Will Devon Jackson Break Out for Oregon Football in 2024?
Oregon Football’s linebacker room under coach Dan Lanning has been steady and effective but not yet dominant.
Entering 2024 and year three of the Lanning era at Oregon, fans are likely hoping the unit takes another step forward.
Fortunately, sophomore linebacker Devon Jackson has garnered rave reviews over the last few months and appears to have what it takes to reach his obvious potential this year.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Jackson appeared in 12 games, posting 17 total tackles with 1.5 TFLs in limited action.
As with many toolsy-but-unrefined high school recruits, there was a fair level of disagreement among recruiting sites as to where he stacked up in the 2022 linebacker class.
While the On3 rankings listed Jackson as the No. 30 linebacker in the cycle, ESPN and 247 Sports both listed him at No. 9.
This is largely attributable to his makeup as a player, being somewhat undersized (6-2, 205 lbs) out of high school and playing his prep ball in Nebraska.
Times have changed.
Jackson is now listed at 230 lbs and has clearly grown significantly in his time with Oregon Football.
What fans are salivating over, however, is the speed he brings to his position.
As a sprinter in high school, Jackson posted a 100-meter time of 10.54 seconds, making him one of the fastest players on the Ducks’ roster.
Pairing unbelievable speed with a prototypical frame should make him a force in 2024, but there’s more to the puzzle.
“I feel like I’m really comfortable in my ability, in this scheme,” Jackson said following Day 11 of Oregon Football fall camp.
“It’s really come to light this year and I can’t wait to show it.”
Scheme knowledge is something that consistently holds back younger players as they adapt to the college game.
Particularly at Oregon, Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi are known for having a complex defensive system that includes a host of variables and reads on a given play.
For 2024, Jackson projects as the backup to Jeffrey Bassa at the Money linebacker position.
He will also presumably rotate in at other positions, particularly on passing downs as his speed gives him nearly limitless potential in coverage.
Barring injuries to starters, it’s hard for me to imagine Jackson cracking the starting 11 for Oregon’s defense this year but fans should expect him to make regular appearances on the field and bring obvious juice to the lineup.
I expect him to truly shine in the 2025 season as Bassa will have left the team, leaving Jackson as the presumable full-time starter.
In the meantime, watch out for a linebacker wearing No. 26 who appears startlingly fast for his position and far more refined than he did last season.
