Baylor Football’s Caden Jenkins Named Freshman All-American

WACO, Texas – Baylor football freshman cornerback Caden Jenkins has been named a Second-Team Freshman All-American, per The Athletic.

Jenkins burst onto the scene with 37 tackles in 2023 and added three interceptions, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He recorded a personal-best seven tackles in BU’s Week 4 contest against Texas and caught the nation’s attention a week later with his first-career INT and a 72-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown at UCF. For his Week 5 performance, Jenkins was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.

A product of Lewisville, Texas, Jenkins was Baylor’s second-highest graded defensive player this season with a 74.9 rating, per Pro Football Focus. He made seven starts and played in all 12 games for the Bears in 2023, making at least one tackle in all 12 outings and recording nine multi-tackle efforts. Jenkins also placed second on the team this year in limiting his opponents to a 58.1 reception percentage, according to PFF.

Jenkins was one of eight Big 12 freshmen honored by The Athletic this year, and one of just three on the defensive side. Jenkins also previously received votes for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, as determined by the league’s head coaches.

The Athletic’s Freshman All-America teams recognize both true and redshirt freshmen who made the biggest impact for their teams in 2023, prioritizing production and consistency.