Northside (Roanoke, VA) tight end Dakota Jackson ‘s wait for an FBS scholarship offer came to an end on Monday of this week, when Virginia Tech came through for the 6-4 junior. An impressive offseason helped Jackson, who is also drawing interest from Connecticut, Duke, Maryland and UVa.

Jackson performed well at the Virginia Tech and Virginia one-day camps last summer, but size was an issue with both programs. The Vikings star showed off a new physique, though, at Tech’s February 26 junior day.

“He listened very carefully to what [the Tech coaches] said. He chose not to play basketball and put his concentration in the weight room,” Northside head coach Burt Torrence said. “He went from playing around 218 or 220 pounds for me last year to being 245 right now. Dakota has really shown a lot of growth as far as strength.

“On the next level, they need physical blockers and good route runners who can catch the football. He has shown he can do those things. He is now up to 245 or 250 pounds and he is doing it the right way.”

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