USC cornerback Josh Jackson Jr. shines in first career start

Even for a assemblage athlete, it’s nary casual task to power from 1 presumption to another. There are wholly caller accomplishment sets to master, and the learning curve is overmuch steeper erstwhile preparing to play college-level competition.

But aft the 2020 season, then-USC caput manager Clay Helton and cornerbacks manager Donte Williams approached freshman Joshua Jackson Jr. astir transitioning from wide receiver to cornerback. The Trojans needed extent astatine the presumption and felt similar Jackson would person much accidental to play connected defense.

Jackson hadn’t played country since his freshman twelvemonth successful precocious school, but helium decided to spot the coaches and marque the change. Though that didn’t mean determination weren’t times wherever helium doubted helium could chopped it astatine corner.

“Honestly, each the time,” Jackson said. “It’s precise complicated, a precise hard presumption to drawback onto and larn truly quickly.”

It didn’t instrumentality agelong for Jackson’s concern to wage dividends, though.

In USC’s 37-14 triumph implicit Colorado connected Saturday, Jackson got his archetypal vocation commencement successful spot of the injured Isaac Taylor-Stuart (lower leg). Late successful the 3rd quarter, Jackson capped the time with his archetypal vocation interception, diving to travel up with a shot tipped by linebackers Raymond Scott and Kana’i Mauga.

“I told them thanks,” Jackson said with a sheepish smile. “I felt similar it was a blessing. It was an astonishing opportunity, I’m thankful for it. It’s clip to get backmost to work, though.”

Jackson arrived astatine USC arsenic a three-star receiver retired of Narbonne High. He didn’t play arsenic a existent freshman arsenic the Trojans had a glut of receivers connected the roster, and with the roster looking the aforesaid mode entering 2021, it made consciousness to determination Jackson to cornerback and find a mode to utilize his athleticism alternatively than squander it.

That determination looked omniscient during outpouring football, erstwhile successful a scrimmage Jackson made a sensational interception, moving Willie Mays-style for the shot and diving to marque the catch.

But determination were increasing pains, too, including an off-sides punishment connected a field-goal effort by Stanford successful Week 2 that led the Cardinal to spell for a touchdown alternatively than settee for the 3 points.

“I deliberation I’ve travel a agelong mode from the beginning, from the archetypal time I was retired there. I felt similar I didn’t truly cognize what to do,” Jackson said, crediting Williams and postgraduate adjunct Aaron Williams for his growth. “I would conscionable accidental technique, knowing the position, IQ, each that worldly is conscionable falling into spot and that’s acknowledgment to them.”

Jackson’s emergence including 3 tackles against Colorado comes astatine a bully clip for USC. The Trojans person veterans Taylor-Stuart and Chris Steele astatine cornerback, but neither has played with the benignant of consistency you would expect retired of players with their acquisition level.

So adjacent if Jackson inactive needs immoderate polish, helium tin assistance propulsion the seasoned corners and supply much-needed extent astatine the position.

“From the archetypal time not truly knowing what to bash to wherever I americium now, I didn’t truly know. I conscionable followed Coach Donte, helium said helium had a program for maine and I conscionable followed it, trusted him.”