Texas A&M's McKinnley Jackson returns to practice after arrest

Texas A&M defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson returned to practice Sunday. Jackson had been serving a suspension, per standard athletic department policy, stemming from an Aug. 4 arrest.

McKinnley Jackson (#35) is in pads and practicing with the team. #GigEm pic.twitter.com/dQVWfOqR9A

— Mike Lucas (@KAGS_Lucas) August 15, 2021

Jackson was arrested in early August on drug charges, notably a second-degree felony count of possession of a controlled substance, according to Brazos County Jail records. 

Jackson was released later Friday after posting a $22,000 bail.

The felony charge accuses Jackson of having between four and 200 grams of a controlled substance. He also faces a misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge. 

The marijuana charge is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. The second-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance is punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Jail records indicate the charges were from April 7. The circumstances surrounding the April 7 arrest are unknown at this time.

A sigh of relief for A&M defense

As a freshman, Jackson played in all 10 games and earned SEC All-Freshman honors. He had 13 tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Jackson’s return to practice is somewhat of a sigh of relief for the A&M defense, but he’s not in the clear yet. Jackson could still face further internal discipline, like a multi-game suspension, and still has to deal with the situation from a legal perspective.

Without Jackson, the Aggies would have had to turn to second-year defensive linemen Isaiah Raikes and Dallas Walker IV as well as incoming freshmen Shemar Turner and Tunmise Adeleye. Jackson has more experience than the four mentioned and is expected to have an even bigger 2021 season, as he steps into a bigger role.

Jackson is expected to replace Bobby Brown III, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in April. Brown led the Aggies in sacks last season.

Coming out of high school, Jackson was a highly-touted, four-star recruit and considered the top player out of the state of Mississippi. As a senior at George County High School, Jackson recorded over 80 tackles including 34 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks. He committed to Texas A&M on signing day in 2020. He chose the Aggies over Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. 

Texas A&M returns the majority of their defensive starters from last season’s Orange Bowl team. The two most impactful departures were leading tackler Buddy Johnson and the aforementioned Brown III. With national championship aspirations in 2021, two big questions for the Aggies heading into the season are: Figuring out which, if any, of the quarterbacks on the current roster can replace Kellen Mond and McKinnley Jackson’s ability to fill the hole left behind by Bobby Brown III.