Jenkins entering season with heightened expectations for himself, FIU

Keyone Jenkins is quick to sling a football.

He’s quick with a quip, too.

On Wednesday morning, following FIU’s first practice of the fall, Jenkins was asked about the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator, Nick Coleman.

“He’s a little bit country, but he’s a cool dude,” Jenkins began. “Fall camp – 30 days and 30 nights. I’m going to be with him all day like he’s my girl or something.”

While some in the media contingent were doubled over in laughter after hearing Jenkins say that, it’s important to note that FIU’s quarterback is more than just a jokester. The third-year junior has been a starter since the second game of his freshman season.

Beyond that, he has been named Conference USA’s 2025 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. That’s a huge honor, especially since it was voted on by the league’s coaches.

Jenkins was asked if he felt pressure to live up to preseason hype.

“Ain’t no pressure,” Jenkins said. “You only feel pressure when you don’t know what you’re doing — I’m quoting Peyton Manning.

“I appreciate C-USA for what they see in me. That’s motivation for me. My main goal is to get a C USA championship and be the Offensive Player of the Year, and not just in the preseason.”

Winning the Conference USA title would be a first for FIU. The Panthers have endured six straight losing seasons, going 9-36 in the league during that span.

Coach Mike MacIntyre was dismissed following last season. He was at FIU three years, and the Panthers went 4-8 each season.

Following last season, Jenkins placed his name in the transfer portal, but new coach Willie Simmons convinced him to stay … even though it apparently required a trip to a fancy restaurant.

“The first order of business after I got hired was keeping our quarterback,” Simmons said. “There was a pretty nice dinner that I had with [Jenkins] and his dad.

“I dug into my pockets with the steak his dad ordered, but it was well worth it.”

Added Jenkins when asked about the steakhouse: “It was somewhere on the beach. I can’t tell you the name. I probably can’t pronounce it but … great food, and I appreciate [Simmons].”

The feeling is mutual.

Simmons said he appreciates the improvements Jenkins has made from one year to the next:

Freshman season: 58.4 completion percentage; 3.3 touchdown rate; 3.2 interception rate; 7.3 yards per attempt.

Sophomore season: 61.8 completion percentage; 7.2 touchdown rate; 2.6 interception rate; 8.4 yards per attempt.

“All his metrics improved,” Simmons said. “His ceiling is even higher than he realizes.”

Jenkins said his immediate goal is to deepen his knowledge of the offensive system Coleman has been implementing.

“Spring was great,” Jenkins said. “But it wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be.”

That hunger to improve bodes well for FIU.

Jenkins is also continuing to grow as a leader. He’s an upperclassman now, and he said of his teammates: “Guys are falling in line. To be a great leader, you have to have followers.”

There’s still a long way to go before FIU’s season opener against visiting Bethune-Cookman on August 29.

But Simmons said he feels great about his quarterback.

“This offense will be built around [Jenkins’] skill set,” Simmons said. “Everyone knows the value of a good quarterback.

“Being able to retain [Jenkins] and build around him was critical for our success. My biggest recruiting win in all my years was being able to keep Keyone.”

And that’s no joke.