Kearis Jackson: A Leader and X-Factor In 2020 for Georgia Football
The wide receiver position group at Georgia is extremely young. There is talent galore and many fans are very excited to see George Pickens in his second year and also the talented true freshman like Jermaine Burton, Marcus Rosemy, and Justin Robinson. However, depending on a bunch of freshmen and sophomores is nerve-wracking for a coaching staff and a fan base regardless of the talent.
In years like this, you need guys who've been on campus to step up and lead by example and work ethic to calm the waters so to speak. Kearis Jackson is that guy for the Georgia receiving core.
A redshirt sophomore from Fort Valley, Georgia, and a former standout at perennial Georgia high school football powerhouse Peach County, Jackson has that Bulldog pedigree. He's an in-state guy that knows the tradition of the program and of the university and understands how deep the ties to it run. Also, Jackson has either been committed to Georgia or on the roster for the run to the National Championship game in 2017 and the subsequent trips to Atlanta and the Sugar Bowl in 2018 and 2019.
Jackson has seen first hand the way guys like Terry Godwin and Lawrence Cager have lead by example, just grinding with their head down, and now he's doing the same.
Kirby Smart alluded to this Thursday night in an interview with 680 The Fan. Smart was talking about leaders on the team and specifically mentioned Kearis Jackson.
Also, it was not uncommon to see Jackson out in front of the media last year after practices and games. Jackson wasn't out there because he was dominating with his performance on the field. No, that's a sign of trust. Coach Smart and the staff put young men out there who are mature and are going to be able to handle things in a way that is best for the program as a whole. However, after being hampered by a broken hand in the opener versus Vanderbilt last year and missing some more time later in the year due to nagging injuries, Jackson is healthy and expect the performance to match the attitude and leadership this year.
The third-year Dawg wideout can prove extremely valuable for Georgia this year. By all accounts, Jackson is a student of the game and should be able to fully grasp Todd Monken's new concepts and play designs. Also, at 6'0" 200 pounds with both the quickness and linear speed that Jackson possesses, he has the versatility to play inside or outside for Georgia in 2020.
This is extremely important as, despite being fully cleared, there is no guarantee that Dominick Blaylock will fully return to form right away from his ACL injury and other than Demetris Robertson, the rest of the group is a talented bunch that has not yet lived up to their hype or are totally unproven.
With high 4.4, low 4.5 speed, Jackson can absolutely be a playmaker for the Dawgs. Opportunity and timing have a lot to do with success at the receiver position. If Jackson can stay healthy, expect to see him on the field a lot, especially early, for Georgia. More playing time leads to more targets which leads to more catches and Jackson can factor in the return game as well. If and when Georgia suits up this fall expect to see Kearis Jackson play a key role in the success of a team looking to win its second SEC Championship under Kirby Smart and return to the College Football Playoff.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDailySI.
