Fast rising C.J. Jackson looking to set up Ohio State visit

TUCKER, Ga. — Usually if a recruit doesn’t have a lot of big-time offers heading into their junior season, it just doesn’t happen for them. But that is not the case with class of 2024 Tucker (GA) linebacker/EDGE prospect C.J. Jackson. Jackson has been on fire since landing his first offer back in November and is now being pursued by many of the nation’s top programs, including Ohio State.

Ohio State assistant Tim Walton visited Jackson during the Spring to evaluate the fast rising prospect and defensive line coach Larry Johnson would return a short time later to offer the 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect. That offer came just a little bit over a week ago.

“I was excited,” Jackson said of the news. “Not only because I put the work in and caught all of these offers from the SEC schools, but for them being up north, it’s different. For them to come down and see me practice and offer me, it’s a surreal feeling.”

The next step is to get Jackson up to Columbus for a visit. His first trip will likely be an unofficial with the option to then return for an official later in the summer or fall. Jackson is definitely curious about the program as it produced one of his idols.

“I definitely want to get up there,” he said. “Growing up watching them as a kid, watching the D-Ends like Chase Young, that’s a role model for me.”

Jackson comes from a tight knit family with deep roots in the state of Georgia, but made it clear that he’s looking for the best situation for him and that geography won’t be a major factor.

“I’m definitely close to my mom, but we’ve got family all over,” he explained. “I’ve got family in California, Tennessee, Michigan, which is not far from Ohio, and Virginia. So we’ve got family all over. My grandma used to be a flight attendant so we would fly for free to all of these places. I feel like it wouldn’t be a big adjustment. I want to go somewhere that I can develop and grow into the player that I really dream to be.”

For more on Jackson, including potential Ohio State visit options, his scheduled trips, and what makes him a unique prospect, check out our 1-on-1 interview with the fastest rising prospect in the 2024 recruiting class.