USC football: Freshman WR makes waves with spectacular one-handed catch (Video)

USC football wide receiver Deontay Burnett.
USC football wide receiver Deontay Burnett. / Harry How/Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

One of USC football's newest additions is already making a name for himself in Spring Camp. Freshman WR Michael Jackson III can turn highlights into snaps.

The Trojans are finally back on the practice field with the start of USC football Spring Camp this week.

Spring Camp means exciting position battles and opportunities for individual Trojans to stake their claim to playing time.

Freshman wide receiver Michael Jackson III wasted no time putting his name into the discussion.

Here's another angle of that sweet one-handed grab:

Fellow freshman quarterback Jaxson Dart was all about his teammate making plays.

Michael Jackson III is making a big impression for USC football early

Jackson III had to work his way up recruiting rankings, ultimately rising to No. 364 in the 247Sports composite. He may have been a three-star, but his upside calls that rating into question.

It's fitting, then, that Blair Angulo of 247Sports gave Jackson III a comparison to former USC wide receiver Deontay Burnett. Like Burnett, Jackson III flew under the radar in recruiting, but he was pegged from the beginning as a talent who would outperform his rating.

It's early, but he's doing just that.

There's a huge opportunity available to all of USC's wide receivers this offseason. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns left for the NFL, leaving two starting spots open. The expectation is for Bru McCoy and transfer K.D. Nixon to step into the starting lineup, but there are snaps and targets up for grabs.

WATCH: Bru McCoy's first TD catch for USC was insane

If Jackson III keeps making catches like that, he'll see the field as a freshman.

Jackson III can't get comfortable though. Bigger, badder competition is coming for him if cornerback Chris Steele has any say in it.

Steele has missed the first couple of practices for the Trojans for undisclosed reasons, but he's clearly looking forward to getting out there and testing Jackson III in person.

As the Trojans say: Iron sharpens iron.

Next. 5 Trojan Free Agents Who Still Need NFL Teams. dark