Analysis: Four-star Illinois QB/WR Sam Jackson commits to the Gophers

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Really no point in worrying about what position Jackson will play in college at this point. He is clearly a great athlete and it is also clear he wants to play QB. He knows what the situation is here, he explored his options and came back to the U of M being the best fit for him.

Would guess he will get a shot at QB, if he does well enough there to remain at the position so be it, if not he will end up helping us somewhere else on the field. Win-Win for the Gophers either way.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Really no point in worrying about what position Jackson will play in college at this point. He is clearly a great athlete and it is also clear he wants to play QB. He knows what the situation is here, he explored his options and came back to the U of M being the best fit for him.

Would guess he will get a shot at QB, if he does well enough there to remain at the position so be it, if not he will end up helping us somewhere else on the field. Win-Win for the Gophers either way.
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MB3 was in a similar situation if I recall and that seemed to work out ok. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!
 

To quote PJ, this kid has a “crack” on his shoulder, not just a chip. I just hope everyone can get along.


 

I say give him a shot at QB, their both going to redshirt anyway without anything disastrous happening to our QB room. If he ends up in a different position down the line I'm sure he's enough of an athlete to pick it up quickly
 

swelna said:
I say give him a shot at QB, their both going to redshirt anyway without anything disastrous happening to our QB room. If he ends up in a different position down the line I'm sure he's enough of an athlete to pick it up quickly
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I think it is pretty clear at this point that he is at the very least going to get a shot at playing QB. The main hope is that if it does turn out that QB is not going to be in the cards for him, hopefully he is willing to accept the position change at that point.

I could envision a scenario where Jackson becomes a wildcat/change of pace QB and valuable weapon as a WR given that he is clearly a really good athlete. More ways you can attack a defense the better.

Our current wildcat package is awesome for short yardage and tough yards but it wouldn't have to stay that way if the guy running it brought a much more dynamic skillset to the table.
 


MNVCGUY said:
I think it is pretty clear at this point that he is at the very least going to get a shot at playing QB. The main hope is that if it does turn out that QB is not going to be in the cards for him, hopefully he is willing to accept the position change at that point.

I could envision a scenario where Jackson becomes a wildcat/change of pace QB and valuable weapon as a WR given that he is clearly a really good athlete. More ways you can attack a defense the better.

Our current wildcat package is awesome for short yardage and tough yards but it wouldn't have to stay that way if the guy running it brought a much more dynamic skillset to the table.
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ALL WILDCAT EVERY PLAY!!!
 



swelna said:
I say give him a shot at QB, their both going to redshirt anyway without anything disastrous happening to our QB room. If he ends up in a different position down the line I'm sure he's enough of an athlete to pick it up quickly
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I think if he is as athletic as we think, there is certainly possibility he could see the field as a freshman at WR.
 



die hard gopher said:
I think if he is as athletic as we think, there is certainly possibility he could see the field as a freshman at WR.
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Ideally we convince Jackson to play all over the field with some Wild Cat QB and have Athan be the QB when he comes around. That has to be the plan I would think. Now Jackson could end up being a star dual threat QB but Athan sure seems like a big-time QB listening to all the prognosticators
 

skiumah1 said:
Ideally we convince Jackson to play all over the field with some Wild Cat QB and have Athan be the QB when he comes around. That has to be the plan I would think. Now Jackson could end up being a star dual threat QB but Athan sure seems like a big-time QB listening to all the prognosticators
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Yeah it would be great if he could end up a solid WR that also plays the Seth Green role. Although like you said if he proves himself to be the guy at QB, even better. No downside to having great athletes competing IMO.
 

I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
 

He clearly has to much talent to be sitting on the bench if he isn't good enough to start at quarterback. Will be interesting to see all the other options they come up with him in other positions in addition to wildcat. Could be a very interesting threat where the opponents will have to watch him every second when he is on the field regardless of position otherwise they could get burned.
 



Holy moly QB chat! Harkens back to the Kill days of ‘its a competition out there‘. Yeah but not really cuz it’s not a competition for starting qb.
 

Tommyboy said:
I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
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The talent evaluators at those camps clearly didn’t see what you saw, since they gave Jackson 4 stars, and your son only 2.

I won’t pretend to know how the respective careers of those two players will unfold, but I will say Jackson has a significantly stronger arm, and....I shouldn’t even have to point this out....much more athleticism.

 
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Tommyboy said:
I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
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For a while I was wondering WTF is Kowalkowski and why do you keep talking about him so much. Then I remembered you're his dad or uncle or something. I saw he was a 2 star on 247. Does he have a rating on ESPN or Rivals yet? Any P5 offers yet? No?

I wish the kid all the luck in the world and he may end up being great as sometimes lightly recruited kids do. But there's no reason for you to be putting down Gopher recruits trying to compare them like that. Especially when those recruits are rated as consensus 4 stars with multiple high-end P5 offers.
 

Tommyboy said:
I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
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Reminds me of the day Matt Leidner beat everyone during the 7 on 7 and earned a scholarship.
 

Maybe this kid can play QB, but he looks like a stud as a WR. Watching his highlights from his sophomore year he's got those twitchy cuts that you love in a WR. I really hope to see him in that WR/Jack of all trades role. Maybe PR too.
 

A nonymous said:
For a while I was wondering WTF is Kowalkowski and why do you keep talking about him so much. Then I remembered you're his dad or uncle or something. I saw he was a 2 star on 247. Does he have a rating on ESPN or Rivals yet? Any P5 offers yet? No?

I wish the kid all the luck in the world and he may end up being great as sometimes lightly recruited kids do. But there's no reason for you to be putting down Gopher recruits trying to compare them like that. Especially when those recruits are rated as consensus 4 stars with multiple high-end P5 offers.
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Tommyboy can't help himself. But I agree with your last paragraph, I am sure we would all love to see the kid have success at the next level but it is foolish for his dad to keep coming in here banging the drum for his kid. None of us have any influence on who the U recruits and clearly they are not interested in offering his kid a scholarship to play football at the U. Stop bashing the guys we do have committed in your unending quest to prove your kid is the best. It has gotten rather pathetic.
 

skiumah1 said:
Maybe this kid can play QB, but he looks like a stud as a WR. Watching his highlights from his sophomore year he's got those twitchy cuts that you love in a WR. I really hope to see him in that WR/Jack of all trades role. Maybe PR too.
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He strikes me as the type of athlete the coaches will bend over backwards to find ways to get on the field. Whether that ends up being at QB or WR or somewhere else who knows at this point but will be fun to see what they do with him.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Tommyboy can't help himself. But I agree with your last paragraph, I am sure we would all love to see the kid have success at the next level but it is foolish for his dad to keep coming in here banging the drum for his kid. None of us have any influence on who the U recruits and clearly they are not interested in offering his kid a scholarship to play football at the U. Stop bashing the guys we do have committed in your unending quest to prove your kid is the best. It has gotten rather pathetic.
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He should take that Central Michigan offer and be done!
His family must be serious about maximizing his offers as they moved him from Sartell to TG.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Tommyboy can't help himself. But I agree with your last paragraph, I am sure we would all love to see the kid have success at the next level but it is foolish for his dad to keep coming in here banging the drum for his kid. None of us have any influence on who the U recruits and clearly they are not interested in offering his kid a scholarship to play football at the U. Stop bashing the guys we do have committed in your unending quest to prove your kid is the best. It has gotten rather pathetic.
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Totally agree. This conversation is one dad should be having with the coaches at the U.

With that said, Jackson looks like the better prospect across the board. Based on his film, Kowalkowski has a weak arm and is a pretty slow runner for a D1 prospect.

Dad can bang the drum on his kid as much as he wants (which I understand btw), but he's not going to get a power-five offer with what I saw on film. Adequate height, but throws a lob-ball and would get eaten up if he tried to operate outside the pocket at the power-five level. Jackson has better wheels, elusiveness and a powerful arm.

And even if Jackson doesn't end up at QB, he's a good enough athlete to see the field at another position. Kowalkowski is a pro-style quarterback. If he doesn't beat out the competition at QB, he's not seeing the field. Period.

It is what it is.
 

MRJ said:
And even if Jackson doesn't end up at QB, he's a good enough athlete to see the field at another position. Kowalkowski is a pro-style quarterback. If he doesn't beat out the competition at QB, he's not seeing the field. Period.
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The part I left up there is the key part that Tommyboy can't or won't grasp. Coaches and everyone else not named Tommyboy clearly view Athan as a top flight QB prospect. Jackson is then a great athlete who might work out as a QB or might end up at a different position.

Kid like Kristoff has a couple options. Walk on at a place like the U and earn a spot or take a non power 5 offer and go prove everyone wrong.
 

MRJ said:
Totally agree. This conversation is one dad should be having with the coaches at the U.

With that said, Jackson looks like the better prospect across the board. Based on his film, Kowalkowski has a weak arm and is a pretty slow runner for a D1 prospect.

Dad can bang the drum on his kid as much as he wants (which I understand btw), but he's not going to get a power-five offer with what I saw on film. Adequate height, but throws a lob-ball and would get eaten up if he tried to operate outside the pocket at the power-five level. Jackson has better wheels, elusiveness and a powerful arm.

And even if Jackson doesn't end up at QB, he's a good enough athlete to see the field at another position. Kowalkowski is a pro-style quarterback. If he doesn't beat out the competition at QB, he's not seeing the field. Period.

It is what it is.
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Just watched his Junior year highlights and it is pretty surprising that a kid who's 6'3" and 210 lbs would have such a noodle for an arm. At 2:33 in the clip it looks like he puts everything he has into the throw and it makes it maybe 40 yards in the air if your being generous.
 
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For Jackson, the tools are all there.

The college game is much faster. He has to prove himself. I'd say he has a shot to be a starter down the road. Just work hard and wait for the opportunity like Tanner Morgan did.

Does he have that burning desire and the patience to put in the hard work and wait?

The QB room is going to have legitimate competition.
 

GopherGuy8 said:
Just watched his Junior year highlights and it is pretty surprising that a kid who's 6'3" and 210 lbs would have such a noodle for an arm. At 2:33 in the clip it looks like he puts everything he has into the throw and it makes it maybe 40 yards in the air if your being generous.
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Agree. Definitely not the strongest arm. Spiral quality 7/10 also.
 

GopherGuy8 said:
Just watched his Junior year highlights and it is pretty surprising that a kid who's 6'3" and 210 lbs would have such a noodle for an arm. At 2:33 in the clip it looks like he puts everything he has into the throw and it makes it maybe 40 yards in the air if your being generous.
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Well, we established Tanner can’t throw it 40 yards so..
 

Tommyboy said:
I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
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Who is Kal?
 

Word said:
He should take that Central Michigan offer and be done!
His family must be serious about maximizing his offers as they moved him from Sartell to TG.
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Recruiting is heating up, used to only have a FAU offer. Is that valid with the coaching change?
 

Tommyboy said:
I have seen both of these guys compete at a few camps as QB's against Kowalkowski, who is about one year younger. All are good athletes, Jackson is not a QB, short and poor mechanics, he is an athlete that wants to play QB. I watched Kowalkowski pair with Jackson on a shuttle test and they were tied on the shuttle portion. Kowalkowski and Kal, were in the same group for a day in Chicago, Kowalkowski beat him on every throwing test and 7 on 7 that day. In the end Kowalkowski will have a better college career as a QB.
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Kowalkowski is nowhere near the athlete Jackson is. Hell Trey Feeney from moorehead looked better to me than Kowalkowski.
 

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