We chat with the Florida DB about his style of play, plans for a visit to Columbia, and a possible decision date.
When Tavyn Jackson released his top eight on Monday, South Carolina was on the list. With his mind switching to narrowing that down ahead of a summer decision date, the Tallahassee cornerback has had some good communication with the Gamecocks staff as he weighs his options.
“Coach Muschamp, Coach (Travaris) Robinson, and (OLB) Coach (Mike) Peterson have spoken to me. Their impression was that they are about business,” said Jackson.
With fifteen pass breakups as a junior to go with his 58 tackles, Jackson is a definite shutdown corner. He actually had some adjustments to make when he found himself as a starter as a sophomore a couple of years back. As time went on, he was tasked with guarding players like John Burt (a 12-game starter with Texas as a freshman in 2015) and Keith Gavin (a four-star receiver who signed with Florida State in February).
“[B]eing a shutdown corner…relies on your matchup that week (and) [b]eing able to control the receiver’s route without guessing on the route and being wrong,” Jackson said.
Jackson confirmed that he plans to enroll in January at the program of his choice by dual-enrolling at a community college, since he only has a few credits left to go before he can graduate. That will put him on pace to hit campus in time for camp next spring.
“Once the fall hits I won’t have anything to do but focus on football,” Jackson said. “I feel as if enrolling early would put me ahead at any program I decide.”
As for a visit to Columbia, that is in the works for Jackson. A decision on where he’ll be attending may come as early as next month.
“I guarantee I will be taking an official to South Carolina once given the opportunity,” said Jackson. “I actually will be committing come the end of June or early July.”