The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
STATISTICS Year Rec. Yards TD Rushes Yards TD 2018 63 1,254 13 38 207 3 2017 21 324 5 221 1,586 22 2016 47 842 13 5 24 0 HONORS • Named to MaxPreps' 2018 Califor- nia Large Schools All-State second team. • Was named the 2018 Co-Offensive Player of the Year by The Bay Valley Athletic League (BVAL); he was also picked for the All-League first team as a junior and senior. • San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro first-team pick as a senior after earn- ing second-team honors as a junior. • He was also an All-Bay Area News Group first-team pick as a senior wide- out and a second-team choice as a junior running back. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Sept. 10, 2018. • Was mainly recruited by former wide receivers coach Jim McElwain, but interim wide receivers coach Ben McDaniels (now the quarterbacks coach) took over once McElwain left for the head job at Central Michigan. U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh also was heavily involved. • Had a final four of Michigan, Or- egon, Oregon State and USC. Also had offers from Colorado and Florida, among others. GILES JACKSON WIDE RECEIVER 5-9 • 179 FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL ANTIOCH, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Rivals ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 233 37* 34 247Sports ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 233 30* 31 ESPN ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 26^ 40 * Ranked as a wide receiver; ^ ranked as an athlete 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANDREW HUSSEY Oakley (Calif.) Freedom High School head coach Andrew Cotter has coached a lot of players during his career. He has seen hundreds of players with various levels of speed. Some have the type of speed where they need a few steps to get going, while others have an explosive first step. Four-star wideout Giles Jackson is dif- ferent, according to the coach. "Giles has it both," he said. "He's got the top-end speed, and he's got that start-and-stop stuff. That to me opened my eyes as far as how special he is, and I think that opened a lot of peoples' eyes to that actual flat-out speed that he has." Jackson's speed is something that he has had for a long time. "I've always been fast since I was little," Jackson said. "When I got around eighth grade, ninth grade, I really started focusing on my speed. It showed in the game and I figured I'd be that type of player." However, the Freedom High School product isn't the typical speed guy just running away from contact. "A lot of guys are just speed guys and don't want to get physical, he isn't afraid to stick his nose in there," Cot- ter said. "I think that's what Michigan fans are going to see, someone that can use his speed to his advantage, but is not afraid to get that first down when he needs it." While he's coming to Ann Arbor as a wide receiver, that's not the only po- sition he played in high school. Jack- son was both a running back and wide receiver, while also playing on the de- fensive side of the ball. Cotter even said he has the ability to line up as a quarterback and run wildcat plays. The coach added that Jackson could have played six positions for his prep team and been the best player in the league at each position. Rivals.com national recruiting an- alyst Adam Gorney loves Jackson's ability to make plays wherever he lines up. "He's so versatile, that's the thing that really stands out," Gorney said. "He was playing a ton of running back and, as he developed, sort of becom- ing more of a wide receiver — but his dynamic ability to make plays is spe- cial. "His ability to make people miss is special, and he's going to be a guy who Michigan uses as they look for more dynamic playmakers. He is a guy who they can get the ball in his hands in a variety of ways and he can make a lot of different things happen." Gorney likes Jackson's fit in the of- fense, especially with the addition of new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and his 'speed in space' mantra. At The Opening Finals this past summer, Jackson recorded an electronically timed 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 40 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 Giles Jackson Brings Unique Speed To Michigan 2019 Projection Jackson can really do it all. He is fast, quick, agile and strong. He will play slot receiver for Michigan and should be able to excel there. He has also been told that he will be able to take jet sweeps and help in the return game. He is very quick and sudden in and out of his breaks, and once he has the ball in his hands he is electric. He has great hands and really does well as a receiver despite being on the shorter side. He brings a skill set to U-M's roster that doesn't currently exist, meaning he could find his way onto the field as a freshman.