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Gators commit climbs the ladder for sensational touchdown reception

79417-removebg-preview (1)by:Corey Bender•09/30/23•

Corey_Bender

Amir Jackson
Gators commit Amir Jackson (Keith Niebuhr/On3)

Although Portal (Ga.) High came up short at the hands of Gray Collegiate, its outstanding senior tight end, Amir Jackson, will forever be linked to the game and for good reason.

A four-star Florida commit, Jackson recorded arguably the catch of the year in high school football, as he timed his jump perfectly to snatch the ball out of the sky with one hand.

It was an outstanding display of athleticism, body control and concentration to come up with the catch.

And luckily for Gators fans, that eye-opening touchdown reception can be seen below:

Jackson, who committed to the SEC program over the summer, possesses additional offers from Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, Miami, Auburn, South Carolina and Kentucky among others.

According to the On300 rankings, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior is the No. 6 tight end and No. 100 prospect overall. He is also the No. 14-ranked senior in the state of Georgia.

Scouting Report on Amir Jackson

During the 2022 season, Jackson reeled in 22 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 19.4 yards per catch. He also made a splash at safety with 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception,

That should tell you the type of athlete Jackson is for the tight end position. And on top of that, he spends much of his time at Portal split outside at wide receiver. This is a big athlete who does a good job of taking advantage of one-on-one coverage. It’s not often when Jackson loses a one-on-one battle. His strong background in basketball definitely helps with that.

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Although Jackson is known for his ability after the catch, that does not mean he is not physical. There are several plays on his highlight reel showing him deliver a strong blow to the defender, often resulting in them laid out on their back. When the opportunity presents itself, Jackson gets downhill in a hurry and is then strong at the point of attack. That part of his game does not get enough credit.

And I am not saying Jackson to going to be anything close to Kyle Pitts in terms of production. All I’m saying is the way he is utilized by his high school reminds me of how Florida utilized Pitts. This is a new-age tight end who is more of a field stretcher and bigger receiver rather than a traditional tight end. That could change as Jackson gets stronger and adds weight, but his game is being an athletic tight end who creates mismatches.

Also, on screen passes, Jackson shows impressive quickness for a bigger athlete. He is not just dangerous when getting north and south; he also does a nice job of making defenders miss and creating something out of nothing, especially at the line of scrimmage. Jackson is fluid for someone of his stature.

All in all, Jackson will definitely bring more athleticism to UF’s tight end room. It will be interesting to see how he fills out over the next few years. The Gators are getting a true red-zone threat. Jackson knows how to create separation in one-on-one coverage and is light on his feet when navigating downfield.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

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