JUCO safety considering visit to Florida State following offer
Junior College safety Jadon Pearson had one of the very best seasons for any JUCO player nationally in 2021. Now that his tape is getting around, colleges are taking notice. Recently, Florida State offered the talented 6’3”, 202 pound defensive back.
JUCO is a hard route to go. For Pearson, he’s using his time at Reedley Community College in California wisely. An original member of the 2019 class, Pearson has focused on academics mostly since arriving in California.
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“I’m originally from Gilbert, Arizona and I was a member of the 2019 recruiting class,” Pearson said. “I signed on with Air Force. I went to their prep school, then in 2020, the pandemic hit. Everything went to online classes and I began struggling. After that semester I wanted to get out of that situation so I didn’t have be in a junior college for two years.”
“I originally went into the portal, but with my grades I didn’t qualify, so I hit up JUCO schools in Texas and Mississippi,” Pearson explained. “I didn’t get a peep back. I was working two jobs when I got the call from Reedley. Coming here was the best decision for me and now I’m planning on graduating in July and enrolling for this fall.”
Pearson had 80 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 6 pass break-up, and 2 forced fumbles in a stellar freshman season. His versatility is catching the attention of coaches from all over the nation.
“I’m 6’3”, 202 pounds, but I have the footwork and use leverage like a corner so I can play there as well as safety,” Pearson said. “Some schools have talked about me playing some Will in some packages. I feel I can play and contribute at five or six positions on the defense. I have communication with other schools, but FSU, Hawaii, Fresno State, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Washington State and Colorado State have offered.”
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FSU is just getting in the picture with Jadon. He said it’s picked up steam rather quickly and now there’s talk of a visit before he graduates in July.
“I got offered by their defensive coordinator Coach Adam Fuller,” Pearson said. “I was in contact with their GM. He said that if they are going to move forward it was going to happen quickly and it has. I heard from them Monday of last week. When they offered that told me they aren’t playing around. The conversation I had with Coach Fuller was genuine. It was a regular conversation about our lives and just about football. At the end of the conversation is when he told me he was offering me. It really couldn’t have been a better conversation.”
He says the rich tradition of putting defensive backs in the league is the main reason why he’s interested in the Seminoles.
“I mean yeah, there’s Deion, Jalen, Derwin, and Asante Samuel - they have a rich culture at defensive backs,” Pearson said. “It was really reassuring to me when they offered that I am a good player and I’m happy I can be presented an offer at a school at that level. I’m talking to them right now about lining up a visit. There’s no pen to paper yet but there’s been a lot of communication.”
With his graduation around the corner, he plans on taking visits in June.
“I’ll take my visits in June so I can know where I’m going once I graduate and I can start learning the playbook,” Pearson said. “I have visits lined up to Oregon State and Utah. I have finals coming up soon so after that I’ll line up the last three.”
Pearson is looking for the right fit and for a school that can maximize his potential. He was the conference leader in tackles last fall and missed only 20 plays on defense.
Stay tuned as we track Jadon’s recruitment and possible upcoming visit to FSU.
