The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 6: BAYLOR CB CADEN JENKINS

The history: Jenkins was a three-star prospect out of Lewisville who was a multiple-time all-district selection as a prep player. He helped his 4x200-relay team win a bronze medal in the Class 6A state championship and eventually chose Baylor over offers from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas State and others. 

Jenkins hit the ground running in Waco, starting seven times in 12 games and earning Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from Dave Campbell’s and second-team freshman All-America by The Athletic. He finished the season with 37 tackles, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 72 yards for a touchdown in a comeback win over UCF.  

The skillset: Cover corners are worth their weight in green and gold and Jenkins proved to be one of the Big 12’s best as a true freshman. His 6-1 frame provides enough length to reroute receivers off the line of scrimmage. He’s strong in man and zone coverage because of that track speed. Coaches also raved about his football IQ, which is why he made such a supersized impact as a true freshman despite three-star status. 

The impact: There is a reason that defensive end and cornerback tend to be the highest-paid players on defenses. An elite cover corner allows freedom to defensive coordinators because the game is much simpler when it is 10 vs. 10. Jenkins can take away an opponent’s WR1 and free up the safeties to help in other areas. He’s a big-play defender with solid ball skills. Baylor needs to improve on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. Jenkins provides Dave Aranda with a cornerstone piece of the unit to build around.