West Virginia defensive tackle T.J. Jackson played the best football of his college career after transferring to the program from Troy. Jackson recorded a career-high 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for the Mountaineers this past season. NFL clubs view him as an incredibly disruptive three-tech with first-step explosiveness.
Jackson recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Jackson discussed which NFL teams are showing interest in his services, his incredible mother and her dedication, his evolving pass-rush arsenal, and more.
JM: Now that you've had time to reflect, how do you look back on the decision to transfer from Troy to West Virginia?
T.J. Jackson: It was a blessing. It gave me an opportunity to get away from home and grow up. Being at Troy, it was like a 30-minute drive to my parents' house. It was good to get away from my hometown.
West Virginia gave me the opportunity to learn how to be away from my mom and the rest of my family. To be able to experience football at the Power 4 level, the fan bases, was also a special experience.
JM: I bet you missed mom’s cooking, though.
T.J. Jackson: Yeah, I did (laughs). She always used to come up to West Virginia during the weekends, though, even in the Spring. She was at every event, Spring practices included. She used to cook at my house for me, even in the summer.
I had a kid during the summer. My mom most definitely, she started coming up to West Virginia more often once I had my kid (laughs). She was making that 10-12 hour drive to come see me.
JM: Wow. There’s nothing like a mother’s dedication.
T.J. Jackson: I appreciate her very much. Having a mom like that, I was noticing that other guys didn’t have that same experience. She was cooking for my teammates and inviting them over to my house.
I had teammates who were also 10-12 hours away from their mom’s and they didn’t get to see them very often. My mom was always trying to be the mom for the entire team.
JM: She’s a special lady. The move to West Virginia paid huge dividends for you. You posted a career-high 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. You took a step forward. What led to the increased production?
T.J. Jackson: Just being able to work with and against other talented players every single day. We had a great offensive line that prepared us in practice. We had the best offensive line in the Big 12 the year before I transferred in. I feel like we had the best offensive line this past season as well.
Being able to work with those guys every day and learn from them, it was an incredible experience. They gave me the keys and tips I needed. They pointed out where I was messing up and what my weaknesses were.
They helped me improve my game. Having the blessing of my coach and that offensive line, it was everything.
JM: How has your pass-rush arsenal evolved? Talk to me about your go-to moves and counters.
T.J. Jackson: I feel like my go-to move is a cross-pin, a low cross-pin. It’s actually a move I learned at Troy from my defensive line coach Eric McDaniel. I learned a lot of pass-rushing moves from him.
When I got to West Virginia, coach Andrew Jackson understood that and I appreciate that he didn’t try to change how I executed that move. They just gave me tips on how I can improve it.
We used to sit down and watch film together every week. We would watch guys they felt I resembled in the NFL. I ended up watching a lot of Grady Jarrett, smaller defensive tackles who move well.
JM: I love how West Virginia supported your arsenal as opposed to trying to change it. Where do teams see you playing at the next level? You have some positional versatility.
T.J. Jackson: What I’ve been told, most of the feedback has been at three-tech. They want me to play inside and get off the ball. I’m explosive with my first few steps off the line of scrimmage. I can disrupt plays in the backfield.
JM: I love watching you on tape. Sticking with this topic, who are some of those teams you’ve been in contact with and heard feedback from? Have you met with any teams throughout this process via visits or workouts?
T.J. Jackson: I had interviews at the Hula Bowl with 20 teams. Every team was telling me they wanted me to be very disruptive. They love how I come off the ball. I spoke to a bunch of teams.
I watched film with the Texans. We had a great conversation. They’re excited about my skill set. They showed me how I’d be a great fit in their defense. The Lions and Eagles spoke to me a lot about their scheme. Those three stuck out.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is T.J. Jackson going to make at the next level?
T.J. Jackson: I’m planning on being a very disruptive defensive tackle. Ever since I was a kid in the ninth grade, I’ve always tried to be disruptive. Even when you don’t make a play, you have to find ways to still be disruptive. You’re not going to make every play, but you can impact every play.
Being disruptive, I might not make the tackle, but I can at least help my linebacker make the tackle at the line of scrimmage. I just want to be disruptive and help my team win games.
