Ja'Quinden Jackson is making progress and ready to 'turn up in the spring game'
With spring ball now nearly complete, Utah’s coaches and players have a pretty good grasp on how things are shaping up for the fall season. While this season will not feature a competition for QB1, the race for QB2 is still ongoing with the hopes that Saturday’s spring game will allow for some true separation.
"It's still a battle for number two. JJ [Ja'Quinden Jackson] and Bryson Barnes are both really taking steps forward, they're neck and neck still, its really a dead heat at this point. Both those guys are going to get extensive work in the game on Saturday so that might create some separation,” Whittingham said.
As one of the quarterbacks up for the No. 2 spot, Jackson has been busy working on his passing game. As fans are well aware, Jackson can certainly move the ball with his legs, which is why he’s taken the opportunity to work on his passing during camp. According to him, its been going quite well and he is feeling confident in his abilities.
“It's been good,” Jackson said. “I’ve made progress. I've heard some good things around the facility so I think I’m making progress but we’re not done yet. [I’ve improved my] throwing really. Just my technique, accuracy, I’m still working on it but that’s the main thing i’ve been focusing on during spring.”
Just like he said, Jackson certainly has been working on his passing abilities and his progress has been demonstrated throughout camp. Having watched multiple practices and last weeks scrimmage, Jackson’s confidence is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was last year which has translated to crisp throws, better ball placement and chances he never would’ve taken before.
“I feel like it [last Saturday’s scrimmage] went good. But there’s some stuff that people on the outside looking in dont know that I did wrong in the scrimmage. But other than that I think I did good and it's going to be better Saturday,” Jackson said.
As Utah fans learned last spring game, Jackson is absolutely lethal with his legs. Yet again, Jackson was let loose in last Saturday’s scrimmage, finding the end zone multiple times with legs. What many people don't know, and what defenses will find out, is that Jackson used to play running back.
“Some people know, some people dont know, I used to play running back so its natural to me…but there’s some stuff..I still need to work on my speed a little bit because everything moves faster in the Pac-12.”
In terms of his chemistry with the receivers, Jackson mentioned that he’s feeling good but that they are still building off of last year and it’s a process.
“We’re getting there. We’re still building off last year and we just continue to build. We’re getting closer as time goes,” He said.
Just as Whittingam mentioned, there’s high hopes that the spring game will offer some significant separation between Barnes and Jackson for QB2. With an open invitation to show what he can do, Jackson is up to the challenge.
“Everything. You’re going to see everything. From running to throwing, you're going to see everything. I am turning up in the spring game,” Jackson said.
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