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Lance Jackson Proved the Moment Isn’t Too Big in Red River Rivalry

by: Evan Vieth10/13/25
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Lance Jackson (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Players from both sides of the Red River Rivalry rarely lack energy or determination on a stage like the Cotton Bowl. Usually, the captains and leaders of both squads have given the rest of the team that jolt of ferocity it needs to play up to standard.

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But last Saturday, one surprising player seemed to be the most energetic on the field, both before and during the game: true freshman Lance Jackson.

“Energy, young player ready to go out there and ball out,” fellow edge rusher Colin Simmons said to describe Jackson.

Jackson is someone who stands out on the field. Donning the odd No. 40 and standing at 6’5”, the East Texas standout is an intimidating presence despite his youth. The Oklahoma Sooners found that out immediately when he found himself deep in the pregame scuffle.

But Jackson was far from just a pregame warrior. The true freshman went on the field for 11 snaps and made a high impact in almost every single one. Jackson recorded a stop in the run game, two QB hits, four pressures, and a sack. The last play John Mateer will remember from this game will feature Jackson and Brad Spence hounding him down in the backfield for a fourth-down, game-ending sack.

Jackson entered the season with notability thanks to his five-star rating, but not everyone expected this level of production as soon as the Red River Rivalry.

“He’s growing from where we can become more accountable for what he can do,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian now knows he can trust Jackson more in all phases. He’s a disruptive pass rusher, a stout defender in the run, and has proven that inexperience isn’t something that plagues him in these games.

That may have been the case if he hadn’t bounced back after Florida, where he likely saw too many early snaps against a physical running team. But the performance against Oklahoma proved that was nothing more than a raucous environment paired with a poor game script for what allows him to be successful.

“The leaders were always preaching this whole week, just watch us, follow us. It’s an interesting game. It’s a unique game that you’ll never experience ever again, no matter what level you’re on,” Safety Michael Taaffe said. “But I think just big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games, that type of thought to that. You know, I think Graceson (Littleton) shows up and he just does it in practice, so you know that he’s going to do it in the game. And Lance’s study continues to get better.”

He’s received countless amounts of praise from coaches and leaders alike, and his role is only going to increase as the attrition of a college football season continues.

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