SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Coming out of a strong performance at the 2015 US Army All-American Bowl, New Orleans (La.) Riverdale athlete Donte Jackson has earned his fifth star from 247Sports, which ranks him the No. 10 player in the country, the top athlete and the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana.
Will childhood LSU Tigers fan Donte Jackson remain in the Bayou State?
The elite cover corner is set to decide between his three finalists in less than two weeks.
With Jackson’s stock at all all-time high, his value to his three finalists -- Georgia, LSU and USC -- has never been higher.
During the week of Army Bowl practices, the 5’11, 164-pounder spoke with SB Nation Recruiting about the state of his recruitment.
“Everything,” he said when asked what he likes about LSU.
“I feel like it’s a family up there every time I go and they always tell me how much they need me, how much they need playmakers.”
As a result of that sales pitch, Jackson believes he has the opportunity for early playing time. And with the departure of cornerback Jalen Collins to the NFL as an early entrant into the draft, there's a spot open for competition.
However, Jackson added that his other two finalists also present that opportunity, so LSU doesn’t necessarily stand out in that regard. In fact, the elite cover corner said it’s one of the things that is making his decision so difficult.
Perhaps his childhood allegiance could help him make his decision: the consensus four-star prospect said he grew up an LSU fan before quickly adding that he was a fan of football in general at a young age.
For Georgia, a good relationship with the coaching staff, especially head coach Mark Richt and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, and the love that he’s felt from fans on Twitter are both elements that have kept the Bulldogs in the race for his services.
If Georgia stands out because of Jackson’s relationship with the coaching staff, it was the players at USC who made him feel welcome on his official visit in late November.
“How cool the players were stood out to be when I visited,” Jackson said. “They all welcomed me with open arms, and I still have a relationship with some of the players and keep in contact with them.”
But it’s not that Jackson doesn’t have a strong relationship with the Trojans coaching staff. He called head coach Steve Sarkisian “an amazing coach.”
As Jackson gets into the final days of his recruiting process, he’s still not sure what will influence his decision the most, though he did eventually mention comfort level as a key.
Jackson plans on making his announcement on Jan. 21. The Bulldogs have the final chance to make an impression on him when he takes his official visit to Athens on Jan. 16, and since it will be his family’s first trip time at Georgia, it could be an impactful visit for his parents.
“They’re dying to see it,” he said.
However, that visit may ultimately be immaterial since the Louisiana product has his official visit to home-state LSU scheduled for Jan. 23, two days after he commits.
Is it a sign that he’ll pledge to the Tigers before his official visit? The industry thinks so, and one-time leader Georgia has fallen behind LSU in the 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction for Jackson, which has been trending in favor of head coach Les Miles’ program in recent weeks.
