Savion Jackson prepares for first season with NC State
Posted August 23, 2019 6:16 p.m. EDT
Updated August 23, 2019 7:12 p.m. EDT
Raleigh, N.C. — During fall camp at NC State, Savion Jackson looks much bigger than the last time we saw the former Clayton defensive end.
The true freshman credits Dantonio Burnett, also known as "Coach Thunder" for his gains off the field.
"Thunder! He's running us everyday," Jackson said. "Working us out hard. Definitely Thunder, give props to him."
At Clayton, Jackson had 177 career tackles, 58 tackles for loss and just shy of 23 sacks. Jackson was a four-star recruit out of high school, but he enrolled early in the spring to help him adjust to the speed of college football. That extra time on the turf helped him handle the steep learning curve.
"It got me more prepared mentally to be able to take on whats out there," Jackson said. "I got into the playbook faster and to be able to come and do workouts so I'm conditioned to play."
NCSU head coach Dave Doeren said Jackson has adjusted quickly after being a little overwhelmed at first.
"He was pretty lost when he first got here," Doeren said. "He's in a lot better football shape and it helps just knowing the speed we practice at at and what to expect."
NCSU defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable isn't taking it easy on any of the new members of the Pack, but it doesn't phase the Johnston County native.
"Coach is going to yell at you," Jackson said. "You gotta handle business and I just take it as a learning experience. You've gotta learn from the older people in front of you."
While it's just the beginning for Jackson, there's a good chance we'll see him light up quarterbacks on Saturdays this fall.
"He's starting to play more within himself and he's got a lot of ability," Doeren said.
