Top-Performing CB at Elite UC Orlando Receives Florida Gators Offer
Florida offered 2024 Dillard (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) cornerback Antione Jackson on Monday evening. Jackson was named one of our five top performers at Sports Illustrated All-American from Sunday's Elite Underclassmen Camp in Orlando. Check out our report on his performance below.
The rising sophomore cornerback held his own in man coverage against bigger receivers and could have been mistaken for an upperclassman given his athleticism, length, and comfort on the field. Jackson's speed-turn in reaction to stutters and double-moves was incredibly smooth and allowed him to recover with ease moving down the sideline, hip-to-hip with his receiver.
Coaches vocalized their frustration by a lack of turnovers created by defensive backs in one-on-ones. Jackson took the field for his first rep shortly after their comments, and lo-and-behold came up with a leaping interception after getting on top of his receiver following a swift speed-turn.
This is a prospect to watch over the next couple of years who should emerge as a nationally-coveted man coverage cornerback with ball-hawking skills. We want to see Jackson's reaction timing improve against outside releases, but his recovery speed helps him in these situations.
Florida is the fourth school to offer Jackson, following LSU, Georgia Tech, and Miami. The Hurricanes sent Jackson his first offer in February.
We typically don't write stories solely for offers, especially if they aren't for the current recruiting cycle and much less for prospects that are three years away from college. However, as mentioned in his camp scouting report, Jackson has the makings of a nationally coveted prospect after earning playing time as a true freshman and making a good impression from there.
On film, the 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback shows a willingness to utilize his length and physicality as a downhill tackler. He didn't have many coverage reps on his HUDL highlights but in limited reps, Jackson appeared strong in man coverage as he was during the camp. Jackson owns a strong press-punch and fluid hips to keep himself in the perimeter of his receiver working down the field.
Jackson's highlights from the Elite Underclassmen Camp can be viewed at the top of this story.