Michigan State DT Jarrett Jackson looks to ‘maximize opportunity’ (SP)

Michigan State defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson entered the transfer portal in early December looking for an “opportunity” at his next stop. Jackson, who had previously played at Florida State, eventually found his next home in East Lansing.

Jackson, who is a graduate transfer and has one year of college eligibility remaining, signed with Michigan State on Dec. 21, 2022, and enrolled at MSU in January. He spoke to the media for the first time as a Spartan last week.

“(I) just wanted to maximize my opportunity for my last year,” Jackson said about why he chose to transfer. “I wanted to really step back and just go somewhere where I could just be the guy. I feel like that was the biggest thing about it. I love Florida State with everything they gave me still, you know, it was just one of those things where you kind of have to look at things from a different perspective sometimes in life, and that's just what it was.”

So what is Jackson hoping to accomplish as a Spartan? He’s just looking to make an impact in any way that he can.

“My biggest expectation is for me just to leave my mark here (at Michigan State),” Jackson said. “Come in and leave the place better than I found it. Just make great, positive adjustments here, and just take this thing as far as we can take it.”

Growing up in south Florida, and spending the past two seasons in Tallahassee at FSU, Jackson is dealing with quite an adjustment in terms of weather during the winter months in East Lansing. He is getting used to it, but it will also prepare him for the professional career he hopes to pursue after the 2023 season.

“I just think about it as an adjustment,” Jackson said about the weather in East Lansing. “It’s something that I’m gonna have to get used to, especially at the next level. You can’t control where you get drafted at (in the NFL). So that’s just my mindset (throughout) the whole process. I’m just preparing myself. If I get drafted to a team like Green Bay (Packers) or something like that, you can’t control that.”

Jackson didn’t know Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker personally before entering the portal. He heard his name a lot and of course knew of him, but it wasn’t until MSU started to recruit the defensive lineman out of the portal when that relationship was built.

Jackson ultimately chose the Spartans because of Tucker, and some of the other coaches on MSU’s staff.

“Really, just Coach (Tucker), and his messaging and what he preaches, you know, what he's all about,” Jackson said about why he chose MSU. “I really just had a lot of faith in that, and I felt like this was the right move. And so I committed to him and I’m looking to do great things here.”

What stood out to Jackson about Tucker was that the head coach truly believed that the defensive lineman could make an impact for the Spartans – both on the field and in the locker room – if he worked for it. That sold Jackson on MSU.

“Really, it was just Coach Tuck, his belief in me, that's what it was for me,” Jackson continued when discussing his decision to come to MSU. “He told me that he was gonna give me the opportunity to take on a leadership role and just be a guy, be one of the guys. So I felt like that was a big part and it played a huge reason why I made my decision the way I did.”

What makes Coach Tucker special? What makes players want to play for him? According to Jackson, it’s Tucker’s “NFL mindset," leadership and overall coaching abilities.

“It’s just his mindset,” Jackson said about Tucker. “The team goes as the leader goes, and I feel like Coach Tuck is a great leader, and we seen what happened with the 2021 season. Obviously we had a couple things happen here this last season (2022), injury-wise, it didn't go the way everybody expected it to, everybody wanted it to. But I feel like Coach Tucker, he has all the ability, all the tools, and everything that's necessary for him to take a team like of the caliber that we have and make us a big time contender.

“Coach Tucker, everything he (does), he's a pro at what he's doing. He’s preaching that – it's constantly the message. Even during my recruitment process, that was just constant.”

It wasn’t just Tucker who got Jackson’s attention. It was also pass-rush specialist coach Brandon “BT” Jordan who piqued Jackson’s interest in the Spartans.

There are not many programs that have somebody dedicated to pass-rushing specifically on the staff, so getting that kind of unique coaching in East Lansing, and being able to work with somebody who trains hundreds of NFL players, was attractive for the former Seminole.

“BT’s special,” Jackson said about Jordan. “That was another big thing for me coming. Just getting to be around somebody who guys in the league pay a lot of money for – I'm getting him essentially for free. I'm getting the same work, the same drills and everything. And he is a great coach. You know, I just look forward to learning a lot from him.”

Jackson added he noticed right away that Jordan has a different approach, and how that was a big draw for him. With that said, Jackson also mentioned that as a veteran player with a lot of experience and knowledge of fundamentals and technique, it’s been a relatively easy adjustment to pick up on Jordan’s coaching style.

While Tucker, Jordan and others on the staff are new coaches for Jackson, there was a familiar face already on Michigan State’s staff for him. Secondary coach Harlon Barnett was the defensive coordinator for Florida State in 2018 and 2019, and built a connection with Jackson.

While Barnett ended up coming back to Michigan State in early 2020 as part of Tucker’s staff, and did not coach Jackson at Florida State, he did play a role in recruiting the defensive lineman to FSU. Jackson was transferring from Louisville at the time and committed to the Seminoles in December of 2019.

“He had just left (Florida State before I played there),” Jackson said about Barnett. “He was on staff when I was getting recruited (by FSU) … Me and Coach Barnett have a good relationship. I feel like Coach Barnett's a great coach. He was defensive coordinator at Florida State when I was being recruited, and so, you know, we had to have a relationship develop there. But (Barnett) was another (reason for) me coming here, I know I had somebody who I was familiar with in my corner.”

Of course, Michigan State has recently changed defensive line coaches. Last month, Marco Coleman left MSU to return to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, in an effort to be closer to his family. Tucker then hired Diron Reynolds for the role, who will now lead the defensive line room.

Coleman helped recruit Jackson out of the portal, and played a heavy part in getting him to Michigan State. Jackson noted that the Coleman situation was abrupt, and a bit “frustrating,” but understands why it happened and is now looking forward to working with Reynolds.

“Coach Coleman, he was heavily involved in my recruiting process, obviously,” Jackson said. “I feel like when he left, that was just like a spur-of-the-moment thing, it kind of happened out of nowhere. He wasn't able – like literally a couple days before that, we were talking about certain things of me getting up there (to East Lansing) and stuff, I don't even think he knew what was going on – so it was just kind of those things where it just happened.

“But as far as Coach Reynolds, I look forward to just learning a lot from him. He’s a very wise guy. He coached multiple years in the league (NFL). I just look to maximize every opportunity I can around him.”

Jackson mentioned that, while it wasn’t an ideal development after building a strong rapport with Coleman, the work continues. He is ready to build something with Reynolds and his teammates.

“It was definitely kind of tough (when Coach Coleman left) because you want to build that relationship and that camaraderie with the coach,” Jackson said. “So I feel like prior to (Reynolds) getting here, there were frustrations there, obviously, but as soon as (Reynolds) arrived, it was boots on the ground, let's get to work.”

As mentioned, Jackson had been through the transfer process before when he came to Florida State from Louisville ahead of the 2020 season.

College football has changed significantly since Jackson’s first transfer with new transfer portal eligibility rules, transfer portal windows, NIL (name, image and likeness) and other changes. Still, that previous experience and the new rule changes allowed Jackson to look at things from a “business” mindset.

“I feel like (it is a business mindset), because the whole scope of everything in college football is changing,” Jackson said about transferring. “So with that changing, we have to change and our mindsets have to change. I feel like we have to become pros earlier than we would.”

Jackson said that having transferred one time before in the past did make his translation to Michigan State a little bit easier, but he also believes that the path he took led him to East Lansing for a reason.

“I feel like (having transferred before helps me adjust quicker to a new situation), but another thing that plays a role in it, too, I feel like is just that everything happened for a reason,” Jackson said. “So whatever situation I end up in, or whatever happens, I feel like it's happening for a reason. I kind of just go about it that way, just to keep me in the right mindset.”

When asked about what he knew about Michigan State’s defense coming in, Jackson admitted that he didn't know a whole lot about it beforehand, or the program as a whole. As somebody who grew up in the south in Florida, he is still getting used to things at MSU.

“​​I didn’t know a whole lot (about MSU), honestly,” Jackson said. “I feel like as I got here, I started to learn more, even just about the regular culture … I'm from down south, so a lot of things are different. It takes some time to get used to.”

So what does Jackson miss the most about his home? “Mama’s cooking,” he said laughing.

Jackson, 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, played in the Atlantic Coast Conference at both Louisville and Florida State. He is looking forward to adjusting to the Big Ten’s perhaps more physical playing style, but also thinks his experience playing in the ACC gives him an advantage.

“I feel like there's obviously a difference,” Jackson said when comparing the Big Ten and ACC. “I feel like the Big Ten, you may get more stouter guys, you may get bigger guys in this league. But coming from the ACC, I feel like I have an edge because I feel like in the ACC, we play with a little more quickness, the game’s a little faster, a little more finesse. Guys aren't as big, but they're moving well. So I feel like that's pretty much the difference I'm seeing as of now, but I look forward to seeing how things play out.”

As for Jackson’s playing style and role at Michigan State, he hopes to use some of that quickness and finesse he is accustomed to playing with to beat Big Ten offensive linemen off the ball. He is also willing to do whatever it takes to help the Spartans win, and will be happy to move up and down the interior of MSU’s defensive line.

“I feel like I bring some of that finesse, some of that south Florida edge to the Big Ten,” Jackson said. “Just being the type of player that I know I am and that I’m capable of being.

“I'm gonna do whatever my team needs me to do. If they need me to put my hand in the dirt and play a five-technique, I’ll do that. I play the three (technique), I play the two-I (technique), it don’t matter. It's just kind of one of those things.”

Coming from a talented defensive tackles room at Florida State, Jackson sees a lot of similarities at Michigan State. He believes this is a talented group that will make noise in 2023.

“I just left a great d-tackle room at Florida State, and I honestly could say that this d-tackle room we have here at Michigan State can be as good as anyone in the nation,” Jackson said confidently.

Michigan State returns several veterans along the defensive line, and also added several true freshmen and other transfers. Jackson is hoping to use his past experiences to help guide the underclassmen on the team.

“I love the vibe, honestly,” Jackson said about the defensive line room. “Those young guys in there, they just want to learn. Every chance they get, they’re asking questions, and it feels good for a guy like me who has the experience, who has been around, I could just pass on that knowledge.

“I could give the guys some of the (knowledge) that some of the older guys may not have (given) me (in the past). I’ve learned some (things) the hard way, but I could just pass along the game to them and just teach them early on, so they don't have to go through some of the same things I went through.”

As a Spartan in 2023, Jackson is just looking to establish himself, play his role and find success.

“I just feel like I want to establish that dominance here (at MSU),” Jackson said. “I feel like I had a good career at Florida State. I battled through injuries, that was my thing. I'm a player who I take pride in just toughing things out … like I said earlier, everything happened for a reason. Maybe I was supposed to go through that adversity, so I'm prepared for this moment now, and it just made me more hungry. It just added fuel to the fire.”

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