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Arkansas-Pine Bluff fans are used to seeing all-conference running back Jaylen Jennings tear opposing defenses apart and leave them in the distance.
Now, they have another way to watch Jennings: social media.
Fresh off a stellar 936-yard, 11-touchdown junior season, Jennings has built a massive following on Instagram. He’s closing in quickly on 9,000 followers, and he’s had four videos surpass 30,000 likes in the last four months alone.
Those numbers are impressive for anyone, let alone the product of two college students’ brainstorming sessions.
“My guy Jack transferred over this spring semester,” Jennings told Legacy Library. “We just started saying, ‘Let’s record videos; you never know what could happen.’
“Here we are today.”
Jennings is everywhere, and he’s become a household name at the perfect time. Initially from Columbus, Ohio, Jennings began his college career at Bowling Green in 2022. He redshirted and transferred to East Mississippi Community College, best known for its role in Netflix’s “Last Chance U” and its history of sending players back to the Division I level.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Jennings immediately stood out upon arriving at EMCC, rushing for 1,552 yards and 17 touchdowns in two seasons. He earned first-team All-MACCC (Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference) North Division honors in 2024, landing him an opportunity at UAPB.
“I’m a relentless athlete,” Jennings said. “I’m the one you can count on in any situation. I have confidence in my ability to beat out my competition any day, and if I fail, I will keep trying until I win.”
Jennings and UAPB open the 2026 season against Morehouse College (Ga.) on Aug. 29 before a road trip to Missouri less than a week later. The Lions seek their first winning season since the shortened 2020 COVID season, when they went 4-1 and lost to Alabama A&M in the SWAC Championship Game.
And for as much fun as growing his social media brand is, make no mistake: Jennings’ goal is ensuring that he and the Lions dominate in 2026.
“I got the mentality that you gotta do what you don’t want to do in order to get to where you know you deserve to be,” Jennings said.
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