Vols' interest in Jackson picks up

Jackson

Will Jackson had begun to wonder if he was being forgotten.

Not totally forgotten, mind you. Just by some schools.

After receiving five scholarships before mid-March, April was quiet for the Farragut High offensive lineman.

Now, the number of offers has doubled thanks to the spring evaluation period.

“Two or three coaches at the school everyday,” Jackson said, describing the last few weeks, “and it seemed like an offer almost everyday.”

Well, maybe not everyday, but at least one a week.

Jackson had already received offers from West Virginia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Middle Tennessee State before the spring evaluation period began.

Now, he’s added Kentucky, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Marshall to the list. Louisville and Stanford have also shown strong interest.

“It’ been great,” the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder said. “I kind of had a month lull where I wasn’t getting too much attention.”

No more. Even the neighboring Vols have gotten in on the action.

“Tennessee, they really started coming on,” Jackson said Wednesday.

The spring evaluation period was full of UT coaches. Both offensive line coach Greg Adkins and defensive tackle coach Dan Brooks visited Farragut.

The attention isn’t one-sided. Even without an offer, Jackson still has strong interest in UT. He’ll visit campus next week and take part in football camp in June, just two of countless times he’s seen the Vols up close.

Jackson said he likes everything UT has to offer, but admits he’s developed great relationships with other schools while the Vols continue to evaluate his skills.

“It would be cool getting offered from the hometown school,” Jackson said. “But if they (the Vols) offered, I don’t see myself committing on the spot.”

The calendar pages are flipping quickly for Jackson, who has said all along that he wants to make a decision before his senior season.

Jackson says he’s still “wide open” and isn’t ready to start whittling down his choices, but two schools have pushed their way to the forefront.

“I know I like Georgia Tech,” Jackson said. “I also like Ole Miss, but I haven’t been able to visit everywhere else.”

At least one school seems to have fallen off Jackson’s radar. After weeks of serious recruiting, Auburn never offered the scholarship Jackson thought was coming.

Alabama, like UT, could prove to be a tough competitor for Jackson if the Crimson Tide decides to offer. ‘Bama has been consistently recruiting Jackson for months.

Along with UT, Jackson said he will take part in Alabama’s football camp, plans to visit Wake Forest and N.C. State and hopes to make a repeat trip to Vanderbilt this summer.

That itinerary could change quickly depending on the schools that are still debating whether to offer.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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