Illinois Football: Illini now targeting in-state quarterback Sam Jackson

The Illinois football program needs to continue finding talented quarterbacks for the future, and that is the position they targeted with their most recent offer.

I am pretty comfortable with the direction the quarterback position is going right now. Illinois has Isaiah Williams coming in who should light the world on fire. This kid is a superstar athlete who is going to be a starter for the Illini all three or four years he is with the program. But we need more depth and a replacement after Williams leaves. That is where Sam Jackson comes into play.

Jackson is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound athlete from Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. He is currently rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 278 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 26 athlete in the nation. He is also the No. 6 player in the state of Illinois as well. The full rankings haven’t been released yet, though, so there is still room for him to climb.

On Friday morning, Jackson took to Twitter to announce that he had received a scholarship offer from the Illini. This is a big offer from the Orange and Blue because of the talent he brings to the table and the possibility of him coming to Champaign. There could be one small hiccup in that plan, though.

Back on February 3, Jackson liked the Minnesota Golden Gophers program so much, he decided to make a commitment to play for them. He is already committed to another team right now. But that hasn’t stopped teams like Illinois from pursuing him. This recruitment isn’t over by any means.

Jackson also has a wide range of scholarship offers already on the table as well. Some of the other big offers include the likes of Cincinnati, Iowa, Iowa State and Virginia Tech. This kid is wanted, and Illinois is now officially in the mix.

The journey to where Jackson is today has been an interesting one. He transferred from Bolingbrook High School to Naperville Central at the start of his sophomore season. He is a quarterback by nature, but Naperville Central already had a quarterback, Payton Thorne, who was once committed to Western Michigan but signed with Michigan State.

Heading into the final two years at Naperville Central, Jackson is going to move back to quarterback and compete for the starting job. He wants to be a quarterback and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He would be a great addition to any program wanting a quick, smart, player behind center.

I am excited that the Illini offered Jackson. He seems to be pumped about getting the scholarship offer as well. This could be a match made in football heaven. Let’s see if the Illini can do what Michigan State accomplished and flip another Naperville Central quarterback.