Hermitage RB Jackson Picks JMU
HARRISONBURG – CJ Jackson’s primary purpose for a trip to Harrisonburg this past weekend was to help his high school teammate move in at James Madison.
Former Hermitage linebacker Mateo Jackson – no relation to the running back CJ – is part of the Dukes’ freshman class that recently joined the rest of the squad for summer workouts.
“I’m really close with Mateo,” CJ Jackson said. “So he moved in Sunday and I went there, but I told [JMU defensive line coach Jeff] Hanson, I’d like to visit because I’m helping Mateo move in and Coach Hanson was like, ‘That’s perfect,’ so I helped Mateo move in and after that we setup a little visit.”
Four days later, Jackson became the second verbal commitment for JMU’s 2019 recruiting class, selecting the Dukes from a top-four group that he said also included East Carolina, Old Dominion and Purdue. Hanson was the lead recruiter on Jackson.
Jackson announced his commitment on Thursday via Twitter.
In total, the 5-10, 190-pound running back earned 16 scholarship offers from a mix of FBS and FCS programs. He said Marshall made a recent push for him, but was too late.
“First of all, after every offer, I write it down,” Jackson said. “I have a notebook that I write it down in.
“Me and my dad, we go through, we write the school down and then we look into the school a little bit and [if it’s] a winning program and how many running backs they have, stuff like that.
“… There were eight schools I just really wasn’t interested in, so I narrowed it down to eight. Looked into those eight schools and narrowed it down to five, took some visits to those schools and then when I went to JMU, it’s just what it was, I can’t really pinpoint it exactly.”
The visit with Hanson went well, which Jackson said came about a month after Hanson and JMU coach Mike Houston took a trip to Hermitage High School to offer a scholarship to the Rivals.com two-star prospect in person.
For the Panthers in 2017, Jackson rushed 115 times for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“I’m going to play running back,” Jackson said. “I don’t think they have any intentions of playing me in the slot or anything, but Coach Houston and [running backs coach De’Rail] Sims say they love my speed, my elusiveness.
“I’m a little on the smaller end, but they said they’re going to put about 10 pounds on me when I get up there to JMU, so they want to put a little weight on me, but they plan on using me in the run-pass option and the full offense at the tailback spot.”
JMU graduates three running backs – Cardon Johnson, Marcus Marshall and Trai Sharp – after this season. For 2019, Jackson will be added to a position group that features Central Florida transfer Jawon Hamilton and Percy Agyei-Obese.
“He is an excellent athlete,” Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman said of Jackson. “We know that and it looks like he’s going to be playing running back over at JMU, and I think that’s a good pickup for them.
“He’s got good vision and he’s a pretty explosive guy. You want to see him make those big plays in the open field, but he’s somebody who I think can carry the load. As soon as he learns the system there, I think he can be a regular contributor.”
Friedman said it shouldn’t be a surprise that JMU is landing players like Jackson with FBS offers.
Shelby (Shelby, N.C.) defensive back Dorian Davis, who pledged his commitment to Madison last month, held other offers from Army, Kent State and Liberty. Before Mateo Jackson signed with JMU last December, he earned offers from Air Force, Army, Cincinnati, Kent State and Navy.
“JMU is a brand,” Friedman said. “And you see the consistent success that they’ve had.
“They have players going to the NFL and they’ve had players make a name for themselves. They’ve gotten some big-time transfers there on campus and guys who have come in from the those Power Five and Group of Five schools to make an immediate impact.
“And I think CJ is a guy who could have a lot of success there, but I think JMU has made their mark and become known as a school to be reckon with against those Group of Five schools.”
CJ Jackson said talking with Mateo Jackson and JMU senior cornerback Rashad Robinson, another Hermitage alum, helped him understand why the Dukes were the right choice for them.
“They were in my ear, but they weren’t pressuring me like ‘Go here, come here,’” Jackson said. “But they gave me some advice about the school, the history of the school, how much the coaches really care and the winning tradition.”
JMU inside receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Fontel Mines is also a graduate of Hermitage.
Jackson said he plans to sign with JMU in December.