Austin Jackson Selects USC Football on Signing Day

Four-star offensive tackle Austin Jackson selected USC football as his college destination on Signing Day, picking the Trojans over ASU.

USC landed a big-time legacy on Signing Day as Austin Jackson committed to play for Trojans.

Jackson’s grandfather played for USC on the 1974 national championship team, and now he’ll look to bring some of that championship magic back to Los Angeles.

Along with USC, Jackson, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, was also considering ASU and Washington.

The Skinny

Jackson stands 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds and, with that size, projects as a tackle at the college level.

A four-star recruit, he’s the No. 8 offensive tackle in the country per the 247Sports composite and the No. 1 player in Arizona. He ranks No. 35 among all players in the 2017 class.

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Though he’s an elite offensive lineman, his experience as a defensive lineman is clear in his play on the offensive side of the ball as an aggressive blocker with a competitive nature.

Where He Fits

The Trojans lost both starting tackles, both of whom happened to be All-Americans, to graduation this year, so Jackson’s addition is a welcome one.

It’s usually best to assume prospects up front will require some time to settle in and develop, but Jackson will have opportunities to compete for a starting place right away if he can hit the ground running quickly enough.

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With the open right tackle job likely to be filled by Chuma Edoga, Jackson get a shot at left tackle. And even if he doesn’t win the job straight away, like Edoga, he could serve as an understudy in that spot for the time being.

High School Highlights

He Reminds Us Of…Tyron Smith

The biggest question surrounding Austin Jackson is his weight, at 280 pounds. Given his 6-foot-6 frame, there’s still plenty room beyond the 280 pounds he’s listed as, despite plenty of growth in that department in the last year.

Nine years ago, Tyron Smith was in a similar spot when he arrived at USC, with a slender 260-pound weigh-in serving as the only thing keeping him from a five-star ranking. Smith hit the weight room, continued to develop and has become one of the best tackles on the planet with the Dallas Cowboys.

Should Smith bulk up further, he’s got a chance to be your ideal USC left tackle in the mold of so many before him.