4-star QB Trever Jackson commits to Ole Miss 'Coach Kiffin is building something special'

Winter Garden (Fla.) Jones four-star quarterback Trever Jackson was very close to committing earlier in the process.

The Elite 11 finalist really liked Pittsburgh and felt like that was his best opportunity to succeed. But after heeding the advice of his father, Jackson decided to hold off. His impressive offseason led to an invite to the prestigious event in California. After a strong week there, more schools started coming out of the woodwork. UCLA extended an offer. So did Ole Miss. Texas A&M came into the picture.

A week later, Ole Miss quarterback commit Demond Williams Jr. reopened his recruitment and the Rebels pounced on Jackson.

Jackson, the No. 252 prospect and No. 16 quarterback in the On3 Industry Ranking, visited Oxford at the end of July, and also stopped at a few other schools. But he knew where he wanted to be, and on Saturday afternoon he announced his commitment to Lane Kiffin and the SEC program.

“One reason is that offense, it is explosive,” Jackson told On3 of why he made the call for the Rebels. “But it’s the academics, too. Ole Miss offers great support, and they make it easy to manage academics and football. They have a great culture and vibe around the team, and Ole Miss has a great community. There is no pro team, so Ole Miss is like that team, and they have great fans and support.”

Ole Miss turned up the pursuit in late in June

The Rebels’ coaching staff had been in contact with Jackson before, sending him graphics and following him on social media. But that’s about where the recruiting ended. But after the Elite 11 Finals in late-June, that changed completely. They turned up the heat in a big way, and after Williams decommitted, Jackson was their top target.

He already had a connection to Kiffin, who recruited his brother Tre Jackson to Florida Atlantic. That made the decision to ultimately consider the Rebels and commit to them much easier.

“We already had that relationship,” Jackson said. “Kiffin knew me, he knew my family, so it was easy when they started recruiting me at Ole Miss. My brother is in his final year at FAU, and when he first got there, I was in the locker room sometimes, I was at every home game and I knew I liked Coach Kiffin. I even met his dad, Monty Kiffin and I tried on one of his super bowl rings. I knew Coach Kiffin would be a great coach to play for.”

After his visit to Ole Miss at the end of July, Jackson also stopped at Maryland, another program he was considering. But once he looked at all of options and made his mind up, Ole Miss was the clear choice.

“I came back, sat down, looked over my options and made the best choice for me,” he said. “Ole Miss is that with my skill set and the offense they run. With Coach Kiffin and Coach Weis, the offense is a perfect fit for me. I love what they do and they have a great background with quarterbacks.”

Jackson sees something special being built

Kiffin has made developing quarterbacks and his calling card, and he hired Charlie Weis Jr., another up-and-coming offensive mind, to be his co-OC and quarterbacks coach. Jackson has already connected with both and is excited to work every day with Weis.

“He is so technical with QBs, and he will really help me succeed,” Jackson said. “I love how he is very detailed — he slows it down, he teaches and just makes it easier. As a person, he’s a lot younger than other coaches and has a good vibe. He is a cool guy and an easy person to connect with.”

Jackson also believes in the program as a whole that Kiffin is building, and he can’t wait to be part of it. Now, he can also put his recruiter cap on and work to bring more talent to the ‘Sip.

“Coach Kiffin and Ole Miss are building something special. I can’t wait to be part of that and take it to the next level. A lot of people don’t think much because it is in Mississippi, but once you get there, you see it has everything. Ole Miss has everything a recruit would want, and I am going to put my recruiting hat and make sure others know that…

… I waited, and and I’m happy I did. I found the best place for me.”