Indiana Commit Rico Jackson Trains With NFL Stars Ahead of Senior Season at Quince Orchard

Few Maryland high school football players have enjoyed a busier offseason than Quince Orchard defensive back Rico Jackson.

NFL Mentors Close to Home

Jackson, a rising senior defensive back at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has been spotted working out at the University of Maryland with NFL wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison.

Diggs, who played at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (Olney, Maryland), and Addison, who played at Tuscarora High School (Frederick, Maryland), are both in-state products who were heavily recruited during their high school days in the Crab State.

The list of Division I college football programs recruiting Jackson is long. It includes Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State and Pittsburgh, as well as his father's alma mater Syracuse.

Jackson, the son of former NFL safety Tanard Jackson, has already committed to play college football at Indiana University. He pledged to the Hoosiers during his official visit to the Bloomington campus in May. "I'm beyond blessed," Rico Jackson wrote on X. "Thank you for everyone who gave me an opportunity and believed in me. Hoosier nation let's work!"

An Indiana Future

Jackson will join an Indiana program coming off a historic 16-0 season under Curt Cignetti that included a Big Ten title and culminated in a College Football Playoff national championship.

Following His Father's Footsteps

Tanard Jackson was a standout high school football and basketball player at The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. At Bullis, Jackson played football for legendary Head Coach Walt King and played basketball for legendary Head Coach Mike Hibbs. Although he was recruited in both football and basketball, Jackson ultimately chose football.

"I learned a lot from Coach Hibbs," Tanard Jackson told High School On SI. "The discipline. The order. The structure. He helped me really get prepared for Syracuse. That next level."

Tanard Jackson grew up in Germantown, Maryland and was familair with the legacy of the Seneca Valley High School football program. Quince Orchard Head Coach John Kelley played high school football at Seneca Valley for legendary Head Coach Terry Changuris. Had Jackson attended public school, he would have played at Seneca Valley under the program closely associated with legendary coach Terry Changuris. "I ended up going to Bullis and I had a great four years there, basketball and football wise," Tanard Jackson recalled.

Tanard Jackson, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, is the only player in NFL history to record an interception against Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during his career. Jackson also had a brief stint with the Washington Redskins, a franchise that boasted Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback Robert Griffin III, as well as defensive stars London Fletcher and DeAngelo Hall.

"That was RG3's rookie year so that was a good year," Jackson remembered about his time in 2012 playing for the hometown team. "That was a special group."

Built for Another Championship Run

Meanwhile, the Quince Orchard Cougars are coming off a 14-0 season and back-to-back Maryland state championships. Rico Jackson, a three-star recruit, figures to be an integral part of Quince Orchard's 2026 campaign alongside Pittsburgh commit Jaheim Bond and standout Ryan Drakeford.

Rico Jackson is seeking to follow in his father's lofty footsteps.

During his high school football career at Bullis, Tanard Jackson played running back and defensive back for the Bulldogs. As a high school senior, Jackson was named the team's MVP after rushing for 1,132 yards. He also registered 15 touchdowns, four interceptions, 78 tackles and two sacks. He finished his career with 252 tackles, a school record 19 interceptions, 3,121 rushing yards, and 39 total touchdowns.

"He's a great mentor," Rico Jackson told High School On SI. "He's been around the league. He knows a lot of people. He taught me how to be a great person, a great football player, and a great teammate and that's how I execute and do what I do."

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