According to Pro Football Focus, inside linebacker Nick Jackson was 18th among all Virginia football players in defensive snaps played in 2019. Over half of those snaps came against top 10 programs Clemson and Florida, experiences that taught the Atlanta (GA) native exactly what he needed to focus on leading up to his sophomore season and a possible full-time starting role in 2020.

Jackson was credited with 235 defensive plays in his true freshman campaign, with 125 of those plays coming against the Tigers (50) and Gators (75) in the ACC Championship and Capital One Orange Bowl combined. Another 34 came against North Carolina in Virginia’s first November contest. Jackson earned his first ever collegiate start against the Tar Heels, getting the nod in place of a suspended Jordan Mack, who was out for the first half of that game because of a targeting call the previous week against Louisville. Subbing for an injured Mack in the Capital One Orange Bowl, Jackson earned the second start of his young career against Florida.

“I think that was crucial just to me learning where I’m at,” Jackson said of the playing time he received late in 2019, more specifically the Orange Bowl. He had nine tackles versus Clemson and four more (two solo) against the Gators. “That experience, just thrown into the fire. Bryce Hall once told us, “You can’t be fireproof until you’ve been fire tested,’ and I think it was throwing me in the fire. I learned a lot last year and had to come back and get a lot stronger and get ready for this season.”

Teammates such as starting outside linebacker Charles Snowden recognized Jackson’s early offseason determination prior to the coronavirus impacting the country.

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