American Conference fall-camp notebook: Tulane’s Jamauri McClure and North Texas’ Caden Jenkins among key injury concerns

Fall camp has begun across the Football Bowl Subdivision, and for American Conference teams the first week typically serves as both a momentum builder and a stress test. In an AAC notebook from Yahoo Sports, Tulane and North Texas are highlighted for dealing with injuries to players expected to matter this season, including Tulane running back Jamauri McClure and North Texas cornerback Caden Jenkins.

The report characterizes both injuries as among the key concerns in each team’s camp, framing them as part of a harsh early reality that arrives at the same time every year: roster depth and health can quickly shape day-to-day practice and, eventually, the early depth chart. For coaches and coordinators, the immediate challenge is not just replacing a player, but adjusting roles and coverage or run-game responsibilities on the fly while still building timing and assignments.

For Tulane, McClure’s position in the backfield places extra weight on his availability. A starting-caliber running back generally drives both early-down efficiency and the broader run-pass identity of a team, which means missing reps in the first stages of camp can slow the development of reads, protection timing, and the rhythm between the rushing attack and the play-action package.

North Texas faces a different but similarly significant problem with the injury to Jenkins, a cornerback. In fall camp, cornerbacks are central to communication and coverage continuity, especially as defensive staffs refine schemes and distribute responsibilities for man coverage variations, zone adjustments, and coverage checks. When a primary outside defender is limited, it can widen the gap between scout-team reps and the on-field repetitions required for live-game readiness.

The notebook context is notable because it places both injuries within the same competitive setting, the American Conference’s tighter churn of year-to-year roster turnover and scheme refinement. The AAC, like other leagues, rewards teams that can absorb early absences and still move forward with consistent play-calling, even if depth-chart changes become necessary.

The injuries in question were reported as concerns during fall camp, but the Yahoo Sports report does not provide additional detail in the material available here, such as specific time frames, medical diagnoses, or confirmed status for opening games. That means the most practical takeaway is the teams’ near-term need to evaluate backups and how quickly their second options can execute assignments.

What to watch next for Tulane and North Texas is clarity on availability as camp progresses, especially if either McClure or Jenkins returns to full practice or remains limited into later sessions. Depth-chart stabilization is the key storyline in the closing weeks of camp, because it often determines how confidently coaches can commit to their preferred run and defensive coverage patterns early in the regular season.