Maryland Football: Josh Jackson is obvious starter for Terps in 2019
Mike Locksley landed a big fish on Monday night as former Virginia Tech star Josh Jackson committed to Maryland football and is immediately eligible.
One program’s cast-off is another’s treasure. Virginia Tech and Josh Jackson parted ways after the 2018 season and now the former record-breaking freshman for the Hokies is headed to the Big Ten for his junior season.
As a freshman in 2017, Jackson stole the show with Virginia Tech. He looked like one of the best young quarterbacks in college football and potentially a dark-horse Heisman candidate for 2018, and beyond. The ACC wasn’t quite ready for him and the under-the-radar recruit from Michigan took full advantage.
Then issues hit the star quarterback before the 2018 season and he played minimally — he attempted just 58 passes, to be exact.
Jackson went from passing for 2,991 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 60 percent completion rate to being an afterthought for the Hokies during a rough season. He played in just three games and it seemed obvious his time with Virginia Tech was about to expire.
When he announced he’d be transferring in the offseason, it was clear that he’d be one of the top quarterbacks on the market, so to speak.
With Mike Locksley going from Alabama to Maryland as the next head coach for the Terrapins, Jackson had to like the outlook in College Park. The Terrapins may be a program on the rise with the former Tide assistant and he spent almost two months trying to court the former freshman sensation.
It all paid off as Jackson picked the Terrapins and he joins a roster which has been depleted by injuries, especially at the quarterback position over the past couple of years.
That alone should make him the favorite to start, not to mention his athleticism, experience and strong arm.
If Maryland wants any chance to win the Big Ten in the coming year, or two, it needs to put Jackson at quarterback and watch him return to his 2017 form.
Next. NFL Mock Draft 2019: First round after Super Bowl 53. dark
Big Ten teams probably didn’t want to hear this news on Monday night, but Jackson is ready to play right away for Maryland as he’s immediately eligible.