USC WR John Jackson III: 'I think I opened up a couple eyes'
It's not a stretch to say USC freshman wide receiver John Jackson III had waited most of his life for the opportunity to put on a Trojans uniform and officially practice as part of the program he grew up around.
His father John Jackson Jr., of course, was a star receiver for the school in the late 1980s and has been a fixture on USC football radio broadcasts dating back to 2003.
Being as close to the program as he was for so long, the younger Jackson's Trojans debut this spring would have ideally been a cherished moment father and son shared together. But as USC fans know, the elder Jackson has been recovering from a major stroke sustained in December.
"It hurt me, but I know that he wouldn't want me to think about that," Jackson III said of not being able to have his dad on the sideline watching this spring. "He'd want me to come out there and give my best with a clear head and put forward my best."
Any objective observer would attest that Jackson has certainly done that.
While he didn't carry the same buzz into 2019 as the recruits USC signed in December and February, Jackson -- a 3-star prospect in the 2018 class who was not part of the program last fall while taking a grayshirt semester -- has been one of the more impressive newcomers through the Trojans' first 13 practices.
In a receiving corps that lost a lot of depth through offseason transfers, Jackson has gladly absorbed the extra reps and has garnered consistent notice with his crisp route running and sure hands.
"I'm really happy with John. I actually said to him the first week and I'm going to keep saying it, I have 100 percent confidence in John Jackson," quarterback JT Daniels said. "If I see him line up there -- I don't care if he's a true freshman -- I know John knows all of his assignments. I know John looks way faster than you've ever seen him look before and I know he's going to run good, crisp routes."
Daniels, probably like most USC fans, admitted he really didn't know what to expect this spring from Jackson. But he too quickly took notice.
"The first day when you saw him come out and run," Daniels said. "He just looked really fast. He was running all his routes, looked like he'd been here before."
Meanwhile, Jackson's father is said to be recovering well, albeit with a long road still ahead. He's still able to appreciate his son's impressive spring, as they meet regularly and go over film.
"I always go visit him, get to talk to him every weekend, sometimes during the week. He's happy for me," the younger Jackson said after practice Tuesday. "I show him all the stuff that I've done. We even sit down and watch film like we used to. He's in good spirits, doing a lot better and it's been nothing but a blessing to see him keep getting better."
Jackson III's father set USC's career receptions record (163) from 1986-89 (now ranking 12th in program history) before playing in the NFL with the then-Phoenix Cardinals and Chicago Bears. A two-sport standout, he also played minor league baseball for a handful of years.
Jackson III's grandfather was USC's running backs coach and offensive coordinator from 1976-81, coaching Heisman Trophy winners Charles White and Marcus Allen.
Again, Trojans football has truly been a family affair for the freshman receiver, which has made this spring so meaningful for him.
"Man, it was a dream come true. It was a dream come true," he said of his first practice last month. "... In the locker room when I looked myself in the mirror, I was like, you know what, that's the first thing I told [head coach Clay Helton], 'Coach, thanks for giving me the opportunity to put this [jersey] on.' It's been a blessing to really follow up those footsteps and hopefully I can produce the expectations."
Again, most USC fans didn't really have pronounced expectations for the former Gardena Serra High School standout, as he sat out the fall due to the grayshirt as the recruiting hype shined on the 2019 prospects. But that might be changing.
While USC's wide receiver depth took a hit in recent months, the Trojans still return a clear and strong top four in Michael Pittman, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Vaughns and Devon Williams. Four-star prospects Kyle Ford and Drake London and 3-star WR Munir McClain will join the mix in the summer.
Like Daniels said, though, Jackson looks like he belongs and can contribute -- whether that's this fall or in the future.
"Personally, I think I opened up a couple eyes," Jackson said Tuesday. "Coach Helton always had faith in me, and the whole coaching staff did. Just giving them that reassurance that you come out here and really do your thing, that was big for me."
While Daniels noted that Jackson seemed faster than he expected, the receiver notes that his speed was a major focus of his individual work back in the fall when he couldn't yet be part of the program during the grayshirt process (which delays a recruit's arrival a semester for the purposes of scholarship counting).
"It was hard, honestly. I'd be lying if I said it was easy. I got a lot of time to myself to really work on my game," Jackson said. "I just spent day in, day out -- of course I took classes, but it wasn't a full load -- so I just spent time working out, training, getting better. … I think personally I did get faster. That's one thing also during the sit-out period that I took pride in -- a lot of track training."
As for the feedback he's received this spring from the coaching staff, he notes that offensive coordinator Graham Harrell has challenged him to make sure he finishes to the ball, and he says he's taken that to heart.
Right along with his father critiques when they meet to talk about his performance and watch film, as they find a way to share this long-awaited experience together nonetheless.
"He doesn't stop coaching me. Never," Jackson said. "He'll never stop coaching me."