Florida makes cut for On300 defensive lineman Kendall Jackson
After a flurry of spring visits, three-star defensive lineman Kendall Jackson is now down to six, with the Florida Gators included. Joining the Gators in Jackson’s top six are Ole Miss, Kentucky, Texas, Miami and Mississippi State.
On3 has Jackson ranked the highest, coming in as a four-star and On300 prospect. Jackson comes in as the No. 294 overall prospect according to On3, ranked as the No. 26 defensive lineman and No. 62 prospect in Florida.
Over the course of the last few months, Jackson has continued to climb in the rankings, across the board.
In March, Jackson told Gators Online that he plans to utilize his official visits over the summer, deciding on his final college choice during his senior season playing at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida. During his string of spring visits, Jackson stopped by each of his finalists before allowing them in his recent list.
Jackson talks recent Florida visit, position change
Although Jackson is ranked as a defensive lineman, his body is changing as college approaches. As his body changes, the Gators are getting ahead of the curve and have begun to recruit Jackson on the edge.
With the Gators’ need at the position, the Florida pursuit of Jackson is much more important.
Although he still talks to Sean Spencer here and there, Gators outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson is now spearheading the Gators’ pursuit of Jackson.
“And the way he coaches, I like,” Jackson said of Peterson. “He’s not really too big on messing with his players’ body type and weight wise and saying, ‘Oh so and so needs to be a certain weight.’ He lets your body flow out and be what it needs to be. And then of course, if you get too overweight or too below weight, he’s gonna say something.”
“I like the way how he coaches and lets your body be itself and let you grow ‘cause you’re still a kid really ‘til you turn like 20 so let your body mature and do that type of stuff.”
Throughout the recruiting process, Jackson has been tied to Florida due to proximity, but he is not focused on that in his recruitment.
“Florida’s a great school. Not even from the perspective that it’s in my backyard. If you see the things Florida does, they work,” Jackson told GO. “And I could care less if I was from freakin’ Washington, like Florida, they always work.”
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
