Quarterback commit Tayven Jackson aims to put Tennessee 'back on top'

INDIANAPOLIS – The field conditions were terrible. Thick dirt had players stuck in the ground all night. Rain sprayed down on the game’s biggest play. And in an instant, none of it mattered for Tayven Jackson.

The crown jewel commitment in coach Josh Heupel’s first full recruiting class at Tennessee came up huge when it mattered the most. It all came under the lights of the biggest game in the Indiana high school football season. Jackson, a Class of 2022 four-star quarterback at Greenwood (Ind.) Center Grove, squared off with rival Indianapolis Cathedral last Friday night.

Both were 8-0 and the top-ranked programs in their respective classes heading into the regular-season finale. Center Grove held a 7-6 lead one minute into the fourth quarter, and that’s when Jackson made the biggest play of the Trojans’ season.

Jackson handled a shotgun snap on third-and-13 and rolled out to his right. As a free rusher bore down on him in the rain, Jackson unleashed a pass across his body and off his back foot that traveled about 40 yards in the air. It landed perfectly in the hands of receiver Eli Hohlt, who didn’t have to break stride before he fell into the end zone for a game-breaking 44-yard touchdown catch.

The score helped Center Grove to an eventual 21-6 win. For a quarterback who is known for possessing some Patrick Mahomes-style throwing tendencies, it was a near-duplication of a throw the former NFL MVP would make. 

It arguably was the biggest throw of Jackson’s career, or at least his most impressive considering the context – in a massive moment, on a big high school stage, a play his team had to have.

‘The game has slowed down’

That play was a microcosm of the bigger picture for Jackson.

He has shown substantial improvement over the past two years. His stock soared during that time as he worked his way onto the national radar, and that included a trip to the Elite 11 Finals this summer as one of the country’s best high school quarterbacks. A throw like that helps show that growth – even though Jackson wants to share the credit.

“I think the game has slowed down for me and I’m just making plays out there that the defense is giving and what my guys are doing,” Jackson told On3. “They’re getting open, the o-line’s blocking great. So it’s not just me, it’s everyone.”

Jackson wants to put Tennessee back on top

What Jackson also experienced during that game was what a rainy game at Tennessee could be like. Neyland Stadium has natural grass instead of turf, and perhaps Jackson will play under similar conditions when he gets to the SEC – or maybe not.

“I don’t think we’ll ever play in these conditions because college football fields are just insane,” Jackson said. “Tennessee’s got a grass field, too, but this was really high (grass). But it was good to come out here and just get to experience that.

“It was crazy. The ball didn’t change; it was just the ground. Because they kept on switching the balls in, and it didn’t affect me; it didn’t affect the throwing. It was just the routes and the planting.”

Rain, sleet or snow, Jackson has received valuable experience in the past two seasons and made himself into a quarterback who is much more ready for the stage the Volunteers will provide. And it won’t be long before Jackson gets to Knoxville to try to help Heupel and the Volunteers turn things around.

“I’m just hoping to get in there and do my part and help them win and get back on top,” Jackson said. “The goal is a national championship, and if you ask the coaching staff that’s their goal. So I’m ready to go in. In two months, I get there and I’m ready to compete for a spot. (Starting quarterback Hendon) Hooker is doing a great job, but he’ll be gone and I’m just looking forward to just competing with my teammates and trying to put them on top again.”