Football fans in the state of Alabama kept an eye on social media today as 4-star recruit, Ian Jackson, announced where he will play college football in 2021. That city?-Our very own, Tuscaloosa.

Jackson is listed as the #8 overall recruit for high school football in Alabama and #15 in the country at the outside linebacker position according to 247sports.com. On Thursday morning, the high school junior from Prattville, Alabama had his list of potential schools down to Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, and Alabama before ultimately choosing the Crimson Tide.

Less than 90 miles from Bryant-Denny Stadium, Ian Jackson is a heavy contributor to the Prattville Lions defense. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Jackson started out his sophomore campaign as a safety before being moved to the outside linebacker position in his junior year to better suit Prattville's new defense. The position change helped him account for 91 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and a touchdown from a returned interception. His success at his new position and ability to cover the full field garnered the attention of Charles Kelly and Pete Golding of the Alabama recruiting staff.  At the Crimson Tide's most recent "junior day" in February, Jackson got the opportunity to explore the Capstone and visit some of the athletic facilities. On Saturday, May 23rd, he announced via Twitter that he'd be making his final decision May 28th on AL.com.

Jackson is the fifth 4-star commit for Nick Saban's 2021 Crimson Tide roster. He is now added to the Tide's verbal commitment list with fellow 4-star linebacker, Deontae Lawson, out of Mobile Christian in Mobile, Alabama. The Tide's linebacking core is already 18 players deep with 3 slated to be added in 2020. Even though Lawson is an interior linebacker, the future starting spots behind the defensive line are starting to get limited.

Ian Jackson won't likely see much time on the field in his first season due to the number of players returning and current upperclassmen still in the program. However, if he makes an impression in fall camp, he could get reps later in games this coming season. 

With linebackers Josh McMillon and Dylan Moses set to return after season-ending injuries, Bama looks to improve on the #3 ranking of overall defense in the SEC. Lead by Anfernee Jennings, the Crimson Tide defense accounted for an average of 2.2 turnovers each game which led the SEC. 

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Once he signs his letter of intent, Jackson could again be teammates with fellow Prattville Lion alum, Ty Perine. The early signing period for NCAA Division I football begins December 16th, 2020 and the official national signing day is set for February 3rd, 2021. Athletes able to graduate from high school a semester early may officially commit to schools during the early signing period as of 2017. This would allow them to immediately enroll for spring classes in their chosen school and participate at early team events.

Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Ian!

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