Woodgrove (Purcellville, VA) varsity football opens preseason practice on Monday, August 5. This time last year, Jordan “JJ” Jackson was preparing not only for his first season on the Woodgrove varsity, but for his first season of high school football. As a junior and playing defensive end in head coach Mike Skinner’s 4-4 defense, Jackson used impressive athletic ability to overcome inexperience and rack up 82 tackles including 12 sacks.

Days before preseason practice begins, the UVa-bound rising senior is confident and primed to play a major role for the Wolverines.

“I feel like I’ll be used everywhere,” Jackson said of his role this coming season. “In the offseason practices we have been able to have, I’ve lined up anywhere from outside linebacker to defensive tackle. One formation puts me against a weak center, so I’m playing nose tackle. There are a lot of new things I’ll be doing this year, and I feel like they are coming to me real easy. Like when I’m at outside linebacker, my athleticism allows me to drop in coverage and help there.”

Jackson is more comfortable and confident in terms of what he is doing on the field. He admits he has a better grasp of where to go and what to do on any given play. The 6’4″, 220-pound prospect also feels good about the progress he has made physically this offseason. And there is one area in particular he feels very good about.

...