As the Maryland football team ran through positional drills and 11-on-11 sets during warm-ups before Friday night’s contest against Florida International, the defense featured a new addition.
While defensive back JC Jackson had been practicing with the Terps throughout fall camp after a late-summer transfer reunited him with coach DJ Durkin, the sophomore couldn’t play in the season opener. About 30 minutes before Maryland kicked off against Howard, the team announced Jackson would miss the contest due to an “academic matter.”
The program righted the situation before facing the Panthers, though, and Jackson suited up as a starting corner in Maryland’s 41-14 victory.
“JC’s been working really hard and practicing a bunch and going at it,” Durkin said. “He’s a great addition for us. He’ll continue to be better and better.”
Durkin wasn’t sure when Jackson would be able to play before traveling to Miami, but the rookie coach found out Friday afternoon before the contest that Jackson would be available.
The sophomore lined up at one of the outside cornerback slots and made three tackles.
Durkin said after the game he was glad Jackson — the former four-star prospect he recruited to Florida as the Gators defensive coordinator in 2014 — had the chance re-acclimate to live-game speed after a tumultuous start to his college career.
Jackson suffered a shoulder injury in the first outing of his rookie season in Gainesville, Florida, and took a redshirt year.
He was reportedly slated to become a starting corner as a redshirt freshman, but he was arrested on four felony charges related to a home invasion and robbery incident in April 2015. Florida dismissed Jackson from the program, though he was found not guilty in a trial last November.
Instead, he spent the fall playing six games at Riverside City Community College in California, making 25 tackles and forcing two fumbles.
After reviewing film of Maryland’s performance at FIU Stadium, Durkin said Jackson’s instincts showed in his debut but that he left room for improvement.
“There was a couple plays that I think he could’ve made a little better play on the ball,” Durkin said Monday in a conference call. “He was in the right spot, but didn’t make the play. But overall, very pleased. I think he will help us immensely.”
Wide receiver D.J. Moore, who finished with a career-high six catches, 147 yards and two touchdowns, was excited to see someone else face Jackson as the two often battle one another in practice.
Plus, linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. said Jackson strengthened the defensive backfield. Having Jackson paired with defensive backs Will Likely and Alvin Hill, Carter said, gave the front seven confidence to play with more freedom.
Late in the first quarter, for example, Carter blitzed but retreated to help make a tackle. That’s when he saw and secured a tipped ball and returned it for a touchdown to give the Terps a 10-0 lead.
“It’s just like, ‘Man, we have a great secondary back there,'” Carter said. “We’re able to go, go after the quarterback, you know. It’s just good to have [Jackson] back there.”
Central Florida coach Scott Frost said during an American Athletic Conference call Monday he noticed the same tendencies.
Knights quarterbacks Nick Patti and Justin Holman combined for 56 passing yards against No. 4 Michigan last weekend. Frost said he expects more patience and better decisions from his signal callers when they welcome the Terps on Saturday night, Jackson’s second chance to gain game experience with Maryland.
“You can tell they’re a disciplined defense, and that’s what you expect from a team that DJ’s coaching,” Frost said. “They’ve got a couple special players in their secondary, and we need to execute well in order to have a chance against those guys.”
