You can see it in his game whether he’s pursuing the ball, making a tackle on a guy or striking someone. All those things are what make him the great player that he is because he’s so scheme and position diverse.”

With the ability to play different positions and be utilized in different roles (including on offense), it will be fascinating to see where Jenkins lands in Boulder. Johnson believes it will come down to where Jenkins can see the field quickest.

“I can see nickel, I can see safety, I can see a lot of different things,” Johnson said of Gabe Jenkins’ position at the next level.

Jenkins’ elite agility, burst and aggressiveness as a tackler makes him an ideal fit at nickel/slot corner or strong safety. He told Rivals’ Chad Simmons that “they (Buffs) have a plan for me at strong safety, they feel I could play a little offense.”

Colorado’s 2027 recruiting class is now up to six with Gabe Jenkins ranking as the highest-rated commit, according to 247Sports. No matter what position Jenkins ends up playing, he’s a safe bet to make an immediate impact.

“He’s an impact player,” Johnson told DNVR. “He’s dynamic. You see his ability to play multiple positions and dominate at multiple positions. He has the ability to adjust and just be a football player. He’s one of the 11 guys you want out there, I don’t care about the position. He’s an extreme competitor and he wants to win.

“He’s a great teammate, a positive guy and he wants all his guys to do well. He is truly about the team and that’s probably an aspect of him that a lot of people don’t understand.”

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