OSU Makes Final Group for 2021 Wideout Michael Jackson III

Oklahoma State made the cut for an intriguing, athletic receiver prospect out of Nevada. Desert Pines (Las Vegas) wideout Michael Jackson III trimmed his list of top schools down to 11, he announced this week via his Twitter account, and OSU made the cut.

That final 11 list includes also included nearby Pac-12 schools USC, Cal, Utah, Oregon and UCLA. Tennessee, Nebraska, Kentucky, Minnesota and Penn State also made the group.

Jackson is the No. 3 prospect out of the state of Nevada according to 247Sports and a composite three-star recruit. He’s fast, athletic and a talented route-runner. He’s got the makings of an immediate impact player at the next level and he’s still got another year of high school to develop and improve.

Jackson’s first offer came just this last October when Minnesota came calling. Then in early February nearby UCLA extended a scholarship and the floodgates have opened. Oklahoma State threw its hat in the ring on April 5.

The group of 11 represents a broad scope of schools, but Jackson says he’s open to even other suitors at this stage in his recruitment.

“Really, I just felt like it was time to cut it down and highlight the schools that have been recruiting me the hardest, but I’m still open to any schools that haven’t offered me and I know after this pandemic I’m going to be taking visits to a few different schools,” Jackson told 247Sports. “Schools I’m looking to visit, of course, are all the schools I listed on my top 11 but also schools like Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas and a few more East Coast schools.”

The current pandemic and subsequent quarantine makes it even harder for schools like OSU to sell recruits, especially those from the other side of the country. And it makes things hard for the prospects themselves.

Jackson was able to take visits to Pac-12 schools Cal, Oregon, Utah, UCLA and USC before the nation went on lockdown.

“Right now not a lot of visits are being planned because it’s hard to tell when we’ll be able to start traveling again, so there is not much communication about officials but I had some unofficials planned before that I am still planning on going to,” Jackson continued. “I’m really just trusting God’s timing on making a decision. It will most likely be soon after we’re able to go do visits again and travel.”

At least schools can be sure that Jackson has found a way to stay in shape in spite of the quarantine.

Combine workout 4.4 40 / 3.9 Shuttle , Getting better ^1% everyday #no3xcuses
S/O ~ @iamphase1~@TheOpening
@bangulo @adamgorney @GregBiggins @rivalsmike @DHill39 @ticorod39 @dphs_athletics @247Sports @Rivals pic.twitter.com/8y6VdiFsj0

— Michael Jackson lll (@mike3jack) April 13, 2020

At 6 foot and a tick under 200 pounds, Jackson has the size to compete on a college field today. And if the above clip didn’t do enough to display his impressive athleticism and route-running, have a look-see at this video of his 2019 Year in Review.

It’s easy to see why so many schools have been clamoring for his talents as of late. And it’s good to see that, at least at this point, OSU is squarely in the running.