Scouting Report and Highlights: Gators DL Commit Kendall Jackson
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The Gators remain red hot on the recruiting trail this summer, having pulled in 12 of their 19 class of 2024 commitments since the beginning of June.
The latest, pledging to UF on Wednesday, was local Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz defender Kendall Jackson.
Jackson is a do-it-all defensive lineman that has lined up all over the Bobcats' front. While Florida is recruiting him as an edge rusher, Jackson has displayed great position versatility and could see his role transform after extended time on campus.
All Gators analyzed Jackson’s film to provide a more in-depth look at the skill set he brings from just down the road.
Scouting report: Gators DL commit Kendall Jackson
The majority of Jackson’s reps at the prep level come from the edge position. He shows solid flashes of first-step quickness, hand usage and bend to get around the corner on opposing tackles.
The typical 6-foot-4, 250-pound prep defender would have their hand in the dirt most if not all of the time. However, Jackson's athleticism for a lineman of his stature currently allows him to move across the entire line of scrimmage in multiple fronts and wreak havoc from multiple positions, including as a standing edge.
However, upon the film review, he appears most effective as a hand-in-the-dirt lineman with the ability to play between the three and five techniques. He could reasonably align as a strong-side end with the flexibility to play defensive tackle on pass-rushing downs so long as he adds weight to his frame in college.
When playing along the interior, Jackson does a good job of using his reach and keeping his pad level low to create leverage and drive opposing offensive linemen into the backfield. He also does a great job of getting skinny to avoid blockers and split double teams, quickly working his way into the backfield on a regular basis.
While his hand technique can certainly use some work, as is the case for just about all prep-level defensive linemen, he is adept at disengaging and shedding blockers to peek into the backfield, diagnose, then make the play near the line of scrimmage in a consistent manner.
Jackson's play recognition and football IQ are impressive as well. He has an innate ability to quickly read what the offense is doing and put himself in a position to make a play, as is evident by his two interceptions as a junior, one of which he returned for a score.
However, Jackson’s best attribute isn’t something that can be quantified or measured. It's his motor.
Jackson is relentless to the football on every single play. Whether he thinks he can get to the ball carrier from the snap or not, his feet never stop moving. This can be seen on numerous occasions throughout his tape where he is able to chase down ball carriers and quarterbacks moving the opposite way to clean up the play.
Due to these attributes, Jackson was able to rack up 65 total tackles with 22 for loss, 12.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior in one of the highest classifications in Florida.
Observe Jackson's junior season highlights below.
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