College football: Michigan prospect picks Ohio State
Tuesday,
May 13, 2008 2:57 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
James Jackson, a top receiving prospect, delivered Ohio State an offseason victory over Michigan
last night.
Jackson, of Grand Ledge, Mich., committed to Ohio State's 2009 football recruiting class.
He actually picked OSU over UCLA. He said Michigan had faded from his list after Lloyd Carr
retired as coach last year and was replaced by Rich Rodriguez.
"The old coaching staff, I really liked," Jackson said. "The new coaching staff, I really
couldn't get a feel for."
With 4.31-second speed in the 40-yard dash, Jackson (6 feet, 175 pounds) likely was coveted by
Rodriguez for his spread-option offense.
But he said he likes the offense Ohio State runs, too.
"I decided to commit just because (of) the feeling I had inside all along since the first time I
went to the Ohio State campus in March," Jackson said. "The feeling never really went away. I just
feel like Ohio State is the place to be."
Jackson had 30 catches last season, three for touchdowns.
UCLA has "a beautiful campus," Jackson said. "You know, California, it doesn't get much better.
But when it came down to it, it was just too far from home."
Instead, he opted to cross the border in one of college football great rivalries.
"This is big for Ohio State for several reasons," recruiting analyst Bill Kurelic said. "One,
Jackson is one of the top receiver prospects in the country. Two, he's the No. 1 receiver in
Michigan, which leads you to No. 3, it's another victory by Jim Tressel over Rich Rodriguez."
Jackson is the 14th member of the 2009 class, which took a hit during the weekend when defensive
back Darrell Givens of Indian Head, Md., changed his mind and committed to Penn State. He had
pledged to Ohio State the day of the spring game in April.