KNOXVILLE — Theo Jackson enters his senior season at Tennessee in 2020.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound safety is from Overton High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The in-state prospect has appeared in 34 games for the Vols since 2017.
He has totaled 81 tackles, one interception, five pass deflections and forced one fumble while at Tennessee.
Jackson is accompanied by strong safety Trevon Flowers and free safety Jaylen McCollough this season in the defensive backfield.
The in-state senior met with media during Tennessee’s third week of fall training camp and discussed the safety position and how comfortable he is playing alongside Flowers and McCollough in Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley’s defensive system.
“I feel very comfortable, same as they feel,” Jackson said on a Zoom call. “Us three, especially, are very close because we play the same positions — we play left and right safety.
“I feel with us three being close and being the quarterbacks of the defense, we are really good. All three of us are really close to Coach Ansley, so he guides us through it when we have trouble.”
Jackson also mentioned he feels that the defensive backs “will be a strength of the team” due to experience.
“I feel like we will be a strength of the team because we have the most experience in the back end,” Jackson said of the defensive back unit. “Most of us have been playing since freshman year and we’ve all built up that camaraderie together.
“I just feel like with us being that close and listening to Coach Ansley, we can be a really good defensive backs unit.”