The Gophers received a commitment from Naperville, Illinois athlete Sam Jackson. Jackson, a four-star prospect, is the seventh-rated player in Illinois, according to 24/7 Sports rankings. He originally committed to Minnesota early last year, but re-opened his recruiting process. Jackson held offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Wisconsin and others.
With the addition of Jackson, the Gophers’ 2021 recruiting class currently ranks fifth nationally, according to 24/7 Sports. The only programs ahead of Minnesota are Ohio State (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 2), Florida (No. 3) and Clemson (No. 4).
Jackson has the skills and athletic ability to play multiple positions, but may project as a wide receiver in college. He posted a 4.65 40-yard dash, 4.41 shuttle and 35.6-inch vertical, according to the Opening Regional’s data. His testing specifically stands out in the explosiveness categories like the shuttle and vertical.
Jackson measures in at just 5-foot-11, but as you’ll see in the clips below, he has the necessary arm strength to stretch defenses downfield. There were several instances where he made impressive deep throws across his body. Jackson was very dynamic when moving outside the pocket and displayed what he could do in space. There were so many moments where he extended plays and made difficult throws on the run. Jackson is a dynamic weapon who has a knack for creating explosive plays. In the future, Minnesota can determine which position he will play.
He aligned at wide receiver as sophomore and had 50 catches for 900 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. You can check out that film here:
Here’s a look at his junior year film at quarterback: