Scout's Take: An In-Depth Look at Tayven Jackson's Game
Recent Tennessee commitment Tayven Jackson represented himself well at the Indianapolis Elite 11. The dual-threat signal caller proved he’s one of the nation’s most unique 2022 quarterback recruits.
Brownsburg (Ind.) -- Few Midwest signal callers hold scholarship offers from a combination of Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Ole Miss, Nebraska, South Carolina, Iowa, UCLA, Texas Christian, UCF, Missouri, Florida State, North Carolina State and Tennessee. That’s Tayven Jackson, however, and the Tennessee commitment proved why he’s one of the nation’s top signal callers during the Indianapolis Elite 11.
A smooth and limber athlete that could play numerous positions on the gridiron, Jackson consistently provided accuracy, arm strength, and the ability to complete passes on the run. Overall, Jackson’s ability to perform at a high level in several categories made him the most dynamic 2022 quarterback of the day.
As a precursor, one can read about Jackson from Center Grove Quarterbacks Coach Joe Siderwicz’s perspective. Tennessee will be bringing in a very athletic and competitive player that will push each player in the Volunteers’ quarterback room. After watching Jackson live during Elite 11, here are a few specific details that coincide with Coach Siderwicz’s comments as well as go into more detail.
Mechanics, Athleticism and Football Skill
Jackson’s motion provides plenty of pop, and it’s not a long-drawn-out-motion either. Most importantly, Jackson completed passes on the move; he showed the ability to roll out and throw as well as he threw from the pocket. This is where the intersection of the Elite 11 instructors met with Jackson’s physical skills.
Elite 11 has been and will likely always be about quarterback mechanics, understanding the best drills to enhance one’s skills, and reading situations/coverages. With that stated, the ability to extend plays and continuously utilize the same throwing motion deserves special mention. Jackson makes plays the vast majority of high school quarterbacks simply cannot.
While Jackson’s full entourage of skills cannot be displayed unless it’s a live game, watching his effortless motion on the run helped to better understand his skillset. When discussing long-term upside, Jackson is one of the handful of 2022 quarterbacks that possesses a big-time arm, the mental awareness to process information, and the athleticism to make plays with his feet. Now, time to hone in and discuss Jackson’s physical talent.
The Athlete
Within the modern day college football world, the majority of college programs prefer a quarterback that can operate run-pass option (RPO) plays. Jackson is the definition of this type of athlete, and the Volunteers coaching staff will assuredly take advantage of Jackson outside the pocket and during RPO plays. A player that will make a defender miss in space or run over him, Jackson’s physical skill could be best described with the following: he runs, turns, and stops and starts like a wide receiver, yet plays quarterback.
If it helps one understand Jackson’s athleticism, he’s also one of the best basketball players in the greater Indianapolis area, a city with a long and rich high school basketball heritage. Those basketball skills were taken to the gridiron at Brownsburg High School for Elite 11, and it was fun to watch.
When combined with his arm strength, this young man is a weapon. Even if Jackson does not make a read quite as quickly as he should, 1) he provides the arm to power the football, and 2) his feet allow him more time to produce a positive play.
While quarterbacks need to throw with timing and rhythm, Jackson included, his additional ability to make things happen needs to be discussed more because Elite 11 does not necessarily bring that aspect into account as much as traditional quarterback play. Just keep it in mind for down the line when Jackson lines up in a Tennessee uniform. Finally, a look at Jackson and what he needs to improve upon.
Continuing To Improve Technique
Even the best high school signal callers need to work on the finer points quarterback play. Jackson will not be an exception. During different Elite 11 drills, Jackson quickly adapted, but he will still need to continue to work on footwork and play-action passing. The good news is Jackson constantly asked questions and learned as much as he could while Elite 11 took place. Here’s an example.
Jackson waited for a drill to end, and then asked the quarterback instructor to provide a more in-depth explanation of what he wanted to see. Jackson immediately walked up and went through the drill and did so correctly. This particular drill was regarding play-action passing and keeping the same throwing motion thereafter.
When a quarterback repeats his pass drop the same way, steps forward and throws the same way, and repeats his follow through time and again, that’s when he becomes a next-level player. As Jackson continues to pick up the variations of quarterback ball handling, it will only aid his overall game.
In short, Jackson simply needs to continue to push forward. He’s what a high school quarterback is expected to be regardless of raw talent level: a player that needs to continuously work on his mechanics each and every day. It’s the little things, nothing more, nothing less. That’s why Jackson possesses so much potential once he arrives in Knoxville (Tenn.).
Final Thoughts
Jackson’s arm strength, mental awareness and athleticism make him a big-time prospect that is quite frankly undervalued nationally. Tennessee landed a dynamic playmaker with the upside to elevate the Volunteers at the most crucial position.