LSU signee Kaleb Jackson rounding back into form
LSU signee Kaleb Jackson left high school as the No. 12 running back in the country on the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2023 class.
Jackson was primed for a big senior season after rushing for more than 1,500 yards and logging 23 touchdowns as a junior in 2021.
Just four carries into his senior season, the LSU signee suffered an ankle injury that ultimately ended his final year at Liberty Magnet before it began.
“They packed the box with everyone they had, I broke five or six tackles but I couldn’t go down,” Jackson told On3. “I wasn’t giving them the satisfaction, so I kept pushing and put weight on my left ankle and it hurt a little bit.
“I took off my shoe and I was shocked; my ankle was huge. I took off my ankle tape and I couldn’t walk on it. It was probably the size of a baseball … it was huge.”
Jackson suffered a fracture in his left ankle, and while he didn’t suit up again as a senior, the Baton Rouge native’s track-and-field showings over the past month show he’s healthy again as he inches closer to joining the LSU roster.
LSU RB signee makes waves on the track
Jackson, who joins fellow Louisiana native Trey Holly as the two running back additions to the roster, closed out his senior year of high school at 5-foot-10 and north of 215 pounds.
What he’s been able to do on the track this spring, at both his size and coming off injury, speaks to the type of running back the Tigers are getting in the four-star prospect.
In March, Jackson turned in a handful of sub-11 second finishes in the 100-yard dash, an impressive feat for any high school football prospect.
On Wednesday, Jackson logged his best time yet with a 10.68 at the Brady Perry Invitational. Jackson’s personal best came in 2021 with a wind-aided (1.3) time of 10.66. Jackson also recorded a new personal best in the 60-meter dash this spring with a time of 6.95.
With his combination of size and speed, On3 National Director of Scouting Charles Power remains high on what Jackson can bring to the roster at LSU.
“Kaleb Jackson running a sub-10.7, 100-meter dash at his size, weighing around 215 pounds, is extremely impressive,” Power said. “And particularly when you consider it’s early in the track season and he’s coming off an injury. When evaluating running back prospects, the speed score – which is essentially weight combined with straight line speed – tends to be a strong indicator for longterm success at the position.
“We didn’t get to see him as a senior, but the fact that he’s running these times this early in the track season is very encouraging as he gets closer to enrolling at LSU.”
On3’s Scouting Evaluation
Explosive outside and one-cut runner who rips off long runs with regularity. Has a prototypical running back frame with a muscular build at around 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. A strong track athlete who regularly runs sub 11.0 seconds in the 100 meters. That long speed shows up on the field in spades. Has excellent play speed and burst. Explodes past the line of scrimmage and regularly pulls away from defenders at the second level. At his best when he can use his speed to get to the edge or make one cut and get north-south. Though he does not play top competition, registers as one of the more productive and efficient runners in the 2023 cycle. Rushed for 2,034 yards and 29 touchdowns while averaging 14.7 yards per attempt as a junior. Also a good receiver out of the backfield with 4 receiving touchdowns in 2021. More of a straight-line runner. Has some hip stiffness and lacks fluidity with his lateral agility.
