Barry Jackson has known with a great deal of certainty where he wanted to be for nearly a month, and now the decision is officially in: The Class of 2023 receiver has committed to Nebraska.
“It feels good [to be committed]. I’ve been trying to work for this for the longest [time], and it’s finally here,” Jackson told Inside Nebraska. “I never thought I would be getting this opportunity, but now it’s just like, ‘Boom, I’m here now.’”
Jackson sat down with us for an exclusive video interview prior to announcing his decision. You can watch that by clicking on the video above or by visiting the Inside Nebraska YouTube page as Jackson broke down all the reasons why he picked the Huskers.
The three-star prospect out of Cedar Grove (Ga.) High School, a perennial Southeast power in the Atlanta suburbs, took an official visit to Lincoln on June 3-5. It was on that trip when the seriousness that Nebraska could be his ultimate college destination hit a turning point, and his decision began setting in.
“That wasn’t my first visit,” Jackson said of his June trip to Lincoln. “They were showing me the same effort when I went the other time [for the spring game]. Every time they would see me, they would ask if I need anything or they’d be making jokes with me. They were making sure I was straight.
“My first time going up there, they were acting the same way when I went there for my OV. So I was like, ‘These coaches are for real about what they say.’ So that’s why I picked Nebraska.”
Jackson eventually elected to cancel previously scheduled June official visits to see Louisville and Memphis, as the Huskers put substantial distance between themselves and those two programs plus the other two schools (Pitt, Mississippi State) that were on the list of his final five schools he was taking the most seriously.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound receiver eventually locked in a commitment with the Huskers on June 25 as he informed Mickey Joseph of that decision last Saturday afternoon.
“He was happy. He had been telling me he wanted me and that he’s gonna try to get me,” Jackson said. “One thing about Coach Mickey, he’s gonna say something to keep it real with me. That’s what I like about him. That’s why I chose Nebraska.
“The stuff that he teaches will most definitely put me in the NFL, which you can definitely see from the past. Me and him will be working together. Normally in college, you’d be there for four years, but he said he’d put me in the NFL in three years. So I told him, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Joseph’s efforts in building a genuine relationship with Jackson spearheaded his decision as the first-year Nebraska receivers coach continues to show what he’s made of in Lincoln. And you can see and hear the realness from Jackson around the 8:40 mark of that video interview.
“He’s like a dad," Jackson said. "Since I’m gonna be so far away from home, he told me that if I need anything to let him know since I’m gonna be far, far away from my mom and dad. He said if I need anything, just call. He’s gonna always answer or text me.”
Jackson is Commitment No. 11 for the Huskers in the 2023 cycle, and he is their second receiver pledge in the class. He joins Kansas City three-star Jaidyn Doss, who committed to Nebraska on June 3.
Doss’ announcement came while Jackson was on campus along with three more top Huskers targets: Omarion Miller, Joshua Manning and Malachi Coleman.
The Huskers remain in a good position for each of those high-end talents. We break the impact of Jackson's commitment on the field and what his pledge means to the Huskers' 2023 class in more detail here.
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