Michigan Football: Analyzing Giles Jackson transfer to Washington
Although the secret was out about Giles Jackson transferring to Washington, the former Michigan football standout made it official with a post on his Twitter account Sunday.
Jackson is a 5-foot-9, 186-pound wide receiver but he came to the Wolverines as a four-star recruit and after his first season with Michigan football, there was a lot of excitement about him.
He caught nine passes for 142 yards that season and scored a touchdown. He also scored a rushing touchdown against Ohio State, which was one of the plays that gave you some hope about the future of the speed-in-space offense.
See Jackson was different than most of the receivers Michigan had at that point. The quick slot guy hadn’t been part of the offense under Jim Harbaugh and there was a lot of excitement about what Jackson could bring, as a receiver, runner, and returner.
https://twitter.com/gilesjackson05/status/1381321266443874306
But during the spring, some others had surpassed Jackson on the depth chart and he posted, after saying he thought long and hard about it, that he wanted to enter the portal.
It was disappointing but it’s something that’s become a reality in the world of college athletics. Players aren’t immediately eligible yet but they soon will be and most are right away.
Michigan football could see Jackson in 2021
The Wolverines could wind up facing Jackson on the field this fall, in Week 2 as the Washington Huskies are scheduled to invade the Big House.
It’s sort of a bummer that Michigan will have to play against Jackson. I’m not super worried about his passing along scheme specifics, however, it’s going to be a huge bummer if he makes a big play or does something on special teams.
Jackson was an exceptional return guy and he returned a kickoff for a touchdown in each of his first two seasons with U-M. Last year, he caught 15 passes for 167 yards but didn’t score.
Yet, to be fair, the entire Michigan offense was dysfunctional, so it’s hard to judge.
In the end, just like Zach Charbonnet, it just seems like the Wolverines didn’t take advantage of Jackson’s talents.
Next. 3 takeaways from spring ball. dark
It’s certainly possible he was to blame and guys shouldn’t leave just because they fall down the depth chart, but when he arrived, I certainly didn’t see him playing against U-M in 2021.