Texas assistant Chris Jackson named Rivals Nationwide Recruiter of the 12 months

Since Steve Sarkisian arrived at Texas in 2021, the Longhorns have been battling for blue-chip recruits and competing for convention and nationwide championships.

The Longhorns have signed top-five lessons in every recruiting cycle since Sarkisian arrived – together with top-three hauls in 2023 and 2024 – culminating with Rivals.com’s No. 1 class in 2025.

Texas passing sport coordinator and large receivers coach Chris Jackson engineered the recruitment for the quartet of offensive playmakers signed this yr and has been named the Rivals Nationwide Recruiter of the 12 months for the 2025 cycle.

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Jackson helped Texas signal three top-20 receivers headlined by five-star receiver Kaliq Lockett, who ascended to No. 2 within the receiver rankings after a compelling displaying on the Navy All-American Bowl. Texas additionally inked four-stars Jaime Ffrench and Daylan McCutcheon, the Nos. 10 and 18 receivers within the Rivals250, respectively. Rounding out the group was four-star athlete Michael Terry, who will play receiver in addition to a large number of different positions on the Forty Acres.

“If you have a look at the fellows that you just usher in to Texas, you need to be extra essential and egocentric – in the event you don’t play within the NFL in three or 4 years, then why am I recruiting you?” requested Jackson, who’s coming into his third season on Sarkisian’s workers. “It’s an X-factor – they usually all have it.”

Jackson had been recruiting Lockett out of the Dallas Metroplex since he was a sophomore.

He immediately grew fond with the traits and the early manufacturing. The recruitment tightened up as Lockett drew the eye of LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, Texas A&M and others.

Jackson confronted an uphill climb – and secured a dedication from Lockett earlier than his senior season at Sachse (Texas) Excessive.

“We confirmed him real love and the place he suits with the offense,” Jackson mentioned. “It’s been an excellent journey constructing a relationship with him. He was a no brainer.

“We needed to get again into good graces with him.”

Jackson spent six seasons enjoying receiver within the NFL on 5 completely different groups earlier than diving into the teaching scene. He spent an extra half-decade on NFL teaching staffs earlier than taking up because the Jaguars’ receivers coach in 2022.

His expertise within the league is among the chief the reason why Lockett signed with Texas. It’s additionally triggered friction – briefly – between the touted receiver and Jackson, who seen some poor physique language throughout a reside analysis and talked about it to Lockett and his father afterward.

“His development and maturity is what separated him from the earlier yr,” Jackson mentioned of Lockett, who as a junior turned 69 catches into 1,055 yards and 6 touchdowns as a junior. “He wished the numbers to compete on a nationwide stage – and we had been with him. We noticed his growth … I’m happy with his growth off the sector.”

As much as the problem, Lockett separated himself on a nationwide platform in San Antonio on the Navy All-American Bowl final month – making performs on the perimeter; curating constant explosive performs; profitable on contested catches, and sharp, crisp route-running.

The Texas signee completed because the No. 19 total prospect within the Rivals250.

“We predict he has an opportunity to be a particular large receiver,” Brandon Harris, Texas’ GM, mentioned of Lockett. “He has an extremely excessive ceiling.”

Earlier than becoming a member of Sarkisian’s workers in 2023, Jackson helped Zay Jones attain profession marks as a part of the Jaguars’ receiving corps that featured three receivers with 80-plus catches.

When Jackson returned to Jacksonville in January 2024 to satisfy Ffrench at Mandarin (Fla.) Excessive, he knew his expertise with Jones – whom Ffrench trains with – would transfer the needle.

The teaching staffs in Gainesville, Tallahassee and Coral Gables even have assistants and coordinators with NFL backgrounds. Austin was the catalyst to plucking Ffrench out of Florida.

“It began with seeing what Austin was all about – what separates it from loads of SEC faculties,” Jackson defined. “We confirmed them the Austin meals vehicles, the networking capacity, DKR, what the tradition is right here … this ain’t simply Texas. We’ve nationwide guys right here. He noticed that vibe. That is what he was searching for – soccer and life after.”

Ffrench repeatedly shined in nationwide settings as an underclassman and once more as a senior. His smoothness, his physique management and his craftsman-like strategy to the place – amongst different issues – had the Longhorns signee as Rivals’ No. 10 receiver.

“He can run each route within the guide,” Jackson mentioned. “His elite physique management – I’ve by no means seen that from a highschool child earlier than. The get-up velocity – it’s like a basketball coming off the rim. The 50-50 catches – he makes it look simple. …

“He’s the full package deal being an outdoor WR that may get open and manipulate you throughout his routes.”

Jackson was equally enamored with McCutcheon’s talent set.

It stung when McCutcheon – the No. 95 total prospect within the Rivals250 – dedicated to Florida State over the Horns final July. The four-star from Dallas saved in contact with Jackson “each cease alongside the way in which” – resulting in his flip to Texas halfway by means of his senior season at Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy.

“It’s the intangibles with him … you possibly can’t put a finger on it,” Jackson mentioned. “He’s a playmaker on the surface or the within. His doesn’t-say-a-thing demeanor about him – he’s so even-keeled. He turns into such an reverse participant as he’s an individual … He’s a canine. He’s a sensible, high-IQ soccer participant with place flexibility. He can do all of it.”

After signing with the Longhorns in early December, Terry enrolled on campus in time to follow with the workforce earlier than its semifinal sport towards Ohio State.

The four-star athlete out of San Antonio (Texas) Alamo Heights performed the Jeremiah Smith function in follow. Like Smith, Terry has playmaking capacity as a large receiver – and a large number of different positions.

Terry drew comparisons from the Texas workers to a few former Longhorns who performed below Sarkisian – all drafted and presently on NFL groups – who play three completely different positions: former first-round working again Bijan Robinson, tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders and receiver Jordan Whittington.

“There’s a large number of issues he did that made the competitors look so inferior to him. We mentioned we needed to get this man,” Jackson mentioned. “He might play one or two positions on protection if he desires to. His versatility, his humbleness … he’s an additional added piece to an excellent receiving core. With him, now we have the flexibleness to do much more.”

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