T.J. Jackson made the most of his first career start at the power five level against Pittsburgh.
Taking on a bigger role with Edward Vesterinen out of the lineup, the Alabama native recorded 6 tackles, with 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while providing a persistent pass rush with 5 pressures.
It was exactly what Jackson wanted to prove that he was capable of when he made the decision to leave Troy and try his hand at the Power Four level.
“I looked back on all my games against the Power Five teams and I felt like I could do this every game on a consistent level. After that bowl game against Duke I felt I could do this every week,” he said.
During his time with the Trojans, Jackson played in 36 games and recorded 94 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks but realized after the bowl game last season that he wanted to test that theory out.
It was a relatively quick process for Jackson, who only had around a week to make his decision after he entered his name into the transfer portal, but there was already a connection with the Mountaineers. That’s because, during his junior season in high school, Neal Brown’s staff at Troy was recruiting him. And it didn’t hurt that his defensive coordinator in high school is close friends with Jordan Lesley.
"The one thing you never question is the effort and the motor he plays with and that shows up in just about everything we ask him to do," Lesley said.
When Brown made the move to Morgantown, Jackson fell off the radar largely due to his size, but after a productive college career, it was a move that made sense for both parties. Jackson even admits that he always wanted to play for Brown so the opportunity was one he couldn’t pass up.
“I’m a big family type of guy and one thing about West Virginia is these coaches really emphasize is family,” he said. “We already had that feel.”
So far the results are showing on the field as Jackson has become one of the most disruptive players on the defense through three games. Jackson doesn’t try to get too high or too low when on the field and understands that playing his role will lead to the most success on the field.
“I feel like I'm doing my job. I listen to what the coaches tell me to do. I don't try to do too much outside my job and coach Lesley puts me in position to make plays,” he said.
That’s important because while the numbers are certainly important, Jackson understands that there is more to it and you have to maximize his snaps. Regardless of the opportunities provided, it’s about what you do with the chances that you are given.
“How am I producing in the time that I am out there?” he said.
The development of Jackson, 6-foot-1, 282-pounds, didn’t come as a surprise to his teammates who realized that while unconventional in his stature had a nice toolbox of skills. It was just about catching up on his mental side to what he could provide with his physical abilities on the field.
“He oozes that essence of he’s going to be a good defensive lineman,” center Brandon Yates said.
Jackson has been working on continuing to improve his conditioning and using his hands well. Considering he is a shorter option at the position it allows him to play lower and he can use his speed to get to spots quicker, but he struggles to work with common pass rush moves.
However, Jackson has the ability to play both the field and boundary which opens up opportunities. He is comfortable with either after playing both spots at Troy, although he leans toward the field.
But the biggest thing is working on improving in areas where he didn’t hit the mark such as containing the quarterback and rushing up the field too high.
“We’ve got to execute better with what the coaches are giving us,” he said.
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