Josh Jackson Excites the Hokie Faithful
When Michael Vick stepped out onto the field for the first time in 1999, Virginia Tech knew immediately that they had a star on their hands. Scoring three touchdowns in the first half of his first game, Michael Vick would go on to take the Hokies on an unprecedented run to the BCS National Title game, despite being defeated by Flordia State. Since the days of Vick, Virginia Tech has waited patiently for the next great player to come through their doors. High hopes were pinned on Marcus Vick, younger brother of Michael, but off-the-field issues plagued him and ultimately derailed his career. Tyrod Taylor was a productive player at VT, but never possessed the electricity that Vick brought to the gridiron. Enter redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, dark horse Heisman candidate and a player that has the chance to take the Virginia Tech football program to heights not seen since the Michael Vick days.
Josh Jackson has already exceeded expectations and has made head coach Justin Fuentes look like a relative genius. Demonstrating impressive poise and command of the huddle in his first taste of action at the NCAA level, Jackson has posted some impressive stats. In his first three games, the Ann Arbor, Michigan native has tossed 829 passing yards and eight touchdowns, on a 64.7 completion percentage. He has also rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown en route to a 3–0 start for the Hokies.
With Old Dominion coming to town this weekend, Jackson has the chance to cement himself as a true Heisman candidate. The Hokies also have a date with the reigning National Champion Clemson Tigers on September 30th, another game that will certainly test Jackson’s meddle. Could an upset be in the cards for Jackson and the Hokies against Clemson? A win of that magnitude will certainly thrust him into the National spotlight.
Jackson is vaguely reminiscent of Green Bay Packers star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. He has a big arm and makes any throw down the field look easy. His mobility and penchant to extend the play changes games, similarly to the way Rodgers does so at the pro level.
An interesting thing about Jackson is that he’s been no stranger to this game all of his life. His father, Fred, was a coach at Michigan for 23 years until 2014. His ties to Michigan earned him a shoutout from New England Patriots quarterback and reigning Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady before his season opener against West Virginia. Brady had been a Michigan Wolverine while Fred Jackson was a member of the coaching staff.
It’s always dangerous to compare a young player to an all-time great like that of Michael Vick, but the Hokies simply have not seen such a dynamic signal caller since Vick himself. The Hokies have remained relevant for years on the strength of their defense, but have not been able to perform in key moments offensively since the days of Tyrod Taylor. Even at a young age, Jackson has already demonstrated poise in some of the big moments of the 2017 campaign. Couple Jackson’s playmaking ability with a Bud Foster coached defense and you have the recipe for a team that can surprise a lot of people this college football season. Maybe they even have the talent to make a run at the CFB Playoff.
A big first step would be getting over their “David versus Goliath” matchup against Clemson. Clemson’s defense bottled up and tortured Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and it will be interesting to see a similar player like Josh Jackson stack up against them. Regardless, with Jackson at the helm, the Virginia Tech Hokies have a bright future in front of them.
