Know the Name: Five-star Donovan Jackson is a generational-type talent

Courtesy of Donovan Jackson

Share or Save for Later

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Save to Favorites

You don’t know it yet, but Donovan Jackson already has you beat.

You’re making pre-snap adjustments from your linebacker position, trying to mask your impending move, and don’t even realize you’re sitting at a chess board with Magnus Carlsen at left tackle.

Jackson notices your feet. They’re pointed at him instead of a straight-forward alignment, which tells him you’re anticipating a run. Time to make adjustments along the line.

The five-star from Bellaire Episcopal is also scanning your eyes. If they’re locked on him it means you’re trying to decipher whether he’s going to kick back and block you or not. You better hope he’s not coming after you.

He sees you too, free safety. Jackson’s made a mental backlog of your pre-snap positions and knows that if you’re playing over the top like you are now, that linebacker is likely blitzing. Time for an audible.

“The majority of my success on the field comes pre-snap,” he said. “I look at the defense and notice the small things; if a linebacker is looking at me instead of the person he’s going against, if the safety is over the top, if someone’s feet are pointed at a different angle. Then I can decide what I’m going to do from there.

“My goal isn’t just to get the down-lineman, it’s to get to the second level and even the safety so our running back has less people to worry about.”

It’s that knowledge of the game, blended with an NFL-ready frame, that makes Jackson one of the most coveted linemen recruits in recent memory, similar to former Episcopal five-star and current Stanford standout Walker Little, who is a projected first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

“This guy is an elite offensive lineman and should be mentioned with the top guys in the nation,” said Greg Powers, President of Next Level Athlete and the senior recruiting analyst for TexasFootball.com. “He may be the best in the nation. Jackson has true left tackle upside but could play anywhere on a college offensive line, making him versatile. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, at times completely dominating private school competition in Texas. It's rare to describe a high school offensive lineman as a 'can't miss' prospect, but Jackson is as close to that as you will find.”  

He’s a football savant who just so happens to be 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan.

The confidence with which he plays with now, though, hasn’t always been there. Believe it or not, the consensus five-star prospect struggled with self-confidence issues when he began down this football path.

“I remember in eighth grade, when I started taking this more serious, I got exposed to a lot of guys who were either more developed than me, taller than me, stronger than me,” Jackson said. “In my head I was like, ‘How can I compete with this?’ I struggled with that a lot.”

Todd Jackson described his son as a “gentle giant” in middle school.

“He was bigger than everyone else and he blocked just enough for the quarterback to get the ball off, or just long enough for the running back to get by and would consider his job done,” Todd Jackson said. “I’d have to get on him and ask him, 'Why are you being nice?' ‘Well I blocked my guy.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, finish that guy, knock him on his butt, go find another guy in the wrong colored jersey and ruin their day.' I think that’s when things started clicking.”

As mentioned, the nuances of the game were never an issue.

Todd Jackson remembers playing Madden with his son when Donovan was 6 or 7, and Donovan would break down defensive coverages on the screen, alerting his father what plays were coming based off formation.

“When I was a youth football coach he was calling plays based on what the defense was doing,” Todd Jackson said. “When he was in middle school he’d pull out his phone and while some kids are on social media, he was on YouTube or Hudl watching highlights of current players.

“He was also watching archived footage of great players in the past. I’d walk up to him in the kitchen and he’d be watching film of Anthony Munoz. I had no idea he knew who Anthony Munoz was.”

With his mental and physical game in check, Jackson began to dominate in unprecedented fashion. Just watch his film; it’s not fun for opposing defenses.

“My mindset is that I have to take out at least two people every play. If not, I’m not satisfied,” said Jackson, who earned OL MVP honors at The Opening Finals in July 2019. “There’s a switch that flips on. Outside the field, I represent not only my family but Ohio State and Episcopal High School. So I try and carry myself the best way possible. On the field it’s a different story. I’m looking to run through somebody, dominate the field and make sure everyone knows who Donovan Jackson is. The flip definitely switches on.”

College offers came in droves, but Jackson, who has family in Ohio, ultimately decided to commit to the Buckeyes in large part due to the relationships forged with head coach Ryan Day and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.

“The family history really didn’t play that much into my recruitment,” said Jackson, who also had offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin to name a few. “That’s just something that people latched on to. The relationship I have with Coach Stud and Coach Day was the best I had. Athletically and academically it was the best for me and the route I want to pursue.

“I wouldn’t say it was an easy choice because I had a lot of options and it weighed heavily. But I thought if I got it out of the way now, after my visit for the Penn State game I knew I wanted to be a Buckeye. I have zero regrets with that decision. I love the class we are building and the coaches that are there. I’m excited to get up there.”

Jackson said he has a weekly Zoom meeting with Coach Studrawa to go over different teaching points. His conversations with Coach Day are a comfortable mix between life and football.

“He knew when to talk about football and when to talk about life,” Jackson said of Day. “It wasn’t 24-7 ‘Oh look where we can take you. We had this many people drafted.’ If you are good and go to a great Power 5 program, you have the opportunity to get drafted. That’s how I feel. But he talked to me as a man, asked about my family; he asked about my grandmother, who I took on the Penn State visit (she’s from Cincinnati).”

His time in Columbus, Ohio will undoubtedly be filled with the highest of accolades.

Big Ten defenses, watch your toes.

 

This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.

Sign In
Don't Miss Any Exclusive Coverage!

We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for 64 years. By joining the DCTF family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you!