It seemed Jah Jackson had graduated from football. As he grew to nearly seven feet tall, people started telling him basketball was the sport for him. With more and more big names playing alongside him, from Bronny James on the AAU circuit to Alexandre Sarr of Overtime Elite, his future on the court seemed certain.
Still, there were times when Atlanta Overtime Elite general manager Damien Wilkins would look at Jackson and say what he thought was a joke, referring to the school with a fairly well-known football program where Wilkins and his uncle, Dominic, played.
“If basketball doesn't work out, there are good schools for you,” Wilkins added while recounting the story recently, “but it wasn't anything serious and I didn't think he was serious about it.”
Jackson didn't think it would happen either, but after a hectic few months and a quick recruiting spree that included visits to Florida State and other schools, he committed to play tackle at Georgia and will enroll next month, becoming one of the tallest players to ever play college football.
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Jackson, who turned 20 in January, says he is 6-foot-11, the same height as current player Tom Haderly, an offensive lineman at Jacksonville State. According to True Media, two other college football players have measured 6-foot-11 since 2019. According to Pro Football Reference, no player taller than 6-foot-9 has been listed at the NFL Scouting Combine since 2000.
Jackson weighs 325 pounds. Georgia coaches reportedly like his weight and believe he has a chance to become a starter as soon as next year, even though he hasn't played competitive football since middle school.
“That's pretty much where I'll be next year,” Jackson said. “(The coaches) told him, 'Go play some of the best defensive ends in the country this year, get some development, get some games and you could be the starter next year.'”
Ja Jackson committed to the University of Georgia on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Overtime Elite)
A former basketball prospect who wasn't even eligible for football recruiting until June could commit to Georgia this year and make an immediate impact? How did that happen?
Jackson was born and raised in San Diego, where he played Pop Warner football in elementary school. He moved to South Florida with his mother and brother in sixth grade, where he continued to play football, including as the only eighth-grader to play on the varsity team at Westminster Christian Academy, where he played left tackle, defensive end and tight end.
Around that time, he started to develop even more, which made him even more passionate about basketball, putting football on the back burner except for backyard games. He was on Team LeBron, where he played alongside Bronny James. “He's a cool, calm guy,” Jackson said. LeBron James would watch games during the NBA offseason.
During his senior year of high school, Jackson transferred to Overtime Elite, a basketball player development program in Atlanta. Sarr, who played there from 2021-2023, was the No. 2 pick in this year's NBA draft, Rob Dillingham (who went to Kentucky) was a lottery pick and Tyler Smith was No. 33. Jackson played against or against all of them and entered the draft. He wasn't selected, but he did receive pro offers to play in Greece and Spain, as well as the G League.
But his heart was back in football and he decided to forego his basketball future.
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“I feel like I made the most of the experience,” Jackson said. “I got something out of it at the end of the day. I feel like it made me a better person. It helped me deal with adversity, it helped me fight. And it made me a better competitor. And all of that ultimately translates onto the football field.”
His mother, Lela, and uncle, Avery Hawley, had encouraged him to reconsider football. Jackson eventually agreed and hired a trainer to help him get back in football shape. Meanwhile, his uncle contacted Florida State University assistant coach Patrick Surtin Sr. Surtin was the coach at American Heritage School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when Jackson was at IMG Academy. Surtin invited Jackson to FSU's recruiting camp in early June.
It was Jackson's first camp, and he endured plenty of training prep and got the fundamentals right. It wasn't too hard, according to Wilkins. Wilkins remembers Jackson coming to OTE working hard to lose weight and get into basketball shape.
“Everything we've thrown at Jah, he's taken it,” Wilkins said. “He's true to himself. He's not one to shy away from constructive criticism.”
Florida State was impressed enough with Jackson to offer him a position, but the Seminoles wanted Jackson as a tight end. Florida State's coaching staff invited him back, but some recruiting and social media platforms began to signal Jackson was interested in changing sports. On the day of camp, he began hearing from college coaches through social media, including Florida, so Jackson and Holly drove to Gainesville to speak with the coaches, including Billy Napier.
Georgia was also intrigued, and its scouting staff saw the news on social media and notified higher-ups. Jackson and his uncle left again, driving to Athens, where they practiced. The coaches invited Jackson for an official visit the following weekend and continued to stay in touch afterward while Jackson visited Mississippi State again.
“It's really, really fast-paced,” Jackson said of the recruiting process. “Every day something new comes up, so you have to stay on top of it and communicate with everybody.”
Jah Jackson (34) declared for the NBA draft after playing for the Overtime Elite. (Adam Hagee/Overtime Elite)
Ultimately, Jackson decided Georgia was too good to pass up, which Wilkins was happy about, but more than that, Wilkins believes many of Jackson's great qualities as a tackle — his footwork, quickness and strength — translate to his basketball skills.
“Like all of us, his success depends on how much support he has,” Wilkins said. “If everyone on the team wants Jah to succeed, he'll respond. If everyone wants to work with him, he will.”
Jackson was asked what it was like to essentially start over. Just a few months ago, he was about to embark on a professional basketball career, and now he's starting his college football career as a freshman at one of the top schools in the country, surrounded by five-star prospects who've been playing football much longer than he has.
“I'm really excited, I'm ready to embrace the process and ultimately get better,” Jackson said. “I trust that my athleticism will get me there and that I'll ultimately do my job. But it's been good. I wouldn't say overwhelming, but it's been very good. It's really just a blessing at the end of the day. I try to stay grateful for the opportunity and that people believed in me and saw something that they hadn't even seen on film yet. I feel like God was letting me know this was the path I was meant to follow.”
(Top photo by Adam Hagee/Overtime Elite)
