KNOXVILLE - Jauan Jennings is listed as a quarterback in Tennessee's media guide, which was printed weeks before the Volunteers kicked off preseason practice.
It's scary for Tennessee to think where it would be if the freshman were still at that position.
The move to wide receiver already has paid off for Jennings, as he has excelled there beyond any reasonable expectation anyone in the program could have had for him.
"I was a little bit unsure going out at first, but just having Johnathon Johnson and all those guys have motivated me," Jennings said this past week. "I'm making sure I'm keeping my head straight and keep it down and pushing. It was easy, because those guys are great.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/25/15. The University of Tennessee's Jauan Jennings (15) looks for an open teammate during the Dish Orange & White Game in Knoxville on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Final score was Orange 54, White 44."Honestly, you get somebody off the street and put in a room like that, with those kinds of guys, they could do it, too."
Not every player could make the transition as easily as Jennings has, though, and it's an excellent development for the Vols that he's been a revelation this preseason.
Receiver was a need position for Tennessee's 2016 recruiting efforts, but the Vols now can use a spot at another position.
More immediately, Jennings will be one of six healthy receivers available for Tennessee in its season opener against Bowling Green after the one-game suspension for Pig Howard, injuries to junior Jason Croom and freshman Vincent Perry and the uncertainty with Preston Williams, the freshman who was not declared eligible until Thursday.
Of those six, Marquez North and Josh Smith have had minor injuries this preseason.
"I thought I could play (at quarterback) this year," Jennings said. "Josh Dobbs, he's earned the position. I didn't want to sit down on the sideline. I wanted to seriously explore my talents and see what I could do. Until I got here, I'd never played receiver before, but it's just something with my talents and skill set, it kind of is natural.
"With a coach like Coach Z (receivers coach Zach Azzanni) it was very easy get down there and start putting my technique to use."
Azzanni revealed this past week that Johnson and Josh Malone accumulated 47 miles of running in an 18-practice span this preseason, and that's been a big adjustment for Jennings, who drew laughs from the media when he joked about how different the practice tempo is at wideout as opposed to "being back there just clapping" at quarterback.
The freshman's ability, though, to avoid hitting any kind of physical or mental wall this month shed some light on his competitiveness and toughness that have helped him transition so smoothly. Perhaps even more telling: Jennings probably will be on Tennessee's kickoff coverage unit and may play a role beyond that for special teams.
"Sometimes you get certain players that they can run all day. And Jauan can run all day," Azzanni said.
"He's just one of those guys. He's really competitive. He won't take a play off, because he doesn't like the way it looks on film. He's that guy. That's why he's a welcome addition to the room.
"Now does he get slower and all that? Yeah, sure he does, but he feels like he's going fast at about play 20 in a row. He hasn't hit a wall. He's been getting better every day. We talk about the power of the position around here, and our position group has really, really helped him and taken him under their wing.
"A guy like Jason Croom hasn't been able to practice. He's taken a role, 'I want to help this team, I want to add value, so I'm going to help Jauan Jennings become a really good player while I get healthy.' It's neat to have those kind of guys."
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Jennings, who's worked mostly in the slot this preseason, is far from a polished product, but he's made enough plays in one-on-one periods and team situations that he will have an impact on Tennessee's offense right away.
"He's starting to emerge," head coach Butch Jones said, "as one of our playmakers on offense.
"(He's) playing with a high energy level, playing with a lot of confidence. He's got that look in his eye. You can see his technique getting better. We all know he has a great vertical (jump), he has a very good adjustment to the ball in the air, he has very good initial quickness and he's been a great addition to that room. He's pushing everyone else.
"It has exceeded our expectations."
Jennings said the hardest part of his transition has been learning how to run routes properly.
"Other than that," he said, "it was just easy."
For that, the Vols are thankful.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com