FAYETTEVILLE — Koilan Jackson cut toward the sideline on an out route, lept in the air and went over a defensive back to haul in an acrobatic one-handed catch with his left hand.
The impressive snag during Wednesday’s practice stood out to his teammates.
“Just how athletic he is. … He's been finding ways to get open. He's definitely stepped up,” sophomore receiver Deon Stewart said.
Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 214-pound true freshman from Little Rock, has been turning heads early in fall camp. Senior quarterback Austin Allen listed several receivers who’ve impressed him in the first seven practices. Jackson made the short list.
“As he gets older, the better he’ll become,” Allen said. “I have a feeling he’s going to play for us a little bit this year and really help us out. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Jackson, one of four scholarship true freshmen receivers and seven total newcomers at the position, has worked mostly with the second-team offense but has taken some reps with the starters. With so many new faces at receiver, the ability to pick up the playbook quickly becomes valuable. Jackson has apparently been a fast learner.
“He’s still young, but just how well he’s learned the offense and knows what to do, he just has a savvy feel about him, knowing zones and things like that,” Allen said.
Jackson comes from a football family, which may play a role in how quickly he’s acclimating. His father, of course, is former NFL Pro Bowler Keith Jackson, the Razorbacks’ former radio color commentator. One brother, Keith Jr., played at Arkansas. The other, Kenyon, plays for Illinois.
“He’s a mature freshman where he might joke around a little bit, but on that practice field he means business,” Allen said. “He’s in his playbook. He knows what to do, where to go. Of course he’s going to have some freshman mistakes obviously as we keep installing, but I’ve just been impressed with how well he’s caught the ball, how well he’s blocked in the run game, things like that.”
Allen isn’t the only teammate who thinks Jackson will get on the field as a freshman. He’s stood out amidst the logjam at receiver.
“He's definitely going to get some playing time this year,” Stewart said.