The 24th and last in a series profiling newcomers on the 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team.
FAYETTEVILLE -- Kendrick Jackson has remained under the radar in Arkansas' linebacking corps during camp, and it's almost by design.
The 6-1, 249-pound true freshman, who flipped from Arizona to Arkansas in the final week of recruiting, is a four-sport star from Haynesville, La., who reported to campus for the second summer session in late June, when he could finally go all football all the time.
Hog Futures
Kendrick Jackson
CLASS Freshman
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 249
POSITION Linebacker
AGE 18 (birthday: Nov. 5, 1996)
HIGH SCHOOL Haynesville, La.
NOTEWORTHY Four-sport athlete in high school was a consensus three-star prospect by all recruiting services. … Earned all-state honors and Class 1A defensive player of the year as voted by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. … Posted 118 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions as a senior. … Won Louisiana’s Class 1A state championships at Haynesville in 2013 and 2014. … Rated as the No. 2 middle linebacker in Louisiana by Scout. ESPN ranked him as the No. 31 inside linebacker and the No. 49 prospect in Louisiana. … Chose the Razorbacks over offers from Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Memphis, Tulsa and others.
"In high school, I did one sport and carried it on into the next sport," Jackson said at Arkansas' media day earlier this month. "Now it's just straight football."
Jackson did it all in Haynesville, the little north Louisiana football factory that won its 16th and 17th state championship with Jackson playing quarterback and linebacker. Jackson also was a pitcher and shortstop, with a .525 batting average, on the baseball team and a point guard on the basketball team.
Coach Bret Bielema described the soft-spoken Jackson as his "sleeper" in the 2015 signing class.
"All these intangibles," Bielema said on national signing day. "Incredible vision, moxie, just a little bit of a quiet storm to him."
A season to transition from the small-school ranks in Louisiana to the upper echelons of college ball seems like a good formula for Jackson.
"It's a big transition," Jackson said of adapting to college life. "It's very fast and I've got to get used to it. I'm new at this and I'm learning. I'm learning everything, but it's going slowly but surely."
Jackson said he fell for the fan base, the facilities and all the intangibles at Arkansas during his visit.
"It just felt like home," he said.
Additionally, the Razorbacks had momentum from last season.
"I knew they were on the come up," Jackson said. "That's another reason right there. There were a lot of games last year that were close that they just didn't finish."
Jackson, who is behind Josh Harris and Khalia Hackett at middle linebacker, wouldn't mind playing in some capacity this season.
"I'm just trying to earn a true freshman spot," Jackson said. "I just have to work hard in camp, learn the playbook and everything."
Jackson will have mentors beyond Harris and Hackett. Junior team captain Brooks Ellis, the starter at middle linebacker last year, has been an influence as well.
"He wants to be great, and that's a really good starting point, but he's a young guy and he's got to get in the film room," Ellis said of Jackson. "It takes a little bit to get used to it, but so far he's done a really good job of stepping in there and giving his best effort.
"He's an athletic guy, and I think he can do some good things for us. He's big and athletic, and that's what we need in a linebacker."
Jackson committed to Arizona in the summer of 2014 but switched to the Razorbacks after a late visit in February to become one of the final members of Arkansas' signing class.
"Because of all those little intangibles I've witnessed, I'm excited to have him on campus," Bielema said. "Tremendous upside."
Sports on 08/22/2015