Gators assistant to watch Florida four-star commit on Friday

Gators Online has learned of a coaching stop in the Peach State for Billy Napier’s staff.

According to sources, Florida tight ends coach Russ Callaway will be on the sidelines Friday evening to watch Portal (Fla.) four-star tight end commit Amir Jackson.

Jackson, who committed to the SEC program over the summer, possesses additional offers from Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, Miami, Auburn, South Carolina and Kentucky among others.

Just over a week ago, Gators Online’s Keith Niebuhr spoke with Jackson’s coach about his early success during the 2023 season.

“He’s playing great,” Panthers coach Jason McEachin said. “His numbers should go up. He’ll have to really play offense for the fourth quarter (in upcoming games).

“He’s still playing receiver and we’ll put him in the slot. We’ve tossed him the ball some and let him run it. The one time, he had a 58-yard TD. We’re trying to make sure we have different ways to get him the ball. He’s still a focal point of what we’re doing. He’s not playing true tight end, but some slot, and tight slot. And some wing back.”

Scouting Report on Amir Jackson

During the 2022 season, Jackson reeled in 22 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 19.4 yards per catch. He also made a splash at safety with 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception,

That should tell you the type of athlete Jackson is for the tight end position. And on top of that, he spends much of his time at Portal split outside at wide receiver. This is a big athlete who does a good job of taking advantage of one-on-one coverage. His game should go to another level as he gets better at high-pointing the ball, but it’s not often when Jackson loses a one-on-one battle. His strong background in basketball definitely helps with that.

Although Jackson is known for his ability after the catch, that does not mean he is not physical. There are several plays on his highlight reel showing him deliver a strong blow to the defender, often resulting in them laid out on their back. When the opportunity presents itself, Jackson gets downhill in a hurry and is then strong at the point of attack. That part of his game does not get enough credit.

And I am not saying Jackson to going to be anything close to Kyle Pitts in terms of production. All I’m saying is the way he is utilized by his high school reminds me of how Florida utilized Pitts. This is a new-age tight end who is more of a field stretcher and bigger receiver rather than a traditional tight end. That could change as Jackson gets stronger and adds weight, but his game is being an athletic tight end who creates mismatches.

Also, on screen passes, Jackson shows impressive quickness for a bigger athlete. He is not just dangerous when getting north and south; he also does a nice job of making defenders miss and creating something out of nothing, especially at the line of scrimmage. Jackson is fluid for someone of his stature.

All in all, Jackson will definitely bring more athleticism to UF’s tight end room. It will be interesting to see how he fills out over the next few years, but the Gators are getting a true red-zone threat. Jackson knows how to create separation in one-on-one coverage and is light on his feet when navigating downfield.

Once Jackson does a better job of getting vertical to high-point the ball, his game will reach another level. That will allow him to be an even more dominant threat in the red zone.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

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