UW Fresh Start (No. 0): Jackson Seeks More Involved Role
Giles Jackson transferred out of Michigan last spring to audition his talents in front of a new coaching staff and pursue an expanded football role. Yet at the University of Washington, not much changed for him.
Jackson remained a kick returner first, next a sparingly used wide receiver.
Now a year later, the speedy 5-foot-9, 185-pound junior from Antioch, California, gets another chance to show what he can do in front of a third set of college coaches.
New Husky leader Kalen DeBoer recently disclosed how limited video footage exists for some of the Husky players he inherited, making it difficult for the new head coach and his staff to adequately assess all of the returning talent up and down the roster.
Less than two months to spring practice, we're offering up any insight we might have in a series of stories on every UW scholarship player from No. 0 to 99, beginning with Jackson, the zero man. We'll review each Husky's starting experience, if applicable, and provide a logical timeline for him in earning a future first-team assignment.
As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football start for everyone.
Jackson returns for his fourth college season with seven wide-receiver starts on his personal ledger, four at Michigan and three this past fall at the UW.
In 2019, he was a true freshman for Michigan when he came off the bench in a 39-14 victory over Indiana in Bloomington — against a Hoosiers coaching staff that counted DeBoer as offensive coordinator. So they'd met.
That day, Jackson caught a pass for 50 yards, rushed twice for 7 yards and returned three kickoffs for 81 yards.
He left Michigan after starting three of six games during a pandemic-shorted 2020 season.
In his most involved outing in either Ann Arbor or Seattle, Jackson started against Michigan State in 2020 and had 12 touches — a career-high 7 receptions for 58 yards, 3 kickoff returns for 75 yards and 2 punt runbacks for 31 yards.
He left his mark on the Big Ten with two long-distance kickoff returns for touchdowns, one each season, scampering 97 yards against Maryland in 2019 and 95 yards against Rutgers a year later. He also had a 26-yard scoring run against Ohio State, a 23-yard TD catch against Rutgers.
The Huskies started Jackson against Montana and his former teammates at Michigan, when the receiving corps was shorthanded by a rash of injuries, and again late in the season against Arizona State.
They got the ball to him 15 times in those opening games but just 31 times over the final 10 outings. It's as if they didn't know how to properly use him. Or lost interest.
Jackson might have his best opportunity yet to flourish in DeBoer's high-octane offense as advertised. Wide receivers will be in bigger demand.
He's not going to beat out Rome Odunze or Jalen McMillan, but he could slip in as a third option using that blazing speed of his. He needs to be better utilized on the fly sweep, where his longest run for the UW was 12 yards, which he did twice. His longest kick return was 43 yards against Oregon.
DeBoer's genius really will be revealed if he can find a better use for this guy. Get him out in open spaces. Put him into the end zone multiple times.
Starter or Not: Figure on Jackson as a part-time starter at best for his final two seasons in Seattle, but a much more worrisome offensive threat for UW opponents going forward.
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