What Arkansas Razorback fans can expect from four star St. James quarterback Kj Jackson
The St. James high school football team will be resting on an idle Week 9 after claiming the Class 3A Region 3 area championship — finishing 6-0 in region play. A key contributor behind the Trojans success has been four-star quarterback Kj Jackson, who is committed to play at the University of Arkansas next fall.
In a week seven victory over region rival Trinity Presbyterian, Jackson put together seven total touchdowns for the Trojans commanding the offense the entire game. His four passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns showed off his versatility, making him one of the most highly-touted River Region football recruits this year.
This fall, he became the first player in school history to throw 100 career touchdown passes. Head coach Neal Posey was speechless when talking about his quarterback after his stellar Week 7 performance against Trinity.
"Kj is good, and there is nothing else to say," Posey said. "We have some good guys on the outside and on the line that allows him to make the right decisions and he gets the ball in the right place."
After helping lead St. James to the Class 3A state championship last season, the Trojans chances of repeating are high with the playoffs two weeks away. A huge arrow will be on this team as every opponent's goal is to eliminate the reigning champions.
How is Jackson handling this pressure you may ask? Like a professional athlete, something he’ll be in no time at the rate he’s going. Here’s what Arkansas Razorbacks fans are getting in Jackson next fall:
A focused, humble beast of a player
When standing in the presence of Jackson, you see a tall athletic student-athlete having a good time on the football field. However, if you have the opportunity to speak with him postgame, you see the humility the quarterback carries himself with and gratitude he has towards his teammates after each victory.
His mother Aundria Jackson confirmed he's been that way since he first started playing football and has always kept him strong in his education and faith.
“Kj has been humble like that since he was young. We've always stressed student-athlete. By student, we mean academically and biblically,” Aundria Jackson said. “I've told KJ my prayer is that he uses whatever influence he has through the game of football to shine God's light in this world.”
A Family Man
Jackson has played on the Trojans team since he was in middle school as a two-sport athlete (football and baseball).
Assistant baseball coach and father of Kj, Kenney Jackson, described St. James as a family atmosphere and credits them for his son’s development as an athlete.
“I had a relationship with former football coach Jim Perry from high school, and I knew if he could play under him with his respected coaching resume he could play anywhere,” Kenney Jackson said. “The academics, diversity, and family atmosphere St. James has is ideally what we wanted for him when choosing his high school.”
The family philosophy his father spoke on is what steered him to choosing Arkansas as his college choice over the University of North Carolina.
“His recruiting process was diverse, but Arkansas and North Carolina was his final two schools,” Kenney Jackson said. “Coach Pittman and his staff at Arkansas felt more like a family to us and that’s what it really came down to for him.”
What can Razorback fans expect?
When building your ideal college quarterback recruit, you look for a state champion, a leader and a record-breaking star. Kj has accomplished all of those accolades and more.
An all-around, eager-to-learn quarterback is something the SEC-bound Jackson will bring to an Arkansas team looking for a future offensive captain.
“They can expect a true competitor from Kj," Kenney Jackson said. "He is gonna listen on how to become a leader. His glass is half full and his willingness to grow as a quarterback will be unmatched. They are gonna get an all-around player and overall they a kid.”
Saint James will return for their regular season finale hosting Carroll on Nov. 3.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: What Arkansas football fans can expect from St. James recruit Kj Jackson
