Former San Antonio Reagan head football coach Lyndon Hamilton still has the email from Leah Jackson saved to his computer.

That email, which he received in the summer of 2023, notified Hamilton that a quarterback from Cypress Creek in the Houston area was relocating to San Antonio to be closer to family in the Hill Country. That quarterback was named Brad Jackson. 

“I didn’t know anything about the young man,” Hamilton admitted. “Once they told us he was transferring to our school, I watched some Hudl tape and did my due diligence.”  

Hamilton hadn’t struck gold as much as gold showed up at his doorstep. He already had a quarterback named Caleb Cappuccio, who was a great athlete and a starter as a sophomore. Jackson would need to win the job. He was entering his senior season and had already thrown for over 5,000 yards and nearly 50 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter at Cypress Creek. 

Jackson won the job and built instant chemistry with Cappuccio, who moved to slot receiver as a junior and then returned to quarterback as a senior once Jackson was gone. Jackson and Cappuccio, who now plays wide receiver at Air Force, could’ve become rivals. After all, they were competing for the same job and Jackson was the new kid at school. Instead, they became close friends and led Reagan to a district championship and undefeated regular season. 

“He exemplified maturity in every possible way,” said Hamilton of Jackson’s arrival at Reagan and how he won over a locker room in one year. “He carried himself like a grown man, very matter of fact and all about business. His personality started to shine as we got to know him a little bit, but from day one, he was all about the work and making sure everyone knew he was there to win the job and lead our program.”

Hamilton says Jackson raised the bar for quarterback play at Reagan and was the top signal-caller in the area since Kellen Mond, who ended up starring at Texas A&M. Jackson threw for 2,435 yards and 28 touchdowns to only three interceptions as a senior. He added 518 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 69 carries. Jackson ended his prep career with 9,986 passing yards and 120 total touchdowns. 

Despite the production and team success, Jackson slipped past most coaches on the recruiting trail. His 6-foot, 200-pound frame isn’t ideal and measurables, right or wrong, matter in recruiting. He held offers from Ivy League programs such as Penn and Harvard as well as FBS offers from Louisiana, Sam Houston, and Navy. 

But it was the offer from Texas State that won out. The offensive trust for the Bobcats at the time was comprised of two former quarterbacks who were also vertically challenged. Head coach G.J. Kinne was listed at 6-foot-1 at Tulsa. Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich is shorter than that. They weren’t worried about Jackson’s lack of height. They saw his promise. His athleticism. His arm talent. His maturity that Hamilton spoke of. 

Jackson committed in the summer of 2023 prior to his senior season and enrolled early at Texas State to participate in bowl preparation. He watched behind a 25-year-old Jordan McCloud last season, preserving his redshirt while playing in three games. Jackson, a former track start at Cypress Creek, ran the ball 22 times compared to 15 passing attempts. He ended the year with 182 total yards and five scores. 

He found himself in another quarterback battle heading into 2025, but this time, he was the familiar face. Kinne added multiple transfer quarterbacks, including Auburn’s Holden Geriner and SMU’s Keldric Luster, who arrived over the summer. Jackson won the job, becoming the first freshman to start for the Bobcats since 2018. In his debut as a starter in Week 1, he was 18-of-26 for 214 yards and four touchdowns through the air while adding 48 yards on 10 rushers. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over. 

“Let’s not give him any gold stars yet, but he had a good first game,” Kinne said about Jackson after last week’s win over Eastern Michigan. “There is a ton to clean up, but usually from Week 1 to Week 2, those guys who haven’t played a ton typically get a lot better.” 

The Week 2 opponent is UTSA. Jackson is heading back to San Antonio where he spent his senior season. He’ll have plenty of family and friends in the Alamodome as the Bobcats face their rivals. Roadrunner head coach Jeff Traylor, who coached Kinne as a senior at Gilmer High School, sees some similarities in his former pupil and Jackson. During his weekly press conference leading into the game Traylor said, “Texas State’s quarterback is good with his feet…reminds me of a young G.J. Kinne.” 

Jackson won’t let the hype of the moment get to his head. He watched from the sideline last year as a young quarterback making his second career start struggled in this very rivalry game when UTSA’s Owen McCown completed only 43.5 percent of his passes for 105 yards and zero touchdowns. 

“For me, it is treating it like another game,” he said earlier in the week. “Every game has equal importance because it is the next game. There are no emotions because when you tie emotions into it and put personal ties into it, that can be dangerous.” 

Hamilton believes his former star quarterback is made for the moment on Saturday. He won’t let the homecoming overwhelm him. He believes Jackson is not only the man for this moment for the Bobcats. He believes Jackson is the future, as well. Jackson moved to Reagan to be closer to family in the Hill Country. For that reason, Hamilton believes Jackson is here to stay. Music to Bobcat Nation’s ears. 

“I know the transfer portal is in effect these days, but I think as long as Texas State is still in San Marcos, that’s where Brad Jackson will be,” Hamilton said. “He’s that type of kid. One that will stick around and build something with this staff and his teammates.”