A couple of hours after revealing his top 12 colleges via Twitter early Tuesday evening, Jesuit linebacker Vincent Jackson Jr. offered a quick assessment of each school with staff writer Joey Knight.
Afterward, Jackson, among the nation’s top 100 rising seniors according to national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, said he doesn’t plan on choosing a school until the fall (he wants to make some official visits).
He did say, however, that Alabama, Auburn, Oregon and Miami currently were atop the list. Here are Jackson’s brief takes on the 12:
Alabama:“Best school by far that I’ve been to. I just like coach (Nick) Saban and I like the school in general.”
Auburn: “Great coaching staff. Great tradition, nice school. Also, I have a lot of friends there. I really felt at home, kind of, when I was there.” (Point of interest: Jackson’s dad, Vincent Sr., is a friend of AU Heisman Trophy winner Vincent “Bo” Jackson.)
Florida State: “In-state school. I have a lot of friends there and I like the school itself. One of my favorite schools.”
Kentucky: “They have a loyal fan base and the school seems nice. The athletic programs are pretty good as a whole.”
Miami: “Miami is one of my favorites also. Beautiful school, beautiful city, and I have a lot of friends there.”
Ohio State: “Some of my former coaches went there and they told me about it. Traditional school. I like that part of it and I want to visit soon.”
Ole Miss: “Very loyal fan base. Also, their football team’s on the rise. I like what their coaches are trying to do to turn around the program.”
Oregon:“One of my favorites also. They were more of a childhood favorite up until now. … They’re really original at their school and they keep everything creative. I just like that about them. And I like the coaching staff. … They were one of the most welcoming coaching staffs I’ve met. Same thing with Auburn.”
Southern Cal: “I visited Southern Cal my sophomore year and thought it was a nice school. I’ve always had a relationship with coach (Lane) Kiffin. I like how they run their practices and program, and the school itself is very nice.”
Tennessee:“Tennessee is a very nice school, very big. I like the city also. They also have a very loyal fan base.”
Texas A&M: “I’ve already built a relationship with their defensive coordinator, coach (Mark) Snyder. I love what he’s doing; they have the 3-4 defense, which I prefer over the 4-3 to be honest. I just like the school in itself.”
USF: “Hometown school, first offer. I can’t really knock them down. They were like, the first team that ever believed in me to give me a chance to play college football.”
Another list unveiled
Tampa Catholic offensive lineman Corey Martinez released his top six schools via Twitter on Friday: Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
The four-star recruit has received major college interest since his sophomore year, and currently has more than 20 Division-I offers. USF and Notre Dame were among those who offered the rising senior but didn’t make his final cut.
College-bound Cobras
In an area not known for its basketball talent, Hudson has quietly produced a string of college recruits under coach Jason Vetter.
Senior guard Zack Petersen is one of the latest examples. The 15 points per game scorer orally committed to Aurora University, a Division III program in Illinois this week. His commitment gives the Cobras seven college-bound players since 2008.
If teammate Bryce Durham (13.4 points, 2.9 steals per game) accepts an offer from Doane College, an NAIA program in Nebraska, then eight of Hudson’s last 15 seniors will have signed to play college basketball. In the first 35 years of the program, only six Cobras advanced to play collegiately.
Staff writer Matt Baker contributed to this report.