Elijah Jackson Has Become Complete Player, Starter Entering New Season

The sophomore cornerback appears to have won a Husky starting job for the season opener.

Elijah Jackson came to Washington three years ago hailed as one of those in the next wave of defensive backs with the potential to move from the Huskies to the NFL.

Injuries limited his impact for two seasons, with Jackson playing 10 games combined and starting just twice.

Going into this summer, Jackson sat down with Husky cornerbacks coach Juice Brown and the two laid out a plan for him that would lead to a starting cornerback assignment opposite of junior Jabbar Muhammad, the transfer from Oklahoma State.

“He’s bigger, he’s added it all,” Brown said. “Him and I talked and set up a plan for the summer — and he hit every mark that we set.”

During the offseason, Jackson recorded a 40-inch vertical jump, which was down three inches from the previous season, but he added almost 10 pounds to his frame.

The extra mass has enabled Jackson to stay healthy throughout fall camp and inevitably help him beat out two other players for a starting spot this fall. 

After the second fall scrimmage, UW co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell confirmed Jackson has consistently proven himself capable of locking down opposing receivers for the coming season.

UW sophomore cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) hangs with the departed Sav'ell Smalls (17) before the Huskies' 2022 spring game.  :: Lars Hanson / UW Fan Nation

“He’s been great," Morrell said. "I go all the way back to spring and now through fall camp, there’s no doubt."

Although Jackson doesn’t have many starts under his belt heading into the season, he's a veteran at his position considering who he's played alongside, Brown said.

They include former UW cornerbacks Keith Taylor, Elijah Molden and Trent McDuffie among others who are now playing on Sundays.  The others not only assisted in his development, but they set an expectation for him to pass along his knowledge to the others round him.

Jackson has beat out sophomore returnee Davon Banks, another two-game Husky starter, and junior Thaddeus Dixon, a transfer from Long Beach City College, for that starting cornerback job entering the season opener against Boise State.

“I definitely feel like it’s time for me to give back to the program just how the older people — K.T., Elijah Molden, Trent — all gave back to me," Jackson said of a sign he's an established player now. "I feel like that’s my role.”

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