Michigan Connections Help Sway Enzo Jennings to Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State defensive back and Class of 2020 signee Enzo Jennings had multiple connections that ultimately led him to the Nittany Lions.
There’s an old adage in recruiting that says it’s the players, not the coaches, who are oftentimes the best recruiters. It doesn’t work that way all the time, but any fan who follows Penn State, or any school for that matter, has seen this scenario play out many times over the years.
For safety Enzo Jennings, there were plenty of reasons to pick Penn State, but Oak Park assistant coach William McMichael said the Nittany Lions received a major boast in their bid to sign the four-star recruit when he began spending more time with linebacker Lance Dixon during visits.
“I think having the kid from West Bloomfield up there, Lance Dixon, really helped show Enzo what Penn State is all about,” McMichael said. “They played against each other in little league, so they always knew each other.
“Detroit is big, but our [football] community is close. We’re all pulling for each other to make it, so Enzo and Lance got to know each other even more when they were both going through the [recruiting] process. Once Lance got up there and he started [spending time with] Enzo during visits, that helped him feel comfortable with the place.”
Jennings’ relationship with Penn State safeties coach Tim Banks also had a big impact on his eventual decision. Like Jennings, Banks grew up in Detroit, attending Martin Luther King High, another of the city’s football powerhouses. Once he finished his playing career at Central Michigan, Banks got into coaching.
Since then, he’s regularly recruited his hometown. During his first year on the staff, he helped bring in both cornerback Donovan Johnson and wide receiver K.J. Hamler, the latter having grown up in Orchard Lake before electing to attend IMG Academy in Florida as a senior. Dixon and Jennings then followed in the past two recruiting classes, and now three more Detroit natives, defensive backs Jaylen Reed and Kalen King, as well as linebacker Kobe King, all committed to the Nittany Lions last week.
“Tim Banks has been around for years at our school,” McMichael said. “He started coming around when he was still at Cincinnati, so we’ve always had a real good relationship with Coach Banks, and I think that helped Enzo become comfortable with him. When he started going up there more and more and got to spend more time with Coach Banks and Coach [James] Franklin and everyone there, everything just clicked for him. It felt like home.”
It’s easy to understand why Jennings was so coveted by Banks. As a freshman, he totaled 40 tackles and broke up 12 passes. Schools all over the country began tracking him. He even had a few Mid-American Conference programs extend offers in October of his freshman season.
By the time schools were able to review his sophomore season film, Jennings held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State, among many others.
“He came right out of little league and contributed right away,” McMichael said. “He was always a pretty good leader. He’s not real vocal about it or anything, but his actions and his play have always been excellent. His work ethic and how he carried himself, even early on when he arrived, always stood out. He always worked hard in the classroom, too. That was never a problem with him.”
Penn State offered Jennings in May 2018. By then, he had already taken one unofficial visit with the staff and would return two months later in July for the annual Lasch Bash barbecue. That visit played a major role in Penn State earning his commitment, as did his official visit in June 2019. Jennings announced his commitment just a week after his official visit.
He said following his announcement that he chose Penn State “because it’s a great degree, great strength and conditioning program, family atmosphere, [and] I will have a chance to come in and play.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jennings finished his high school career as a four-year starter at one of Detroit’s most consistent programs. Oak Park went 34-11 during that span, and Jennings was a three-time team captain. During his final two seasons, he totaled 109 tackles and four interceptions. He finished his high school career with seven interceptions.
“He’s a corner who hits like a linebacker,” McMichael said. “He just loves to get after it and get physical. We needed him more at corner, but he’s going to be a real good safety. He tackles well. You don’t see that from everyone nowadays, but he tackles well. Honestly, [quarterbacks] rarely threw to his side much, so he could have had so many more tackles and interceptions. Once he arrived on the scene as a junior and then as a senior, guys never really went after him that much. When they did, he made them pay.”
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