Major FBS Schools Evaluating Junior Tight End

Last summer, Northside (Roanoke, VA) junior tight end prospect Dakota Jackson participated at one-day camps at Virginia and Virginia Tech. He impressed and appears very much on the radar of both schools. At this point, the 6-3 junior’s focus is on getting bigger and stronger for next summer, which could prove important in terms of garnering FBS scholarship offers.

“Coach Stinespring said he is extremely high on their board,” Vikings head coach Burt Torrence said. “The concern was his weight. At Virginia, he weighed in at 211 pounds. At Virginia Tech, he weighed in at 214 pounds. That’s way too light for a major D1 college tight end. It’s a level of concern, but I think he was pleasantly surprised [earlier in December]. Dakota is 230 now and still chiseled. I expect he’ll run as good if not a better time in the 40. He has had a significant upgrade in weight. He’s working hard in the weight room. He’s working his butt off right now because he knows what the ultimate benefit might be.”

Coach Torrence further discussed the FBS-level interest Jackson has received.

“There has been quite a bit of interest out of Virginia Tech. UVa has been in here once to see him this past fall, to get film on him and so forth,” Torrence said. “U-Conn called [in December]. He is high on their board, but they might like to see senior year film. We’ve sent film off to a number of ACC schools. A lot of them expressed that they would be back here after the first of the year, so we see him as a blue-chip prospect.”

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