Florida football earned an On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine pick for four-star tight end/athlete Amir Jackson out of Portal (Georgia) on Wednesday when Keith Niebuhr submitted his projection along with Gators Online’s Corey Bender. The 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound pass-catcher is apparently very impressed with how hard the Gators have been working to woo him into the Swamp.
“Florida, Coach Napier, Coach (Russ) Calloway — they contact me everyday making sure we’re good,” Jackson told Gators Online. “You feel like home when you go there on visits. It’s a place you would want to be. (Napier) understands players, he doesn’t just recruit players like me,” Jackson said. “He wants to know about you. And he doesn’t talk just football. It’s about your life and what you plan on doing with your life. It’s just a coach you would want. It means a lot. It shows me that he not only cares but he’s true to what he says.”
Outside linebacker coach Mike Peterson paid a visit to see the rising high school senior at his high school earlier this month. The three-sport standout had 22 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns in 2022, while also stepping up at the safety position with 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception; he also played basketball and ran track.
It is pretty clear why Napier and Co. covet this Peach State recruit, who is scheduled to make his official visit to Gainesville the weekend of June 16.
“Right now this feels like a Florida-Georgia battle but Alabama is involved and visited him this week,” Niebuhr opined a couple of weeks ago. “Kentucky was on him early and is another to watch. The Gators might be in the strongest spot at the moment. His past visits to Gainesville went great, he’s close with position coach Russ Callaway and Gators coach Billy Napier is heavily involved. But if Georgia pushes, you know it will have a shot. It may simply come down to who wants him the most.”
Jackson is ranked No. 100 overall and No. 8 at the athlete position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 123 and 10, respectively, as a tight end. The RPM has the Gators overwhelmingly in front for his commitment with a 97.3% chance of landing him.
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