Deep Dive into the Texas Longhorns' 2021 Quarterback Race: Part III

Texas has stacked its quarterback room with high-caliber talent in hopes of avoiding the kind of predicament the team experienced at the position through much of the last decade.

Texas head coach Tom Herman has made it a point to take two capable signal callers in each class, launching a preemptive strike against the kind of quarterback attrition that has become commonplace among depth charts across the country over the past few years.

In this multi-part series, we are taking a good look at each contender for the 2021 quarterback position.

In in part three, we take a look at Ja’Quinden Jackson.

Along with previous entry Hudson Card, Jackson is the second part of what Herman called the "best two quarterbacks in the state" in the 2020 class.

Playing his high school ball at Duncanville, Jackson led his team all the way to the state semifinals before a partial tear of his ACL ended his high school career one game shy of the state title.

While he had to forego the storybook ending in high school, he's got plenty enough skill to forge another one at the next level. Jackson is a dynamic athlete with a knack for making quick decisions and a rocket arm.

“Phenomenal quarterback,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said on early signing day in December. “Very athletic and extremely competitive. He's a leader amongst leaders.”

When teams recruit dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks like Card and Jackson, it's hard not to speculate on a potential position change for the guy who ends up on the wrong end of the quarterback derby.

Some believe Jackson's elite athleticism may end up pulling him away from the quarterback room in the future. Some have cast him as a potential safety or linebacker at the collegiate level.

For now it appears Jackson's future is indeed solid at quarterback. He's going to compete for playing time along with Card and Thompson going into next season. And given his competitive nature and abilities, an opportunity might be all he needs.

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