Quick Take: Nick Jenkins On UConn

Nick Jenkins has played in two games so far in his redshirt freshman season.

Not once but twice last Saturday, the special teams came up big to preserve the defense’s shutout by blocking two field goal attempts. Both were blocked by redshirt defensive linemen with the first being awarded to Matt Conrath and Nick Jenkins receiving credit for the other. For his performance, Jenkins was named one of the program’s Special Teams Players of the Week.

This weekend, the Cavaliers head north to take on Connecticut, a team they narrowly beat last season 17-16. Jenkins, a 285-pound redshirt freshman, sat down with the media earlier this week to discuss his blocked kick, Connecticut, and his overall progress in this week’s Quick Take.

On the kick that you blocked, was it a low kick at all? Did you penetrate the line or what happened?

Jenkins: Oh absolutely it was a low kick. Clearly I can’t jump too high. (grins) So I was falling down and Coach all week was talking about how he was kind of a line-drive kicker so just get your hands up and it was pretty low.

How much different is the 3-4 nose tackle from what you played in high school?

Jenkins: Um, a lot different. Actually in high school since we ran a 4-3, it was more of a blow and go, get in the gap and penetrate [defense]. Three-four is a little bit different where I’ve got to be on my man which makes it a little bit more difficult but a lot more fun.

Can you get a good read on this team yet? Obviously you’ve played the No. 1 team in the country and then you played a team that’s at the top five of the football championship subdivision. Do you guys know where you’re at? Can we get a good read on you yet?

Jenkins: I think our team has grown. We’re definitely making an improvement. I feel like we’re a pretty strong team right now.

Among all the young lineman. Are you guys all close off the field?

Jenkins: Yeah absolutely. Me and Conrath are actually roommates and Zane [Parr] lives two doors down from us so we’re always all together.

What are your early impressions of Connecticut?

Jenkins: They’re good. They’re a real good team. Their line is very experienced all the way across the board; they’re big, they’re solid. Like I said they’ve got a lot of game experience.

How far have you come in just the two weeks after having been on the field after having sat out your redshirt?

Jenkins: Pretty far. I mean, I still have a ways to go. But I definitely feel that as each game goes by, I’m getting a little bit better and better. But like I said, I still have a ways to go and I’m learning from Nate [Collins].

The Sabre’s “Quick Take” features are a shorter version of the site’s “Question and Answer” articles available through the Sabre EDGE subscription service. Join life on the EDGE today to catch up with recruits, players, and coaches in Q&A sessions.