Meet the Freshman: Cornerback Jaren Sensabaugh

Seemingly out of nowhere, on December 19, 2023, #4 Jaren Sensabaugh made his commitment to head coach Eli Drinkwitz public. Choosing the Tigers over his hometown team, the Tennessee Volunteers, as well as Vanderbilt, Sensabaugh was part of a stacked recruiting class of defensive backs.

Joining 4-stars Cameron Keys and Trajen Greco, as well as versatile Austyn Dendy and Clemson transfer Toriano Pride Jr, these additions allow the Tigers’ secondary to return to full strength after last year’s departures.

Sensabaugh was a sensational high school athlete, playing basketball and running track and field at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Ten. Sensabaugh ran the 100m hurdles in high school and also had an official 4.61 40 meter dash. Combining his 32-inch vertical jump with his 40-yard dash makes his athleticism stand out.

Sensabaugh played at several high schools during his four years, starting at Dobyns-Bennett High School and ending at Ensworth High. He played both corner and receiver while in high school.

In June 2023, Sensabaugh is making rapid progress in his recruitment to the Vanderbilt Commadores. He received their first offer and, within days, made his commitment official. He remained engaged until November 12, collecting offers and getting visits between the two dates.

At this point, there was still no sign that Sensabaugh would become a tiger. In fact, it was the Tennessee Volunteers who led his recruitment at that time. The Tigers were the last team to receive an official visit from Sensabaugh on December 15. He signed up four days later.

Sensabaugh’s other offers included NC State, UCLA, SMU, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia Tech and others. He took official visits to UCLA, North Carolina State and Tennessee.

The Nashville native is rated as a composite 3-star in the Class of 2024, ranked No. 622 in the country. 247Sports was the only four-star rated site, ranked No. 242 in the country, No. 22 among all cornerbacks and No. 8 in the state of Tennessee.

Sensabaugh is yet another highly athletic defensive back inserted into the Tigers secondary. His speed is what makes him such a threat in the corner and his lack of strength is what keeps him from playing safety.

He has long arms and plays physical, but may need to tighten up his coverage. Sensabaugh is not as raw as he seems, however. 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds is a reasonable build for the position, especially in the height department. If he improves his coverage skills, a breakthrough is certainly possible.

Sensabaugh could have a legitimate chance to break into the rotation. His competitors appear to be Toriano Pride Jr, Dreyden Norwood, Marcus Clarke, Nicholas DeLoach and Ja’Marion Wayne. Pride and Norwood will most likely be the starters, but getting into the rotation won’t be impossible.

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