Desert Pines receiver Michael Jackson commits to USC
Eight wide receivers from the University of Southern California are listed on NFL rosters. If Michael Jackson has his way, his name will be added in a few years.
The Desert Pines wide receiver recently announced his commitment to USC, where he will work toward fulfilling that goal. The 6-foot, 198-pounder is a four-star recruit, according to rivals.com, which has him as the second-best prospect in Nevada for the Class of 2021.
“I just sat down with my family and laid out everything,” Jackson said. “I was really just seeing which school is best for me. In terms of education, it speaks for itself how advanced they are. It’s just a well-balanced school.”
Jackson was part of a Desert Pines offense last season that spread the ball around to a number of explosive weapons. He led the Jaguars with 34 receptions and was among team leaders with 627 yards and five touchdowns receiving.
He added two scores on punt returns and helped Desert Pines reach the state semifinals and finish 11-1. Jackson did most of his work after the catch on screens, which showed his explosiveness. But he hopes to add more to his repertoire as a senior and be a more well-rounded player in USC’s offense.
“I talked to (Trojans offensive coordinator) Graham Harrell about how he runs things, and he was saying he’d like to have me as a combo receiver, inside-outside, under routes or one-on-one with the defensive back,” Jackson said. “He also said he saw me returning punts, being used in the backfield, just all the things I’ve been doing in high school.”
Desert Pines figures to be stacked again at the skill positions despite the loss of five-star tight end Darnell Washington, who will play at Georgia, with Deandre Moore and Jett Solomon teaming with Jackson at wide receiver.
That should provide Jackson plenty of room to operate, and he plans to take advantage.
“I’m really focused on making more plays,” he said. “You can never make too many, so I’m working on getting faster and catching more 50-50 balls, going more outside and jumping with defensive backs.”
Jackson is the second player from the valley to commit to a Pac-12 school in the 2021 class, following Liberty tight end Moliki Matavao, who chose Oregon.
Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.