Ohio State football class of 2022 scouting report: Kenyatta Jackson

The recruiting cycle for 2022 is in the books. The Ohio State Buckeyes had a consensus top-five class in the country and are considered the No. 1 class in the Big Ten by a wide margin. It is no secret Ohio State had some struggles and the defensive line was less than spectacular, but the Buckeyes added some serious juice to the defensive front during this recruiting cycle.

It should be noted for those that are not familiar, recruiting classes are not like NFL draft classes. Many of these players will not see time as freshmen and will likely be redshirted. It’s also true that in the age of the transfer portal it is likely several players from this class will not be here at the end.

I wanted to at least take a dive into some of the top studs and we’ll start at the top of the recruiting class with defensive end, Kenyatta Jackson, and we have already previously dived into C.J. Hicks and Devin Brown.

Strengths

Chaminade-Madonna’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (2) chases down a Berkeley Prep player to tackle him. Chaminade-Madonna shut out Berkeley Prep 21-0 to claim the 3A State Championship title at Gene Cox Stadium on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Name: Kenyatta Jackson

High School: Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL)

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 235 pounds

Four-Star Defensive End

Kenyatta Jackson is an interesting prospect because I feel like he can make a bid for serious snaps sooner rather than later. He has a large frame and I fully expect him to weigh 250 before the start of the 2023 season, but the most interesting trait is his toughness and constant motor. There are plenty of plays on his reel that show him hustling long distances to make the tackle.

Weaknesses

Chaminade-Madonna’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (2) blocks a Berkeley Prep player. Chaminade-Madonna shut out Berkeley Prep 21-0 to claim the 3A State Championship title at Gene Cox Stadium on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Kenyatta Jackson is not an early enrollee so it would be fairly unexpected for him to play any serious minutes as a freshman. He also lacks the elite athleticism that you see in some of the other highly touted recruits, but again, it should be noted that he has a large frame that should allow him to completely transform his body. Depending on his end weight, Jackson’s lack of elite athleticism does necessarily mean he is any kind of liability.

Comparison: Tyquan Lewis

Dec 29, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Tyquan Lewis (59) rushes the passer during the game against the Southern California Trojans in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Like Jackson, Tyquan Lewis needed to bulk up, but saw action in every game after receiving a redshirt his first year on campus. Lewis is one of the most underrated and underappreciated Buckeyes in school history. He was named first-team All-Big Ten twice and saw action in 55 career games. Jackson could potentially have the same kind of impact.

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