Keyone Jenkins’ audible shows unique maturity for FIU’s true freshman quarterback

Out of the darkness, comes the light.

FIU’s football program, which endured a two-year run of a combined 1-16 record from 2020 to 2021, seemingly has seen the light in Keyone Jenkins, who made a winning debut this past Saturday as the Panthers’ starting quarterback.

Jenkins, whose nickname is “Lights Out” or simply “Lights” for short, led the Panthers to a win over Maine by the score of 14-12, which doesn’t sound overly impressive.

But consider that Jenkins – in his first try – broke FIU’s all-time, single-game, true-freshman record for passing yards (292).

Jenkins, who also had two touchdown passes, wasn’t flawless on Saturday. He completed just 50 percent (15-for-30), and he was sacked three times and intercepted once.

But Jenkins is about more than just numbers, and that is best illustrated by his 62-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kris Mitchell with 1:37 left before halftime.

Prior to the TD, Jenkins and Mitchell had hooked up on several effective bubble screens. So, why mess with success, right? Indeed, FIU, led by coach Mike MacIntyre and offensive coordinator David Yost, called another screen to Mitchell.

But Jenkins had another idea.

In a highly audacious move by an 18-year-old freshman in his first college start and with FIU leading just 7-6, Jenkins called an audible. Mitchell faked the screen and got past the cornerback. Jenkins threw over the top of the defender and connected with Mitchell, who was quickly on his way to the end zone.

“I have a great relationship with Coach ‘Mac’ and Coach Yost,” Jenkins said. “Coach Yost always tells me, ‘If you write the check, you have to cash it.’

“I was one-thousand-and-ten percent sure I was going to cash that check.”

For his part, Mitchell said he “knew” it was a touchdown as soon as he saw the ball floating toward him.

“I was so happy for (Jenkins) to see me and trust me,” Mitchell said. “We make those plays in practice, and I knew we could do it in a game.”

According to long-time recruiting expert Larry Blustein, Jenkins is the highest-rated and most-hyped freshman quarterback ever to arrive on FIU’s campus.

“He had a real scholarship offer from Auburn,” Blustein said. “Nobody has ever turned down the SEC for FIU.”

Although he’s still a teenager, Jenkins has already been a quarterback for 13 years – since age five.

He was also a starting high-school varsity quarterback for five years, which is extremely rare. He was the QB for Mater in the eighth grade and for Carol City as a freshman before winning three straight state titles for Miami Central.

Now he has quickly jumped ahead of FIU veteran Grayson James, who has 11 college starts. James struggled in FIU’s season-opening 22-17 loss to Louisiana Tech, completing just 5-of-14 passes for a Panthers record-low four yards.

That performance led MacIntyre to switch to Jenkins, and Blustein said he doesn’t think the freshman “will relinquish that starting job.”

You likely wouldn’t get any argument from Mitchell, who had nine catches for 201 yards on Saturday. His reception yardage tied the all-time FIU record that he now shares with T.Y. Hilton and Tyrese Chambers.

Mitchell referenced Jenkins’ wild popularity in Miami.

“I watched (Jenkins) play at Central,” Mitchell said. “I always knew this was his city. I knew he was going to do what he does.

“Everybody here looks up to him. He’s a great quarterback. I talked to one of our freshmen receivers, and he told me that the only reason he came to FIU was because of ‘Lights.’ I know (Jenkins) has impact with a lot of people.”

Jenkins is so popular, in fact, that he said he had more than 300 text messages when he turned his phone on following Saturday’s game.

The Miami-Jenkins love affair is real.

“I was born and raised here,” Jenkins said. “A lot of people love me here. It’s my city. I give back to the community. I love the kids, and the kids love me.”

FIU safety D’Verik Daniel said Jenkins plays at full speed.

“The way he carries himself and has fun -- that’s what I like,” Daniel said. “He doesn’t hesitate.

“In practice, I try to play tricks on quarterbacks. But I’m looking at the film, and Keyone is making checks. A lot of young quarterbacks don’t do that – it really surprises me.”

Which leads us back to Jenkins’ audacious audible that led to the 62-yard TD to Mitchell.

“That audible for a true freshman is extremely unusual,” MacIntyre said. “But that’s why he’s ‘Lights Out’.”

Out of the darkness, comes the light.