Shortly following the conclusion of the 2017 National Football League Draft on Saturday, former Jacksonville State quarterback Eli Jenkins announced he had signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent.
Jenkins, a 6-foot-2 quarterback from Birmingham, joins the newly-branded Golden State squad as the fourth signal caller on roster. He is set to be reunited with former Gamecock linebacker Chris Landrum who is entering his second professional season. Landrum was signed by the Chargers in May 2016.
Jenkins earned All-America honors in three seasons as JSU's quarterback, including First Team honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He never saw his team lose a regular season game to a non-FBS opponent and was 25-0 in his career as the starting quarterback in OVC games. He guided JSU to three-straight league championships and an unprecedented three-straight perfect seasons in conference play.
His senior season in 2016 saw Jenkins become the first player since Tony Romo in 2002 to claim back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Awards. He also became the OVC's first three-time first-team all-conference quarterback since Romo did it from 2000-02.
Jenkins exited as the program's career leader in total offense with 11,448 yards, the second-most in OVC history. His 3,796 career rushing yards are second in school history and the seventh-most by a quarterback in FCS history.
In 2016, he was second in the OVC with 984 rushing yards, while also ranking second in total offense with over 257 yards per game. He was deemed the 2015 OVC Male Athlete of the Year, making him the first player in JSU history to win the award. The Gamecocks advance to the NCAA Division I Championship Game that season, becoming the first OVC team to play for the national title since 1982.
Jenkins, a 6-foot-2 quarterback from Birmingham, joins the newly-branded Golden State squad as the fourth signal caller on roster. He is set to be reunited with former Gamecock linebacker Chris Landrum who is entering his second professional season. Landrum was signed by the Chargers in May 2016.
Jenkins earned All-America honors in three seasons as JSU's quarterback, including First Team honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He never saw his team lose a regular season game to a non-FBS opponent and was 25-0 in his career as the starting quarterback in OVC games. He guided JSU to three-straight league championships and an unprecedented three-straight perfect seasons in conference play.
His senior season in 2016 saw Jenkins become the first player since Tony Romo in 2002 to claim back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Awards. He also became the OVC's first three-time first-team all-conference quarterback since Romo did it from 2000-02.
Jenkins exited as the program's career leader in total offense with 11,448 yards, the second-most in OVC history. His 3,796 career rushing yards are second in school history and the seventh-most by a quarterback in FCS history.
In 2016, he was second in the OVC with 984 rushing yards, while also ranking second in total offense with over 257 yards per game. He was deemed the 2015 OVC Male Athlete of the Year, making him the first player in JSU history to win the award. The Gamecocks advance to the NCAA Division I Championship Game that season, becoming the first OVC team to play for the national title since 1982.
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