FILM ROOM: Breaking Down The Newest Hurricanes DL Commit Kendall Jackson
Miami Hurricanes coaching staff got notified that 4-star DL Kendall Jackson, has flipped his commitment to Miami.
Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder, was previously committed to the Gators and took an official visit to Miami during the summer months. After backing off of his pledge to Florida, Miami was a school Jackson mentioned as a suitor.
“I really enjoyed talking with [Mario] Cristobal. He said how me and [Jason] Taylor would be a good matchup as far as coaching to player wise and that’s why I really enjoyed it,” Jackson said after that final weekend of the summer.
Jackson is a four-star recruit on the On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major services. He comes in at No. 365 overall in the class of 2024 and the No. 33 among defensive lineman in his class. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Jackson, who posted 12.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions for the Bobcats last season.
Scouting report: Hurricanes DL commit Kendall Jackson
The majority of Jackson’s reps at the prep level come from the edge position. He shows solid flashes of first-step quickness, hand usage and bend to get around the corner on opposing tackles.
The typical 6-foot-4, 250-pound prep defender would have their hand in the dirt most if not all of the time. However, Jackson’s athleticism for a lineman of his stature currently allows him to move across the entire line of scrimmage in multiple fronts and wreak havoc from multiple positions, including as a standing edge.
However, upon the film review, he appears most effective as a hand-in-the-dirt lineman with the ability to play between the three and five techniques. He could reasonably align as a strong-side end with the flexibility to play defensive tackle on pass-rushing downs so long as he adds weight to his frame in college.
When playing along the interior, Jackson does a good job of using his reach and keeping his pad level low to create leverage and drive opposing offensive linemen into the backfield. He also does a great job of getting skinny to avoid blockers and split double teams, quickly working his way into the backfield on a regular basis.
While his hand technique can certainly use some work, as is the case for just about all prep-level defensive linemen, he is adept at disengaging and shedding blockers to peek into the backfield, diagnose, then make the play near the line of scrimmage in a consistent manner.
Jackson’s play recognition and football IQ are impressive as well. He has an innate ability to quickly read what the offense is doing and put himself in a position to make a play, as is evident by his two interceptions as a junior, one of which he returned for a score.
However, Jackson’s best attribute isn’t something that can be quantified or measured. It’s his motor.
Jackson is relentless to the football on every single play. Whether he thinks he can get to the ball carrier from the snap or not, his feet never stop moving. This can be seen on numerous occasions throughout his tape where he is able to chase down ball carriers and quarterbacks moving the opposite way to clean up the play.
Due to these attributes, Jackson was able to rack up 65 total tackles with 22 for loss, 12.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior in one of the highest classifications in Florida.
Trinton is the owner of CanesToday. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, he is a freshman in high school and wants to graduate from the University of Miami
