Jacoby Jackson talks ASU offer
Truth be told that Arlington, Tex. offensive lineman Jacoby Jones has been mainly looking at Big 12 schools so far during his recruiting process. For a school such as Arizona State to be effective with its approach, the Sun Devils had to offer a unique attribute others could not provide the 2021 offensive lineman prospect.
“My dream is to play in the NFL,” Jackson said, “and they have a lot of NFL experience on their staff. Coach (Kevin) Mawae went into the Hall of Fame last year, and he’s the first Arizona State coach I was talking to a few months ago. Coach (Antonio) Pierce is the coach who offered me, and he’s a Super Bowl champion. You have Herm Edwards… it’s a great group of coaches to learn from because they come from the NFL and have a lot of years of experience. I can get a lot of useful pointers from them.
“They have been recruiting me for a while; I would say that they were recruiting me about three months ago before I was committed to TCU. After I committed, a lot of schools weren’t talking to me that much. But after I opened things up, a lot of them were calling me again, so I wasn’t really that surprised that Arizona State offered. I feel that if I went there, it would be a good fit for me.”
Jackson said that the ASU coaches were impressed with his skills at tackle and the fact that he’s also a track and field athlete is a factor that had aided him in developing his football skills.
“The (ASU) coaches like how I finish plays and how I block,” Jackson commented. “I’m a big lineman that can move well, and I play aggressive. I bench press 330 lbs. and squat 425. I want to work on playing with a lower pad level and playing faster. I play left tackle, and I also do the shot put and discus, but when I get to college, I’m just going to concentrate on football. Doing track and field, especially the shot put, does help me some with my football technique getting out of your stance. It also helped me be more explosive."
A unique, if not challenging, recruiting process for the 2021 prospects such as the Lone Star state lineman, could certainly hinder high school players. Yet, Jackson felt that looking back his June pledge to hometown school TCU was not the right decision, which is why he decommitted from the Horned Frogs in late August.
“Ever since I decommitted, the recruiting process has been good,” Jackson described, “because a lot of schools have been calling me. Texas Tech and SMU are some of the schools that are recruiting me the hardest now and I was able to visit them last year. Baylor and Texas are recruiting me hard too. I don’t have a list yet of which schools I will officially visit.
“I definitely have no problem playing away from home if I feel that the school is the best fit for me, and a school that will make me a better player and a better man. I researched Arizona State a little bit, and they have great facilities, and I heard that it’s a great student experience. I enjoy talking to coach Pierce, and I feel that he’s a very genuine person. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, which is always good.”
Jackson added that a virtual visit with the Sun Devils was in the works, as well as a phone conversation with head coach Herm Edwards. The offensive lineman said that he does plan to sign in December, but while he was originally planning also to graduate high school that month, he has now decided to do so in May.
“I’m looking for a school where I can get a good education,” Jackson said, “and earn my degree. I want to play for a team that is family-oriented, and that will respect me as a person outside of football. I want to go to a program where they will develop my skills so I can fulfill my dream to play in the NFL.”
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