Texas A&M Football: 5 potential breakout candidates for 2022
4. IDL McKinnley Jackson
At the fourth spot, I have McKinnley Jackson. Jackson came into College Station as a four-star recruit from Mississippi at a staggering 6’2, 335 pounds. Since then, the former four-star has conditioned himself even more and is looking to become a more consistent player.
That has been the main knock on Jackson. The inconsistency over the past two seasons have held him back from being a star. He has shown flashes at applying pressure in the backfield, but he struggles with leverage and consistently causing pressure.
Jimbo Fisher: "I think McKinnley Jackson has really taken steps forward in how he's playing, and he's healthy now."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) August 7, 2022
"He really stands out to me."
The good part is that Coach Fisher is seemingly liking what he’s seeing out of Jackson in camp. He looks to be becoming more of a leader on that defense and understands what’s at stake for him.
There are a handful of freshmen that are looking to gain snaps from him, and he understands that that needs to push him to get better. I expect Jackson to use these younger players behind him as motivation to continue to improve his game and become what everyone knows he can be on a promising, but young defensive line.