(Photo via Kendall Jackson, twitter)
Billy Napier’s promise to build his roster in the trenches has come to fruition this recruiting cycle. All in all, five defensive linemen have committed to Florida this recruiting cycle. Included in that tally are two of the nation’s top twenty overall defensive linemen- Jamonta Waller and Amaris Williams- at least according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Kendall Jackson (Gainesville, FL/Buchholz) doesn’t have quite that lofty a number beside his name. But even with that said- and with the low difficulty level of landing a Gainesville prospect being duly noted- this is a nice get for Napier and the Gators.
Jackson is one of Florida’s more recent commits, pulling the trigger on July 12. Though a lot of smoke had been building for him to choose the Gators for some time, he bided his time and took his visits. He used four of his allotted five official visits in June, taking trips to Miami, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Florida. The Gators got his first visit, made a good impression on him, and locked him down after he visited the other three.
Additionally, Texas, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville, and Mississippi State also offered him.
You can watch his high school highlight tape here.
In Kendall Jackson, Florida has added something oof a Swiss Army Knife to its defensive front. He’s a versatile player, and has lined up at nose guard, edge, and everywhere in between- and been productive everywhere he sets up. That said- his brute strength and good-not-great pass rushing repertoire paint the picture of someone who likely best projects on the interior. And that’s fine and dandy with DL coach Sean Spencer and the Gators.
Standing 6’4, 255, Jackson has a great engine for an interior lineman and is very agile for someone who’s probably going to get a good number of reps at the 3-technique (between the offensive guard and offensive tackle) slot. Coaches and scouts rave about his unyielding energy, and the hustle that comes with it. To listen to people on the ground tell it, the 19.5 sacks he registered in the last two years- in the state of Florida, mind you- came as a result of grit and heart. And that, along with above-average athleticism, means the rest is coachable.
Part of the reason Kendall Jackson is equally disruptive coming off the edge as he is from the interior is because that effort is combined with strength and intelligence. He’s not the most explosive player off the snap, but he can often time it right, and that has the same effect- him blowing past the line of scrimmage. He can also sometimes bully opposing offensive linemen- be they centers or tackles- and just kick the door down on his way into the backfield.
When he gets to Gainesville, Sean Spencer will need to work with him to develop some more refined pass rush moves from a technique standpoint. But Kendall Jackson is said to be very easily coachable, and if he takes that coaching and uses it- look out. I won’t be the one to make any bold proclamations about the gaudy ceilings he can reach, but there’s a very good chance he outperforms that borderline three/four star ranking and becomes a multi-year starter for the Gators on the defensive line- wherever he’s needed.
