Since high school, Mario Jenkins has written down his goals.

When he first arrived at Idaho State in 2013, Jenkins' goal was to top the depth chart at running back.

He never had a chance.

In his fifth year with the Bengals, Jenkins has weathered more personal and program ups and downs than most. His goals have varied, from personal stats to big-picture. He plays his final game at Holt Arena on Saturday, nearly marking the end of a once-in-a-generation career.

He can check off the biggest goal of all.

“It'd be nice to change the legacy around here, leave a legacy behind,” Jenkins said. “That's what I want.”

***

Jenkins, his mom and two brothers needed a change.

The four-person family, with no father and little money, uprooted and moved 2,600 miles across the country. The transition from Tampa, Florida, to Nampa, Idaho, was jarring. Florida's big cities and Idaho's big cities operate on a different level.

“We didn't like it,” Jenkins said. “It was a culture shock.”

Jenkins described his family's situation in Tampa as paycheck-to-paycheck, housed in the projects, with limited opportunities to play organized sports.

“It wasn't a good environment,” Jenkins said. “My mom wanted to get us out of that so we weren't growing up around negativity.”

Jenkins spent most of his high school days at Columbia High in Nampa. He produced eye-popping stats as a bruising running back, earning first-team all-conference honors as a junior and senior after combining to rush for 3,002 yards and 20 touchdowns. His dream was to star at running back at the next level.

“I just love scoring touchdowns,” Jenkins said.

Within a few weeks of showing up at ISU, Jenkins' days as a running back were over. At 6-foot-1 and close to 200 pounds, the freshman was converted to linebacker – a position he had barely played. He redshirted the 2013 season and returned at 210 pounds after an offseason of heavy lifting.

“We knew at that point we were going to have to get him on the field,” ISU linebackers coach Roger Cooper said. “You're hoping to gain five pounds a year in weight, so he worked his butt off. He looked different. He had muscles everywhere.”

Jenkins made his Idaho State debut Aug. 28, 2014 against Utah in Salt Lake City. Senior linebacker PJ Gremaud was suspended the night before the game, thrusting Jenkins into the starting lineup.

Jenkins led the team with eight tackles that night. The next week at Utah State, Jenkins made 16 tackles and nabbed an interception. Jenkins' confidence soared.

“We couldn't get him off the field after that,” Cooper said.

Jenkins continued his torrid pace, and the Bengals had their best season in over a decade, finishing with an 8-4 record to narrowly miss a berth in the FCS playoffs. Jenkins was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the top FCS freshman. He racked up a team-high 120 tackles to earn Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors and appeared to be on his way, with ISU, to sustained success.

But before his sophomore season began, it was derailed. So were the Bengals' hopes of rising to the top of the conference standings. Jenkins blew out his knee during practice less than three weeks before ISU was set to open the season. Two days earlier, veteran safety Taison Manu suffered a season-ending foot injury. The Bengals were down two defensive players they couldn't afford to lose.

“There's a few guys when, in the summer, you're looking at your roster, in the back of your mind you say, 'Well, this would be really tough if we lost this guy,' and we lost two of them,” Cooper said. “So it was a bummer. You can't replace a guy like (Jenkins) at this level. You can't replace a guy like that at the next level, either. The guy behind him just isn't the same.”

Idaho State's defense was one of the worst in the FCS that season. The team labored through blowout losses week after week, ending a season once filled with promise with a 2-9 record.

Jenkins sat on the sidelines through it all, wondering what could have been. Would he be replaced? Would he be the forgotten freshman star that slid into an abyss of mediocrity?

“It really beat me down for a good three weeks,” Jenkins said. “I was depressed. I wanted to play.”

***

Jenkins came back strong in 2016, and is proving himself as one of the premier defenders in the FCS in his swan song season. He was snubbed of a preseason all-conference nod and has left doubters in his wake, ranking near the top of the FCS in tackles all season.

On Oct. 18, Jenkins achieved another one of his goals: he was named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which recognizes the top defensive player in the FCS. ISU's 4-5 record this season includes a landmark win against FBS Nevada – the Bengals' first such victory in 17 years – and is a step in the right direction after successive 2-9 seasons and an offseason full of controversy and coaching turnover.

Through it all, Jenkins has been one of a few constants for the Bengals. He recovered from his knee injury and has played through a broken thumb and a Jones fracture in his foot. He's currently sporting a massive cast on his elbow to help heal yet another ailment.

With 300 career tackles and counting, Jenkins is approaching the top 12 all-time in Big Sky tackles. If he had played a full four seasons, Jenkins would likely be near the top five.

NFL scouts have been linked to Jenkins since fall camp. Once he graduates with his exercise science degree in December, Jenkins plans to turn his focus to training so he can achieve one of his biggest dreams.

“He should be given a chance,” Cooper said. “He's good enough.”

Jenkins is the unquestioned leader of the Bengals. He's been heralded by coaches around the conference for his athletic abilities, toughness and football IQ. After the Nevada win, Jenkins' emotions took over. His team had finally turned a corner.

“I just wanted to change the culture,” Jenkins said, “and I feel like we're doing it.”