SEC notebook: Arkansas DE and Texas native Landon Jackson flashes star power on, off field

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was one of the more glib, entertaining interviews of this week's SEC media days. The 6-foot-7 lineman who played high school football in Texarkana announced Wednesday that he’d gotten engaged to his high school sweetheart, Grace Duffer, whom he has dated since they were both sophomores at Pleasant Grove High. The 5-foot-10 Duffer was once a setter in volleyball.

Jackson has buffed up since last year, gaining a ton of weight to go from 238 to 283 pounds. He’s also a dead ringer for NoHo Hank, the Chechen mobster character from the HBO series “Barry.”

Asked if he’s watched the popular series, Jackson said he did and added, “He follows me on Instagram.”

He said he and Anthony Carrigan, who plays the role in “Barry,” have connected, and both have raised awareness for alopecia and childhood hair loss.

Jackson also has an NIL deal with WWE.

— Kirk Bohls

More: Will Arkansas, Texas resume rivalry full time? Not if Hogs coach Sam Pittman has a say

Thanks for nothing, Paul

As per usual every SEC media days, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was asked about his relationship with Nick Saban, who hired him as his offensive coordinator after Kiffin was fired as USC's head coach.

Kiffin expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Saban and continues to hail the seven-time national champion as the best coach ever.

“I really believe it,” Kiffin said. “And he’s done it in a time with scholarship limitations. What if he had 150 scholarships to give? He’s doing it at a time with so much staff turnover. Man, all these first-round picks and he loses his coordinators all the time.”

Kiffin then gave the needle to ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, who he said unfairly criticized Saban after a disappointing 11-2 season.

“Yeah, he’ll say, 'Now this is the end of Saban,’“ Kiffin said. “Thanks for pissing him off. And Paul’s always wrong. So if Nick doesn’t make the playoffs, he’s not any good as a coach? Thanks, Paul.”

— Kirk Bohls

Rivalry fit to a T?

Texas and Tennessee have met only three times on the football field, with each game coming in the Cotton Bowl. The Volunteers won the first meeting 20-14 in 1951, but the Longhorns got their revenge two years later with a 16-0 win. The last time they played was in 1969 when Texas won 36-13.

With the series set to see an increase in the action once Texas joins the SEC in 2024, could a certain school acronym and a certain color form an unlikely new rivalry?

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said, from his perspective, that debate has already been settled.

“There's only one real UT,” he said while wearing a tie in the Tennessee color on the podium Thursday. “And one right shade of orange.”

— Thomas Jones

Drought, anyone?

Alabama will take aim on its 14th national title since World War II. Texas, meanwhile, is searching for its fifth, including its first since 2005.

But in the last 53 seasons, the Longhorns can claim just a single national championship. The Tide? They’ve got 10 championship rings over that same span.

— Kirk Bohls

More: Bohls: Alabama's Nick Saban baking the cake and still hungry for another title

Distraction U

ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic wonders if the focus of Texas players has been hurt because the city of Austin features so many things to do while athletes in some SEC cities like Auburn — where he was once a center — and Starkville and Fayetteville don’t offer the same.

"Every place has distractions," Cubelic said, "but Austin has major distractions. You can't get away from distractions in Austin.”

Cubelic also worried that the NIL deals can steer players away from concentrating on their sport.

"When I was at Auburn, I couldn't afford to go to Panama City (Florida)," he said. "Even if the players aren't demanding it, I can see parents of these guys wanting real estate, shares of stock, things like that instead of $20,000.”

— Kirk Bohls

Punters are athletes, too

South Carolina’s Kai Kroeger’s won All-America honors last season, but is just as proud of the two touchdown passes he’s thrown, one last year as the Gamecocks’ holder on a fake field goal against Vanderbilt.

“It’s unbelievable that the head coach thinks I’m worthy of coming here,” said Kroeger, who was a high school quarterback in Illinois before he focused on punting. Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer is also the special teams coordinator and heavily emphasizes that phase as did his legendary father, Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech.

By his estimation, he’s nailed about 15 punts inside the 5-yard line in his three seasons but has struggled with his hang time. He averaged 46 yards a punt with a net of 43.2 yards.

He’s followed the late Ray Guy’s career and even though he never met him, he’s been impacted by the Southern Miss product who also played defensive back.

“He’s the only punter in the Hall of Fame,” Kroeger said. “He holds the most prestigious records of all time and was known for his great hangtime. That’s something I’ve struggled with.”

— Kirk Bohls

More: As evident at Big 12 media days, Austin making capital gains on football recruiting trail

SEC media days growing to record size

The SEC credentialed approximately 1,200 media members for its four-day media days affair at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Nashville, which conference officials said was the highest-ever number of attendees. That number may grow next year when the SEC hosts the event in Dallas, since Texas and Oklahoma will be making their SEC media debuts while expanding the league to 16 schools.

In comparison, the Big 12 credentialed about 700 media members during its two-day event earlier this month at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

SEC officials also confirmed on Thursday that the 2025 SEC media days will take place in Atlanta.

— Thomas Jones

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: SEC notebook: Arkansas' Landon Jackson emerging star on, off field