Illinois Football: Illini enter Myles Jackson recruitment

The Illinois football team was busy on Wednesday trying to build the roster out for the future.

One area of the team Illinois has done a solid job recruiting is at linebacker. I love the starting linebackers for the Illini right now and we have a few backups who are talented as well. But we need to keep that talent coming in so we can have a solid core on defense for years to come. That is why the offer to Myles Jackson on Wednesday was so intriguing.

Jackson is a 6-foot-2, 230-pound inside linebacker from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 1155 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 51 inside linebacker in the nation. He is also the No. 108 player in the state of Georgia.

It was looking like Jackson’s recruitment had come to an end a few months back, though. He took an unofficial visit to UCLA on June 23 and committed to the Bruins the same day. But things broke down between Jackson and UCLA, and he reopened his recruitment on September 15.

Jackson has a lot of recruiting attention still and is looking for a new home. Some of the bigger programs who have been eyeing him include the likes of Kansas State, Virginia Tech and Florida Atlantic. But Illinois is now involved in his recruitment after the offer was extended on Wednesday.

I love the tenacity that Jackson brings to the table. This kid has the strength and will to break through an offensive line. It looks like he plays a lot of defensive end at the high school level. I think this makes him a versatile player who can do multiple things in college. Illinois could use him a lot in blitzing schemes as well as move him down to the defensive line if necessary.

Illinois is always looking for athletes who can be molded into multiple positions. Jackson fits that bill. This kid would be a great addition to the program. Let’s see if we can get into his recruitment.