Auburn Tigers WR Sam Jackson on Playing Cal: ‘It Definitely Means a Little More’

Whenever a coach or player takes on their former team, it always means more than a usual matchup.

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Sam Jackson V will have the opportunity to pick up a win against his former team when Auburn takes on Cal this Saturday.

Jackson started at quarterback for Cal last season, switching positions to reunite with Payton Thorne who was his high school quarterback.

Jackson talked about how much it means to him to have the opportunity to face off against his former team.

“It definitely means a little more to me just because of the situation and what happened at Cal,” Jackson said. “I think we keep it plain and simple, it’s just another game for us. Auburn had struggles against us last year but this year I think it is going to be much different.”

Jackson expressed how much he has enjoyed being reunited with Thorne.

“It’s just crazy being able to play with an old teammate,” Jackson said. “First time playing receiver in college and my first time ever playing receiver period in high school was with Payton (Thorne). So just getting to do it again was a dream come true, to be honest.”

Jackson made a 37-yard touchdown catch against Alabama A&M on a throw from Hank Brown. Jackson revisited the play and how it felt to make his first touchdown catch of his Auburn career.

.@Hankb_15 connects with Sam Jackson for the 37 yard touchdown! 🙌 https://t.co/6inwFTs99x pic.twitter.com/qopIBpb8nl
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 1, 2024

“It just happened right before my eyes,” Jackson said. “I just got off the ball and it got caught in the lights a little bit. I jumped back into it but I got lost in it. It was pretty exciting for me for sure. When you make plays like that, you don’t really think about it in the moment.”

Jackson has not been talked about as much as some of the other wide receivers Auburn brought in this offseason but he still has the potential to be a game-changer for the group in 2024.