Highlights and Evaluation: Ole Miss Football Commit Dink Jackson

Ole Miss football's newest commitment fo the 2021 recruiting class comes in the form of Dink Jackson, a versatile defender out of Florida. What does he bring to the table?

Friday evening marked the biggest afternoon of the offseason for Ole Miss football on the recruiting front. 

Within the span of 90 minutes, Ole Miss landed commitments from three-star defensive end JJ Hawkins and four-star safety/linebacker Dink Jackson. Jackson, a four-star recruit and SI All-American Candidate, is the top-rated defender in the current Ole Miss recruiting class of 2021. 

Jackson truly is the perfect hybrid defender. He's played just about every linebacker role as well as corner and safety. He projects as a strong safety that will move down in to the box and also cover tight ends and receivers out of the slot. While the Rebels have been loading up on defensive backs thus far in the 2021 class, that sort of hybrid role was lacking.

Below, you can find the full SI-All American Profile on the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Dink Jackson, followed by his highlight reel:

Frame:

Long and lean. Average shoulder and chest width. Slender, tightly-wound lower half. Ample room for additional mass and muscle, but overall size potential somewhat limited.

Athleticism:

Eye-popping burst and acceleration. Starts and stops with ease, firing in and out of cuts. Long-strider with impressive open-field speed, supported by 11.04 100-meter dash. Flexible and fluid. Relishes contact; plays with surprising power. Good ball skills as pass-catcher and defensive back.

Instincts:

Fiery disposition. Multiple-effort player. Hits far harder than frame suggests, especially with shoulders square. Natural bend and dip flattening to quarterback. Comfortable dropping into coverage, showing awareness of zone responsibilities.

Polish:

Innate pass-rusher with emerging, versatile toolbox, including devastating spin move. Clean footwork while backpedaling, breaking on ball in coverage. Plays multiple roles all over the field, ensuring he’ll require extra refinement at one position.

Bottom Line:

Jackson is a very gifted athlete with the physical traits and overall skill needed to play several different positions at the next level. NFL ceiling comes on defense, where he pops getting after the passer and closing toward ball from defensive backfield. Positional designation may ultimately depend on size, but Jackson boasts long-term makings of an impactful, disruptive and versatile hybrid defender.

Following Jackson's commitment, the Ole Miss class now sits at eight position players plus one kicker. The class now ranks No. 69 nationally according to Rivals. 

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