Jones retools offense with `Swiss Army knife'
JONES — Carson May is quiet, but he's working on becoming more vocal.
The sophomore quarterback at Jones is someone coach Dave Martin has kept his eye on since May was in middle school. His 6-foot-5 frame and lanky body were always intriguing, but as May grew into his body, Martin saw visions of the next great Jones quarterback.
Daxx Garman, David Cornwell, Clayton Sims, Carson George and JD Head are just a few of the quarterbacks Martin has coached in the past decade. Division I athletes, standout high school performers and state champions.
Martin believes May is next. He's been waiting for him to grow up for years.
“Carson's got a huge upside to him,” Martin said. “We've got to work with him for a while now in our youth program. He has the opportunity to be special.”
May is tasked with leading the offense as only a sophomore, which hasn't been an issue for past Jones signal callers. However, he won't be the only person throwing passes for the Longhorns come the season.
Daniel Jackson, who will start at H-back this season but was the team's starting
quarterback last year, is going to get some reps at quarterback throughout the season. Although May is the starter, Jackson is practicing as a quarterback and H-back.
As a junior, Jackson tossed for 1,985 yards with 25 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. He's receiving some recruiting as a quarterback. Yet he's not going to play that position as much this year, which is something he had to come
to terms with.
Jackson said this fall will be his 13th playing football and the first one that he won't be taking snaps full time. Instead, he will be leading the offense from a different position, catching passes and running sweeps, laying blocks and guiding May in tense situations.
“He's going to be a Swiss Army knife for us,” Martin said. “He's going to be able to do several different things for us and make our offense complete.”
The role is different, but Jackson said he's started to get a feel
for his new position as spring practice rolls on. The first few practices were uneasy. He had to find his niche that wasn't in the pocket, looking to find the next big play.
Now, his role is to continue leading Jones. Jackson loves using his quarterback vision from different spots on the field to read coverages and pick up blitzes. He also understands how he can help mentor May, teaching him how to deal with different situations within a game.
Although May isn't the vocal leader of the Longhorns yet, he doesn't
need to be. With he and Jackson leading the offense, Jones is primed for another big season. The duo hopes their combined knowledge from different positions can lead to a state title, no matter who's throwing the ball.
“We work together well,” Jackson said. “We ask each other questions, and as I get more comfortable with my position, it helps me lead the offense from the H-back spot.
“As long as we're successful, that's what matters. And we're going to be.”