FSU's Brandon Jenkins has emerged as one of nation's top pass-rushing ends
Jenkins had two sacks against both Brigham Young and Wake Forest to give him a team-leading 4½ entering Saturday's ACC game at Virginia. His average of 1.13 per game is tied for 12th nationally and has helped FSU rack up a nation's best 19 sacks.
To put those statistics into perspective, just look at last season. Markus White, then a junior, and Kevin McNeil, then a senior, led the FSU defensive ends with two sacks apiece. FSU finished with 26 sacks, but it had to blitz to get them; linebacker and current Bucs rookie Dekoda Watson led the Seminoles with 6½ sacks. But as the Seminoles used to do, they're relying on their front to be a fantastic four, taking pressure off their young secondary.
"When you have a guy like that of his ability who can put pressure on the quarterback, then you don't need to do a whole lot in the back end," first-year Virginia coach Mike London said of Jenkins. "I'm sure the other three players that are with him also make him better because all four of them demand constant attention and awareness, but he's raised his game to a whole other level."
