Jenkins had an outstanding prep career while playing for Hueneme High School in Oxnard, California, and he garnered much national attention during his senior season.

On November 9, 1995, he set the national record for most yards rushing in a single game[1] during a 52–34 victory over Rio Mesa High School.

Jenkins' total shattered the California state record of 507 yards, set by David Dotson of Valley View High School in 1991.

The national record stood until 2006, when Paul McCoy of Matewan High School rushed for 658 yards in a single game.

Jenkins was heavily recruited by many schools across the country, but chose to play at Brigham Young University because they had shown interest in him long before his record-breaking single-game performance.

[2] With help from Jenkins, BYU beat Kansas State University in the Cotton Bowl Classic and finished the year with a 14–1 record, becoming the first team in the history of Division I-A football to win 14 games in a season.

He was the Cougars' top offensive weapon that season, rushing for 1,307 yards (at the time, the second-highest total in school history).

In a 46–43 victory over San Jose State, Jenkins rushed for 250 yards (the second-highest total in BYU history) and scored 5 touchdowns, which tied a school record.

When the Raiders needed to clear space on their roster for the addition of veteran quarterback Rob Johnson, they decided to waive Jenkins.