Jackson ready for biggest challenge yet in Music City Bowl
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Few if any members of Nebraska’s freshman class came in with the level of hype that surrounded Lamar Jackson when he arrived on campus this summer.
A four-star prospect who was ranked the No. 1 safety in the country, Jackson moved to cornerback to start his college career with the idea that he would be able to help the Huskers immediately at a relatively thin position.
That held true to an extent, as the Elk Grove, Calif., native saw action in 11 games this season and finished with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, though, Jackson is about to take on the biggest role of his young career heading into Friday’s Music City Bowl vs Tennessee.
With the recent suspension of senior safety Nathan Gerry, Jackson has been elevated to one of the top boundary cornerbacks in NU’s nickel and dime packages - looks the Huskers expect to be in quite a bit against the Volunteers’ spread offensive attack.
Seeing how he’ll be the lone true freshman in the secondary, Jackson is already preparing himself for Tennessee to test him early and often. In particular, he expects to match up quite a bit with UT’s Jauan Jennings, who ranks second on the team with 34 catches for 531 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I’m going to be the only new guy out there, and they know that I’m going to play as much as I’m going to,” Jackson said. “A lot of times they like to single out No. 15 (Jennings) to the boundary. We’re both 6-3. Like Coach (Brian Stewart) said, we’re going to see who’s going to earn their scholarship. I’ve just got to go out there and compete.”
Stewart has made it a point to get Jackson prepared for the challenge he’s likely to face not only in the number of passes expected to be thrown his way, but the size, speed and physicality he will face against Tennessee's receiving corps.
“It’s not going to be quiet. It’s not going to be quiet on his side,” Stewart said. “If we’re in probably anything with a single-high (safety), they’re probably going to attack him. He’s been preparing and we’ve been attacking him like that in practice. I’m excited to watch him. It’s time to play.”
Junior cornerback Chris Jones is also looking forward to seeing how Jackson answers the call on Friday. Based on how Jackson has performed both in games and every day in practice, Jones is confident the freshman will be up for the test.
“He’s worked all year for this moment,” Jones said. “It’s a big moment for him. We’re putting a lot of trust in him, and he knows what’s in front of him. He knows he just has to go out there and play. They might catch passes here and there or some things might not go our way, but that’s part of growing up and maturing at the position. You’ve just got to stay in it and make plays.”
Jackson said he hasn’t been overwhelmed at all with advice and pointers from his teammates leading up to the game. Instead, he said guys like Jones and junior Joshua Kalu have treated him with the same high standards they hold for themselves.
“They just kind of expect me to do what I’ve got to do,” Jackson said. “I’ve been here all year and I’ve been doing the same stuff they’ve been doing. They’ve just said you’ve got to show up, and that’s what I plan on doing…
“I know my teammates expect me to do big things, and this is going to be the beginning of my career. From here on out, I’m going to play a lot and be on the field, so I feel like this is going to be my chance to show people what I’m made of and what I can do.”