Florida Gators DL Transfer Target Commits to Miami
Although the Florida Gators made a fighting effort for his services, Maryland sophomore defensive lineman Darrell Jackson has elected to transfer to Miami, he announced on Tuesday evening.
Formerly a part of the 2021 recruiting class, Jackson – who began playing football in 2019 – was perhaps an underrated prospect in what was a talented defensive line class. Due to his inexperience and raw ability, the Gadsden County (Fla.) trench monster elected to take his talents to the Terrapins for just one season.
Playing in 13 contests as a reserve, Jackson accounted for 22 total tackles on the season and made his 6-foot-6, 300-pound presence felt by the Big 10 offenses he faced. His best contest came in the Terrapins' final game of the year, Jackson's first career start, where he compiled six tackles en route to a 54-10 victory over Virginia Tech in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
On April 7, Jackson entered his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal and immediately became a priority transfer target for Florida. The Gators quickly got Jackson on campus for the Orange and Blue game and impressed the transfer prospect enough for him to reportedly schedule a second visit for the upcoming weekend of April 29.
It appears that the visit is no longer on the schedule, as Jackson has made his transfer decision known. He made the trek to Coral Gables the week after Florida's spring game, and seemingly, that was that.
The Gators will continue to scan the portal for help at defensive tackle ahead of the 2022 season, as interior defensive line depth is one of the team's biggest needs currently. The portal is expected to expand drastically in the coming weeks as the spring semester wraps up across the country.
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