Posted: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 6:00 pm
So, will Brandon Jackson stay or go?
Based on information gathered during the past five days, my guess is Jackson has played his last down for Nebraska.
To be sure, most signs point toward the versatile running back opting to skip his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.
Jackson remains mum on the subject. He changed his cell phone number. He doesn’t prefer being the center of attention. His humility is part of the reason Husker fans so embrace the native of Horn Lake, Miss. (population 14,000), a short drive from Memphis.
He also happens to be a gifted running back — an NFL-caliber running back.
This is a difficult decision for Jackson, according to those close to him. Yet it’s easy to see why he would leave early for the NFL, because he probably would be selected during the draft’s first three rounds.
Consider: In the last eight years, an average of eight running backs were selected in the first three rounds. This year, it’s difficult to find seven running backs better than Jackson.
In fact, I might go so far as to place Jackson among the top five, along with Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch of California, Michael Bush of Louisville and Kenny Irons of Auburn.
As Jackson mulls a decision of a lifetime, he takes into account a pool of running backs that next year figures to be much deeper and more talented than this year’s.
At any rate, Jackson, at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, is an NFL-level commodity because he runs well both inside of the tackles and outside them, catches passes well, blocks well, returns kickoffs and/or punts. He’s also a diligent practice player and will be a fine addition to any franchise from a character standpoint. The NFL places increasing emphasis on the latter category, lest it degenerate into the NBA.
What’s more, Jackson would figure to test well at the oh-so-important NFL Scouting Combine (he possesses exceptional raw strength and has run the 40-yard dash in the low 4.4s).
He has endured injuries to both shoulders at Nebraska, but appears to have put those issues behind him. He’s also coming off a broken hand suffered in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 2.
One issue Jackson must consider is that NFL teams in recent years have included fewer and fewer running backs on their rosters. Because of the proliferation of multiple-receiver sets, many teams carry only three running backs, according to Gil Brandt, former personnel guru for the Dallas Cowboys and now NFL.com’s foremost draft analyst.
Not so long ago, NFL teams carried four or five running backs on their rosters, Brandt said.
Of course, Jackson just might embrace playing for an NFL team that has only one other tailback.
At Nebraska, he accumulated 989 yards rushing and 313 yards receiving this season while sharing time with three other I-backs. Make no mistake, the Huskers’ “committee” approach tested the four I-backs’ patience throughout the season. It tested running backs coach Randy Jordan’s skills as a diplomat. Indeed, he compared himself to Smokey The Bear — always putting out fires.
Sometimes egos were bruised. That’s only natural when you’re dealing with ultracompetitive athletes.
Of the four I-backs, Jackson showed to be the most explosive, most reliable, not to mention the least likely to complain.
Interestingly, Jackson leaving might in some ways be best for everyone involved.
Jackson probably gets a nice contract to help his family, and Nebraska’s talent-laden I-back committee — led at the moment by Jackson and sophomore Marlon Lucky — gets pared to a more manageable number. Jackson is an excellent player, but he’s not irreplaceable.
One other big-picture point to ponder (though it doesn’t necessarily apply to Jackson): As it stands, there are about 1,800 agents compared with 335 draftees, a troubling ratio. Agents often hound these players and refuse to take no for an answer.
In Jackson’s case, however, it doesn’t require a savvy agent to build a strong argument for him entering the draft.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.