College Football
West Virginia DL T.J. Jackson Leads Nation in Important Category
West Virginia is home to one of the top pass rushers in the entire country who now leads the nation in an important category. After another stellar performance, defensive lineman T.J. Jackson is now above everyone else when it comes to quarterback pressures.
Moving up from being tied for the second most prior to the Kansas game, Jackson now has 20 quarterback pressures, per PFF. In addition to the pressures, Jackson has 17 total tackles and 3.5 sacks so far this season. He’s recorded 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks overall in WVU’s last two games against Pitt and Kansas combined.
Leaders in QB Pressures this season💪 pic.twitter.com/tfVjffDxYf
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 25, 2024
Ascending into the starting lineup for the Backyard Brawl against Pitt due to a serious injury to Eddie Vesterinen, Jackson earned the honor of Big 12 Newcomer of the Week right away.
The WVU coaching staff has long believed they landed a steal in Jackson as a transfer, and it’s clear that opinion is shared by some in the national media.
PFF ranked Jackson as one of their highest graded defensive transfers in the offseason. They awarded Jackson with a grade of 89.7, tying him with Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds for third on their list. Jackson was also the highest graded player at his position, ranking well ahead of other defensive tackles.
Jackson moved on from Troy after four years and 91 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. The 6-foot-1, 262-pound edge rusher helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back conference titles and was named an All-Sun Belt first-team player in 2022. He posted 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks that season.
He’s taking the same path as some of his new coaches by going from Troy to West Virginia, namely his head coach Neal Brown and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley. Jackson said his relationship with Lesley and his desire to play for Brown is what led to his decision to transfer to WVU.
Jackson’s signing came only a week after his visit and then commitment to the Mountaineers.
WV Sports Now reached out to the defensive end after he posted a cryptic emoji of a lock on X (Twitter) while on campus. Jackson told WVSN that he decided to make his visit a a two-day trip because he was enjoying himself so much.
“Loving it out here. Love the coaches and how they’re treating me and my family,” said Jackson about his visit.
WVU was the first program to send an offer to Jackson after he made his plans to transfer known on Dec. 28. Boston College, Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and even Jacksonville State.
Jackson did have to serve a three-game suspension to start the 2023 season for a violation of team rules.
For a related story, WVU linebacker Tyrin Bradley was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.