Scouting Deon Jackson

In this feature, DevilsIllustrated.com takes a much closer look at recent athlete commitment Deon Jackson.

Duke already held a verbal pledge from fellow Georgia product Marvin Hubbard prior to Jackson's commitment, giving Duke two potential running backs in the 2017 class. However, Jackson's versatility could allow David Cutcliffe and his staff to utilize him in different ways. More below:

Strengths: Jackson plays all over the field for Pace at the high school level, and it is easy to get a feel for his positional versatility watching him on film. Jackson lines up as a single back, a fullback, and a slot receiver on offense. He also is a special teams returner and plays defensive back on the other side of the ball.

Duke eyes him as an offensive weapon, someone capable of lining up in the backfield or moving out wide to catch passes. Watching Jackson play in the slot, he has good hands, which mean he projects to be someone who could catch it out of the backfield and be a mismatch for defenders on screens and wheels from the running back position.

Jackson may not be a burner at the college level, but he has good speed and athleticism in the open field and that will allow him to be a yards after contact/after the catch guy in college. With the ball in his hands, he is more of a north/south runner. He displays good vision and does not waste steps dancing around. He's not quite a one cut and go runner, but one notices on film that Jackson does not spend much time going east and west. He's a positive yardage gainer on a consistent basis, which will make him an asset wherever he's used.

Areas for Improvement: If Jackson is to be more of an every-down running back in the ACC, he'll need to add more weight to his frame. He's listed at 182 pounds on his Rivals.com profile, but Jackson told DevilsIllustrated.com at the time of his pledge that he was just over 200 pounds. That is a start, but in order to endure the punishment he will take for opposing defenders running between the tackles he could stand to add some more bulk. When running the ball between the tackles, Jackson is good at avoiding contact but will need to work on running with a low center of gravity and good pad level to be able to break more tackles at the college level.

It's entirely possible that Duke could opt to use Jackson as more of a hybrid, as mentioned previously. That could be his best fit, as someone who could line up in a variety of areas and help on special teams. If he plays a good deal of receiver in college, it is fair to say he will need some seasoning there in terms of route-running and the nuances of playing the position.

For any young player in college, learning to effectively block is always part of the learning curve. Whether he's picking up linebackers in pass protection or blocking talented defensive backs across from him as a receiver, Jackson will surely need to learn more of that part of the game.