UNLV spring recap Day 3: Robert Jackson continues to grind after injury

Robert Jackson admits it was a tough transition for him to play cornerback at the Division I level after transferring from the College of the Sequoias last year.

Jackson seldomly played during his first season at UNLV, but he kept grinding — a phrase he likes to say.

The Fort Myers, Florida, native impressed his coaches enough to earn his first start against Wyoming at Sam Boyd Stadium in November.

Jackson never got a chance to line up at corner. He broke his right wrist during the opening kick-off when a teammate’s helmet collided with his hand.

“It was bad,” Jackson said while shaking his head. “I go for a block and I’m out on the first play. I wanted to be out there with my teammates.”

Jackson was forced to watch his fellow defensive backs give up a whopping 66 points against Wyoming. The Rebels got the victory in triple overtime, but Jackson was out for the final two games of the season as the secondary struggled versus Boise State and UNR.

The senior Rebel said he’s 100 percent healthy for spring practices, and is currently one of the top two cornerbacks on the team, according to UNLV coach Tony Sanchez.

“I’m feeling great,” Jackson said. “The recovery process was fast. I’m ready to keep grinding and be a big part of this team.”

Sanchez wasn’t pleased with the big-play passes the cornerbacks allowed early in games last season. The third-year coach is optimistic Jackson, Darius Mouton, Tim Hough and Jericho Flowers will be much improved corners in the fall.

Sanchez, however, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing in graduate transfers to play corner. The Rebels have two scholarships left to offer for 2017.

Jackson doesn’t mind the extra competition.

“I got no problem with that,” Jackson said. “I want new guys to come in. I hope they come. It would be more motivation to keep fighting and grinding.”

The grind never stops.

CORNER FOR THE FUTURE

UNLV wasn’t done recruiting high school players for the 2017 season after National Signing Day last month.

Kyle Moses, a cornerback from Mater Dei Catholic High School in San Diego, signed with the Rebels last week.

“We’re excited about Kyle Moses,” Sanchez said. “We had interest in him late in the game, but we wanted to make sure he came out to visit. Once he did, we quickly got things going. He’ll be a special player for the future.”

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.