Texas signee Lance Jackson finishes the 2025 cycle as the No. 5 overall prospect

2025 Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove EDGE Lance Jackson jumped from No. 8 to No. 5 in the final 2025 On300 ranking released on Thursday and finishes as the highest-rated recruit in the Texas Longhorns’ top-ranked 2025 recruiting class.

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Jackson, a 6-foot-5, 276-pounder, is already on campus as an early-enrollee and was with the Longhorns during their run to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

Here’s what On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power had to say about Jackson in his evaluation.

“‘First off the bus’ prospect who pairs outstanding size, athleticism and effort level to be one of the top EDGE prospects in the 2025 cycle. Measured in at 6-foot-5.25, 270 pounds at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season. Has plus length with 34-inch arms to go with 10-inch hands. Excellent weight distribution throughout his frame and looks to be a lean 270. Lines up as a defensive end and tight end for his high school. Dominant off the edge as a senior, tallying over 20 tackles for loss and double-digit sacks. Shows high level initial quickness. Continued to add flexibility as a senior. Dips his shoulder and bends the edge very well for such a big defensive end. Runs the hoop and finishes behind the line of scrimmage at a high rate. Length shows up in implementing a straight arm move. Has the capability to walk offensive tackles back to the quarterback with speed-to-power. An effective edge setter with his size and strength. Plays with a high effort level on defense. Shows his athleticism as a tight end, with the ability to stretch the seam. Physical as a blocker. Bigger than most EDGE prospects, opening up the possibility that he could outgrow the position. Will benefit from full-time focus on defense once he gets to college. Physical traits and play personality translate to all levels and point to a high upside as a potential early NFL Draft pick.”

Inside Texas Evaluation

Strengths: Excellent height and frame for the position. He’s a mountain. Well-proportioned and will easily add weight to this frame. Impressive wingspan on display as both a defensive player and pass catching tight end. First step is very quick and plays head up. Quick to diagnose the play. Changes direction really well for a man his size and looks pretty fluid in space. Lower body power is notable and his breakdown to tackle mechanic is remarkably smooth for such a tall player. Delivers noticeable power through the ball carrier. As a run defender, will stay square to the line and box the end man. Frequently dominated 1:1 run blocking as his length could not be outleveraged by most opponents. As a pass rusher, flashes both athleticism and technique. Easily converts speed to power, and simply destroys bad technique fighting to the inside gap. As a tight end, played as H-back & detached Y. A willing blocker. Shows decent hands and uses his body very well to gain and keep position on defenders. Between height and lower body explosiveness has great high point ability. Gets moving upfield quickly after the catch.

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Areas for Improvement: Straight line speed seems to bleed after 5-10 yards. Needs to be more consistent in locking out blockers from getting into his frame. Needs to be consistent in extending his arms. He gets upright at times and doesn’t consistently anchor, which can lead to him getting off balance and turned around. This may have been playing through injury. Upper body strength is a bit of a question and opponent film shows effective double teams driving him backwards. Minimal film of him taking on pullers.