During a live interview with MLive.com this morning, Saline (MI) rising senior quarterback Joshua Jackson announced that he will attend Virginia Tech, the school he visited for the first time this past Saturday. The 6’1″, 203-pound signal caller chose the Hokies over offers from Boston College, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon State, Syracuse, Utah and West Virginia, among others.
In Jackson, Virginia Tech is getting a player who led Saline to a Division 1 regional championship and a runner-up finish in the state last season as a junior. In the regional title victory over Canton, the now future Hokie completed 25-of-31 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed 14 times for 88 yards and two scores in the win. In total in 2014, Jackson completed almost 68-percent of his passes while throwing for 1,858 yards, 19 touchdowns and three interceptions. He rushed for close to 800 yards and 10 scores.
Clarkston linebacker Cole Chewins, whose team captured the 2014 Division 1 state title with a 33-25 win over Saline, spoke highly of Jackson in this article by the Detroit Free Press last November.
“He can run, he’s got a good arm, he’s an athletic quarterback, he’s versatile,” Chewins said of Jackson, who threw for 237 yards and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in the state championship.
247Sports and Rivals rank Jackson as a 3-star prospect. ESPN.com analyst Gerry Hamilton is very high on Jackson’s talents, and ESPN ranks him as a 4-star prospect and the no. 150 overall recruit in the nation in the class of 2016.
Jackson’s father, Fred, served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan from 1992 through 2014. Virginia Tech offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler played for the Wolverines from 1993-1996.
Jackson’s decision gives Virginia Tech its first sure-fire signal caller in the class of 2016. Indications are that Hampton (VA) product JoVonn Quillen Jr. likely will get a look at quarterback as well, but he is more of an “athlete” who could easily end up as a defensive back or wide receiver. Brenden Motley, Chris Durkin, Dwayne Lawson and Jackson are the only scholarship quarterbacks projected on Virginia Tech’s 2016 season roster.
Overall, Virginia Tech now boasts 10 commitments in the class of 2016.
Print
This guy looks great! He’s obviously very smart because he has chosen the Hokies! Nice to have you join Hokie Nation. Welcome Joshua!!!
GO HOKIES!!!
Welcome to warmer weather and beautiful Virginia Tech!!! Go Hokies!!
Welcome, “Action Jackson.” QB’s and Running Backs-Ya can’t get enough.
Playing and beating those Ohio schools is paying off.
Interesting that 1200 middle school age kids were there to see him commit to VT.
Good pickup. And he can already can take snaps from under center!
Welcome to the Hokie family!
Welcome to the family!
Welcome Joshua we are so happy to have you join the Hokie Nation. You are going to love Blacksburg and the Hokie fans you can bank on it. Looking forward to seeing you play in the ACC.
Can anyone answer why Michigan and OSU haven’t offered him? Maybe they did, but I don’t see where that’s mentioned.
His father was not asked to stay on as a coach when Harbaugh took over. Perhaps that is the reason why Michigan did not offer. It might have been indelicate. Michigan also has a pretty highly touted QB coming in 2016. I cannot speak about Ohio State.
Welcome Joshua, Very glad to have you as a hokie. Welcome to the family.
Interesting to have QB’s from TX, Christiansburg, OH, FL, and MI.
Great news; a diamond in the rough.
Is an ESPN top 150 player really ‘in the rough’?
Just because of the recruiting sites. His rating will rise if he picks up where he left off last year. Michigan HS transfer sit out rules kept him off the recruiting radar while benched as a sophomore.
Welcome Josh – great news and looking forward to seeing you in Orange and Maroon!!
Welcome Joshua! We’re excited as heck to have you as a Hokie!