Gators DB Commit Ja'Keem Jackson Recaps Official Visit, Recruiting Efforts

Ja'Keem Jackson's visit reaffirmed his pledge to the Gators and presented him with the opportunity to convince his high school teammate to join him in Gainesville.

The Florida Gators hosted an assortment of official visitors just one week before they travel to Las Vegas to take on Oregon State in their 2022 bowl game. The pool of attendees included top uncommitted recruits, potential flip prospects and members of the 2023 commitment class.

Committed defensive back Ja'Keem Jackson was just one of the notable names in attendance.

Since his pledge on July 28, he has continued to hear from a bevy of schools with each vying to pry him away from the Gators. He listened to what they had to sell him, but never wavered from his UF commitment.

The trek to Gainesville from Kissimmee, Fla., allowed him and his family one last chance to gauge the atmosphere at Florida to ensure the fit was still the right one as he believed it to be when he committed. He left with his initial thoughts about the program reaffirmed.

"I feel comfortable where I’m at," he said. "I feel like [Florida] is a good spot for me and my parents."

A major factor in that feeling of comfort comes from the presence of cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond at the University of Florida. Since his arrival, Raymond has brought consistent attention to the program from defensive backs due to his illustrious history of recruiting and production while at LSU.

Showing his worth as one of college football's elite assistants, Jackson is confident that he'll maximize his skillset to excel collegiately and eventually in the pros.

"It’s a blessing. He’s got a good resume, producing a lot of corners and I feel like he can make me one of the corners he produces too," Jackson said. "You know, he got good techniques and all that, that he teaches his players. I feel like I’m the right fit for him."

Not only does Raymond present an impressive resume of development to suggest that Jackson can achieve his ultimate goal of reaching the NFL, but he also possesses a strong relationship with Jackson and his family. That connection goes a long way in the talented cover corner's eyes.

"Oh, we’ve grown a lot," Jackson said when asked how the two have connected since their initial contact. "He makes sure I’m straight. He checks up on me like every day. We talk like every day so, like, we got a strong relationship. 

"Not only just me, but, you know, my parents, especially my dad. He got a strong relationship with my dad. They talk all the time."

Come early Signing Day on Dec. 21. Jackson plans to put pen to paper to officially become a member of the Florida Gators roster in 2023. That day, likely in the same signing ceremony, John Walker — his Osceola teammate and a priority defensive tackle target for position coach Sean Spencer — will announce his final collegiate decision to the world.

He will choose to either remain committed to his hometown team of UCF or flip to Florida at midnight of his recruitment.

Jackson, of course, hopes that Walker decides to suit up alongside him at the next level. He's recruited him heavily since each pledged to their respective schools over the summer. His concerted sales pitch to stay teammate moving forward continued throughout the duo's official visit weekend to Gainesville Dec. 9-11.

"My dog John Walker. He’s a fun teammate to play with. I’ve tried hard to get him. I be on him every day about coming to Florida. I hope he comes."

Jackson said he doesn't plan on taking any more visits before early signing day currently, a good sign for the Gators to maintain his commitment in the final days.

He will early enroll in college for the 2023 spring term.

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