Former Miami defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. says it 'feels amazing' to be part of Florida State

Florida State has been quite productive in the transfer portal under coach Mike Norvell, and one of his biggest gets was snagging Miami defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.

Jackson hails from a little town northwest of Tallahassee called Havana, so he’s just a stone’s throw away from home now.

“It feels amazing. I’m happy to be here playing in my backyard,” Jackson said this week. “I just feel like it’s home, so I’m good.”

The former Miami player has already been through the transfer portal experience once, going from Maryland to Miami, and his phone was lit up like a Christmas tree the second time he entered.

Even with a hurdle to clear as far as immediate eligibility, many programs were interested in Jackson’s services.

“It was (hectic), but I’m just happy I made the decision to come to Florida State,” Jackson said. “I’m in my backyard. I can help out with my parents, my little baby sister and just be happy. I’m happy I’m home so I can help them any chance I get.”

Miami defensive tackle Darrell Jackson will seek immediate eligibility

Now with his transfer finalized and formalized, former Miami defensive tackle Darrell Jackson will begin the process of obtaining immediate eligibility. He’ll need a waiver from the NCAA.

“It’s a process,” Darrell Jackson said, avoiding giving a timeline for that process. “Everything going through, it’s a process.”

Jackson has played in 20 games over his first two seasons at the college level. During that time, he has made 49 tackles, 4.5 of which were for a loss, and he had three sacks.

Darrell Jackson played high school football at Gadsden County (Florida), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 736 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

It was additions like Jackson this offseason that have made some consider Florida State head coach Mike Norvell to be the ‘portal king.’ After all, very few have managed to use the portal as effectively to build a roster as he has.