Editor's Note: Each week Mel Kiper Jr. will highlight one of the intriguing "sleeper" prospects available for the 2001 NFL Draft.
LIGARIUS JENNINGS -- CB -- TENNESSEE ST.
Whenever you hear any mention of the top cornerbacks available, the names you most often hear include Syracuse's Will Allen, Baylor's Gary Baxter, Mississippi State's Fred Smoot, Utah's Andre Dyson, Arizona State's Nijrell Eason, Ole Miss's Ken Lucas and Kentucky's Eric Kelly.
But the small-college ranks also figure to produce a few early-to-mid-round possibilities, with Ligarius Jennings at or near the top of the list.
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A key in Jennings' development had to be the quality practice time he received while working against a talent like former Tigers WR Avion Black. ” |
He's been a three-year starter for the Tigers, redshirting in 1996. The following season, as a redshirt freshman, Jennings contributed heavily as a reserve, coming away with two interceptions. In 1998 he led the Tigers with 11 pass breakups, then improved on that total last season when he deflected away 14 aerials from opposing quarterbacks.
So far this season, the confident, aggressive 5-foot-9½, 195-pounder has already broken up 12 passes and come away with two interceptions through the first five games against Alabama State, N.C. A&T, Jackson State, Florida A&M and Eastern Illinois. He's also the Tigers' second-leading tackler with 33 stops, 22 of which were solos.
When the opposition has made the mistake of testing Jennings, he's made them pay.
While he lacks ideal size to match up against big wide-outs in the NFL, he closes with a burst reminiscent of Tampa Bay's Donnie Abraham and is tremendously competitive. The Tigers mix up their coverage schemes, so Jennings has the necessary experience working in one-on-one situations as well as in zone coverage.
A key in his development had to be the quality practice time he received while working against a talent like former Tigers WR Avion Black. So while he's operating against Division I-AA wide-outs in the Ohio Valley Conference, those battles in practice with a player of Black's ability will prove to be invaluable in his development into a confident, hard-nosed cover man.
In April at the NFL draft, Jennings figures to land in the same general area of his two former teammates, the aforementioned Black (Buffalo Bills) and OT Michael Thompson (Atlanta Falcons). Both players went in the fourth round. If things fall right and Jennings performs well at the postseason all-star games and combine/individual workouts, you could even see him go a little earlier in the draft.
