A week after entering the transfer portal Ja’Quinden Jackson has found a new home. Saturday morning the former Longhorn tweeted out a video announcing he will be transferring to the University of Utah. This is the second quarterback to transfer from the Longhorns, with starting quarterback Cam Rising being the first.
Ja’Quinden Jackson was the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in 2020, and the 34th overall recruit. As a three-year starter for Duncanville High School Jackson put up over 3,600 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 3,249 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns. He also helped them to back to back state title appearances in 2018 & 2019.
Due to the NCAA granting a free eligibility year because of the pandemic, Jackson will still have all of his eligibility remaining. The NCAA also granted a blanket waiver allowing all athletes to be immediately eligible to play last week.
Utah’s quarterback room has suddenly become filled with talent. Besides Cam Rising and now Ja’Quinden the Utes also have four-star prospect Peter Costelli, South Carolina transfer Jake Bentley, and senior QB Drew Lisk. Utah also currently has the 4th ranked recruiting class in the Pac-12 for 2021.
With Utah’s recent success it is no surprise to see it become a popular transfer destination. Kyle Whittingham had made Jackson an early focus for his 2020 class before his commitment to the Longhorns. Will Ja’Quinden Jackson be able to lead the Utes to another Pac-12 title? We will have to wait and find out.
