Drake Jackson was a breakout star as a true freshman last year for USC, immediately seizing a starting role at defensive end and leading the Trojans with 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, all the while teasing the potential for more in the future.
He now enters his sophomore season in a bit of a different role, playing the "B-backer" position -- a standup pass-rushing outside linebacker -- in new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's defense, but that might not be the most noticeable change for Jackson.
On the official USC roster, he's listed at 255 pounds this fall -- 20 less than the 275 he was listed at for the bowl game in December. Head coach Clay Helton said earlier this camp that Jackson is actually around 245-250 pounds, and his father Dennis Jackson says he's around 253.
Whatever the exact number, Dennis Jackson said the weight loss wasn't related to the new position or a directive from the coaching staff to lose the weight.
"It just happened, you know what I mean. At one point he had got sick and he wasn't eating, he had lost like 10-15 pounds, but I think he liked how he looked," Dennis Jackson told TrojanSports.com.
The younger Jackson also liked what the physical change did for his speed and quickness, with his father saying he clocked a 4.5-second 40-yard dash time upon returning to USC this summer.
But the results that matter are the ones that will come on Saturdays this fall, and to that end, father and son had a conversation a few weeks ago.
"I told him, you know if you don't have a successful season like you did last year then I would suggest that you go back up to 275," Dennis Jackson recalled. "He said, 'Dad, you think the weight makes me?' I said, 'No, I don't think it makes you, but you have a great physique at 275.' He was like, 'I can still do what I do. I'm actually a lot faster and quicker'
"That's one thing I can say -- he's more confident than he was last year too. He didn't want to make a mistake last year. Now he feels like he's going to dominate. And when he feels like that he really does good."
