Almost one year ago, Ali Jennings was one of the stars of the show at S.B. Ballard Stadium for Old Dominion’s opening matchup against the in-state flagship Virginia Tech Hokies to kick off the 2022 season. While the Monarchs were the team hosting, the Hokies had the majority of the pre-game storylines and were clear favorites.
At the time, Virginia Tech was anxious to begin the Brent Pry era and the Hokies had hopes of returning to their former glory with a new head man at the helm of the program. The excitement level surrounding Tech’s football program was certainly taken down a notch or two with Monarch fans storming the field following Old Dominion’s 20-17 victory over the Hokies.
The then fourth year receiver played a huge role in that upset victory, catching five passes and racking up a game-high 122 receiving yards. Jennings climbed even higher up the ladder in week two, amassing 200 yards and all three of the Monarch’s three touchdowns in ODU’s 39-21 week two loss to East Carolina. Jennings went on to put together an incredible 2022 campaign, producing 959 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and putting together five games of 100 yards or more while missing a couple games at the end of the season due to injury.
Fast forward to the offseason and Jennings needed a change of scenery after the Monarchs' 3-9 season. The senior had one year of eligibility left and plenty options to choose from in the transfer portal. Pry and the Hokies had suffered the same fate of a three-win season in 2022, proving it was clear Tech needed a talent upgrade at many position groups.
