A.J. Jenkins brought elite 2011 explosiveness to Illinois
In the 2011 season, A.J. Jenkins was Illinois’ go-to big-play receiver, catching 90 passes for 1,276 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he set a school single-game record with 268 receiving yards against Northwestern. He stood out for separation speed, vertical threat ability, and polished route-running enough to win against Big Ten coverage, which is why draft evaluators viewed him as a high-upside receiver despite concerns about his size and limited track record before that breakout year. If you want a polished field-stretcher with legit production and juice, he was a strong fit.
