Tennessee Football: The most important players of 2017: #3 Jauan Jennings

Jauan Jennings arrived in Knoxville and was initially thought to be a quarterback. He actually took some reps in the 2015 spring game under center. Jennings delivered the surprise of camp that year when he changed positions and immediately emerged as a playmaker at receiver.

Jennings ended up starting as a true freshman and never looked back. No matter what he does this season or next, he’s already a Tennessee legend. Jennings will forever be enshrined in history for his incredible catch to beat Georgia.

Jauan has an NFL future and 2017 will be the first year that he will truly be a featured No. 1 receiver. How he handles that attention will be interesting to see, but if his first two seasons are any indication, we are in for a fun watch this season.

Here’s where our staff ranked him and what they had to say about Jauan Jennings.

Terry Lambert: #3

If the Tennessee passing attack is any good, Jauan Jennings will be a big reason why. His size, strength and toughness is a big asset to the offense. With Josh Malone now in the NFL, Jennings should see a significant increase in targets. He’s on the NFL’s radar and a good 2017 season could see him leaving Knoxville a season early.

Conner Knapp: #4

After a 2016 season in which he made two of the biggest plays in recent memory for Tennessee, Jauan Jennings enters this year as the definitive number one option for Tennessee’s new quarterback. Jennings will need to be a reliable target for either Jarrett Guarantano or Quinten Dormady and be a sort of security blanket for the winner of the quarterback competition. Jennings really broke onto the scene in 2016 and looks to only improve this season.

Evan Winter: #5

Now that Jauan Jennings is the Vols number one receiver, can he fully embrace the role and take the next step? Tennessee needs him to do so in order to avoid becoming a one-dimensional offense. But here's the kicker: Jennings is just as important off the field and in the locker room as he is on the field - and that is why he is in the top three.