Alabama LB commit has high football IQ

Alabama logo and text Alabama recruiting update

It is the turn of the Alabama Crimson Tide to pick up a commitment from an in-state recruit as Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) High School standout Ian Jackson has pledged to be a part of the Tide’s 2021 recruiting haul.

By Steve Wright

Jackson is a 6-foot-1, 210-pounder who projects as the No. 15 OLB in the class. The 4-star prospect is the No. 235 player nationally and the No. 8 player in the state of Alabama, a state where the Crimson Tide usually rule supreme when it comes to recruiting for future classes.

Jackson is your prototypical modern linebacker with a frame that will fill out with muscle – with no noticeable loss of speed – at the college level. He is a player that Nick Saban will have options with as he could project as a safety or as a linebacker hybrid on either the inside or the outside defensively. He is another of those linebackers that coaches love because of his motor, love for the game, and high football IQ.

The first play in the video below showcases Jackson’s strengths as a pass rusher. He is able to blow by his blocker and turn the corner before zeroing in on the QB his closing speed is particularly impressive on this play as he is able to track down a moving target and make the hit.

The third play is another impressive one that shows everything he can do in one go. He first wrecks the play at the line of scrimmage with his press coverage, completely taking his WR out of the play. Then – after noticing a stranded QB with no passing option – he breaks off of his coverage assignment to ruin the life of the QB with a late rush and monster hit. It is a purely instinctive play – one that cannot be taught – and it is the type of OLB play that Nick Saban has made a trademark of his Alabama teams over the last decade.

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