The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
Cotter believes Jackson is going to satisfy a big need for the Wolverines. "He's that prototypical slot back that you're going to be able to use on fly sweeps and you're going to be able to use on any sort of short-distance pivot routes," Cotter said. "I think that position is a prime need for a lot of teams and he's going to fill that." Though it may seem hyperbolic, Cotter has a comparison for Jackson. "Watch the Super Bowl with [Patri- ots wide receiver Julian] Edelman and just what he brings to the table," the coach explained. "I think Giles does a lot of that kind of stuff. "He creates short-distance separa- tion, catches the ball while running and is able to break away from peo- ple. That's the special thing that Giles does." Like the 5-10, 198-pound Edelman, size is always going to be a question for the 5-9, 179-pound Jackson, but Gorney has noticed him physically filling out. "He was small; even into his junior year, I thought he was a little under- sized," Gorney recalled. "I didn't know if he was a Pac-12 level player, let alone the Big Ten. As he started to develop physically, he became some- one who definitely got on peoples' ra- dar. You see some guys in high school put up nice numbers, but they don't translate to college players — they're just too small. "He started getting much more muscular, much more physical bounc- ing off people, and then transitioning from running back to wide receiver was also something pretty special about him. He's a kid who's devel- oped very nicely and has kept that dynamic ability that he's been able to use to put up those big numbers." Even as Jackson got bigger, he didn't lose the speed that made him so spe- cial. "When I get the ball in space, I have the ability to score every time I touch it," Jackson said. Despite his size, many are confident in Jackson's ability to thrive at the next level, and for good reason — he is the type of player Michigan didn't have on its roster last season. "It's going to be special to watch him at Michigan and be able to watch him do the things he's been doing here for so long on that bigger stage," Cot- ter said. ❑ Xxxxx PHOTO Oakley (Calif.) Freedom High head coach Andrew Cotter "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." DID YOU KNOW? • At Nike's The Opening regional camp in San Francisco, he ran a 4.55 in the 40 and a 4.09 in the shuttle drill. He also posted a 35.7-inch vertical jump for a Nike+ Football Rating of 106.98, good for No. 6 overall at the event. His shuttle time tied for 25th nationally, while the performance earned him camp MVP honors and an invite to The Opening Finals. • At The Opening Finals at the Dallas Cowboys facilities last summer, he recorded a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash and 3.85 in the shuttle drill, and ultimately scored a 138.36 Nike+ Foot- ball Rating, which was good for the top offensive score at the event. All of this marked the beginning of a big uptick in his recruitment. • One of Jackson's playoff games this season was postponed for 29 days because of poor air quality from the wildfires in California. • Played in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame World Bowl Dec. 22 in Mexico City and the Polynesian Bowl Jan. 19 in O'ahu, Hawai'i. He had a 13-yard carry and three catches for four yards in the latter contest. THEY SAID IT • Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell, who named Jackson the Big Ten's most versatile 2019 signee: "Michigan fans will love Jackson and so will the coaches because he can do so many things to keep a defense off balance. It will be fun to see how Michigan utilizes him, and it's ironic that he comes from the same school as [NFL running back Joe] Mixon, who was one of the most versatile offensive players I'd seen out of high school in years." • Freedom head coach Andrew Cotter: "The kid's special. He does everything you want in an explosive type of athlete. We put him in all different types of situations as far as what we do offensively. We put him in the slot, he ran back kicks, he caught the ball out of the backfield, ran the ball, we ran fly sweeps with him — I mean he does everything. "He's explosive, the most explosive kid I've ever coached. He reminds me a lot of Barry Sanders' top-end speed, which you see in his 40- and 100-yard dash times. He's a special player, and he's tough." MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 41 Jackson is rated as the No. 37 wide receiver and No. 233 overall player nationally by Rivals.com. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN