QB Jackson Jr. commits to Coastal Carolina

Chicago (Ill.) Marist three star ranked junior quarterback recruit Dontrell Jackson Jr. (5-foot-11, 183 pounds) decided tonight to give Coastal Carolina his verbal commitment. Jackson Jr. discusses his college decision in this breaking recruiting story.

"Coastal Carolina showed the most interest in me really from the first day they started recruiting me," Jackson Jr. said. "The entire coaching staff at Coastal Carolina recruited me. The more I looked into the school and the football program the more it seemed like a great place for me. It's really just a great fit for me, both the school and the offense."

Jackson Jr. pointed heavily towards the relationship he's built with the Chanticleer's coaching staff as one of several key factors in his decision.

"It was really all about going to a school that really wanted me and felt that I could make a difference for them. The coaches at Coastal made me feel wanted and a part of the program immediately. They have a plan for me and I feel that I'll be a great fit in the offense. They run an RPO offense which will fit me perfectly. I've been able to take some virtual tours of the school and see the campus online and it looks like a great place to go to school and get an education. Distance from home was never an issue for me, instead it was all about finding a school that was the best fit. I feel great about my decision and my family is also totally on board as well."

So why commit this early in the recruiting process?

"With COVID still ongoing no one really knows for sure what will happen this spring with football here (the State of Illinois moved it's prep football season from the fall to spring for COVID concerns). We have no guarantee that we will have a spring season. I didn't want to wait too long to make a decision and having to wait until my senior year just didn't make sense now with all the COVID issues and recruiting. I looked at everything, had an offer already from a great school that was also a great fit for me, so why wait. "

So who else did Jackson Jr. consider before committing to Coastal Carolina?

"I looked into UNC Charlotte as well. Both schools have a lot to offer but I just felt a stronger connection to the coaches at Coastal and it just felt like the best fit for me."

So how much did having a former college quarterback and coach in his father Dontrell Jackson (Ohio University) help in his recruiting process and eventual decision?

"My Dad was always available for me to ask questions and he would always help me look at all the pro's and the con's of each school. Yet when it came to making a decision it was 100 percent my own choice. He left the decision totally up to me. "

Dontrell Jackson Jr. is verbally committed to Coastal Carolina. .