Recruiting Rumblings: 4-star DE Shambre Jackson talks Vic So'oto connection

Among its latest wave of offers sent out this week, USC was heavily focused on defensive end prospects -- not just in this class but for future years.

New Trojans defensive line coach Vic So'oto looks to be one of the more aggressive recruiters on staff already, and since joining USC he's circled back to a number of his previous targets on the east coast who he made connections with while coaching at Virginia.

The latest familiar target for So'oto is 4-star 2021 DE Shambre Jackson, from Boone High School in Orlando, Fla.

Jackson, a Rivals250 prospect and the No. 13-ranked strongside defensive end in this class, has 28 offers overall and interest from some of college football's biggest brands.

His previous connection with So'oto, though, can only help USC.

"Coach Vic So'oto was the coach who offered me, [and] I was very excited when he did," Jackson told TrojanSports.com Thursday soon after announcing his Trojans offer. "He was the one that offered me at UVA. He said I was a good player and [he] can see me playing for USC."

The question is, can Jackson see himself playing for the Trojans all the way on the other side of the country? He says geography isn't a factor.

"I don't care where ... I just want to play ball," he said.

Jackson said he and So'oto "texted a lot" when So'oto was recruiting him to UVA, so expect the Trojans to be aggressive with the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Florida prospect.

Meanwhile, Jackson says Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and LSU are the programs most involved in his recruitment right now, so USC faces stiff competition here.