Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
receiver signs with Ole Miss.
CENTERTON — Ever since Jadon Jackson made his verbal commitment to play football at Ole Miss, he said he couldn’t wait for the day he could sign his letter of intent with the Rebels.
The day finally came Wednesday, and the Bentonville West receiver stayed true to the commitment he made in September.
“When I committed, I already knew I was going to sign there,” Jackson said. “It was like ‘Dang, I gotta wait. I don’t want to wait. I gotta wait.’ Now that it was here, I feel great.”
Jackson (6-foot-2, 175 pounds), a two-time all-state performer at West, made his verbal commitment in a press conference before his teammates, the Wolverines coaching staff and a number of students inside the school’s lecture hall. He chose Ole Miss over fellow Southeastern Conference schools Arkansas, Missouri and Auburn, as well as Oklahoma State.
It was a visit to the Ole Miss campus with his family that proved to be the difference in Jackson’s decision, he said.
“It was how they treated my family,” he said. “I’m really a family guy, and how you treat my family is the way I look upon you. They treated my family with a lot of respect and showed them a lot of love. That’s everything I could ask for.”
Jackson, who moved to Arkansas from Pennsylvania before his freshman season, has been a starter since West began its program in 2016. He finished his Wolverines career with 164 receptions for 2,999 yards and 35 touchdowns.
He constantly had to battle double- and triple-teams this fall but still had 44 receptions for 844 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 17 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, mainly when West utilized a Wildcat formation.
“This is a big deal,” West coach Bryan Pratt said. “It’s always a joy in getting a kid to go to the next level and get an education, no matter what level it is. For him to come from where he did and, 3½ years later, go to the SEC and play receiver at one of the unique receiver schools, I’m proud of him. Now he gets to go make us proud.
“He’s a kid that has an unbelievable burst, great ball skills and good hands. He’s a special player, and he’s a kid that will continue to grow. The weight room will be his friend — he doesn’t know that yet — and once he gets to where he needs to be, he’s going to be quite special.”
Jackson said he wasn’t sure if he would head to Ole Miss and attend classes in January or stay and finish out his senior year at West. In the meantime, he said he will continue to do a lot of training and weightlifting in preparation for the upcoming season.