Leroy Jackson commits to North Carolina

North Carolina didn’t offer Leroy Jackson until they saw film from his senior season. That was presented to the defensive lineman out of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County in September. But he was on the Tar Heel’s radar way before then. Defensive line coach Tim Cross stopped by the school in May, during the evaluation period and the two have been in communication since.

Jackson got the offer, communication picked up between the 6-foot-1, 270-pound three-star and North Carolina and an official visit was taken when the Tar Heels hosted Miami.

By the end of the weekend, Mack Brown‘s program knocked off the Hurricanes and Jackson was committed to North Carolina.

“North Carolina got a big win in a big game and the first time in Chapel Hill opened up eyes,” Jackson told On3. “It was beautiful, I loved the fans, their defensive line showed me a lot and then their academics are strong.

“Before I left the official visit, I committed to the coaches. I knew my decision while I was still on campus.”

Miami offered a few days after that visit, but Jackson had already made up his mind. He chose the Tar Heels over Appalachian State and Iowa State, the other two schools he visited officially.

“I like a lot about North Carolina. The defensive line has a lot of responsibilities, they call their own plays and Coach Cross puts them into position to make plays. They play three or four defensive linemen, so they are versatile.

“They have strong academics too. I want to major in Computer Science and they are strong in that field. Then you have the coaches. The coaches are great people. Everyone is welcoming and I will get to play in a crazy atmosphere in Chapel Hill.

Jackson was very complimentary of Coach Brown. He likes how the head coach cares about his players. The best relationship is with Coach Cross though. The two have built a bond and he is excited about his future with him.

“Coach Cross has been recruiting me for a long time,” Jackson said. “He started showing interest very early in the year, so we have been talking for a while. I like him and I like how he teaches. We watched some film, he knows the defense and he is all about the details. Coach Cross wants his players to know the little things and be as prepared as they can be. He has a lot of experience, he reminds me of my high school defensive line coach and we have a good relationship.”