The top available quarterback recruit in America has come off the board.
After an injury-filled 2022, a banner offseason and a high school transfer to kick off the 2023 campaign, Trever Jackson has his collegiate home as he announced a pledge to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon.
“After I took that visit I knew it was going to be one of my top schools,” Jackson told Rivals. “But then last week, looking at all my options, I knew. It’s really just Lane Kiffin. He has such an explosive offense and he’s such a great offensive mind.
“Also with Charlie Weis and how he coaches the quarterbacks. He’s so in tune with them, so that really helped as well. I feel like I fit in perfectly.”
The Rebels pick up the Orlando (Fla.) Jones standout over finalists Texas A&M, Oklahoma and UCLA and stay red hot on the recruiting trail in the process, adding verbal commitment No. 6 in the month of August. Jackson is also the third consecutive blue-chip recruit to tab the program following key in-state pledges Kamarion Franklin and Noreel White for a group currently ranked within the top 25 of the Rivals team rankings.
Ole Miss, which lost a quarterback commitment in Demond Williams (now pledged to Arizona), is up to 22 verbal commitments in the class.
Jones has had an interesting path to blue-chip status, flashing for 22 total touchdowns as a junior at West Orange High School before some injury issues. In the offseason, however, he was the national breakout passing prospect, ascending through 7-on-7, the Rivals camp circuit where he was named QB MVP in Miami ahead of his quality run at the Elite 11 Finals. There, in Los Angeles, he burst onto the scene through the first workout in winning the RPM competition for best arm strength as well as the ‘rail shot’ challenge against prep and college passers to close out the workout.
“Knowing their offense, I feel like I can learn their offense pretty quickly,” Jackson said. “They say I have the same skills as their last quarterbacks like Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart, like I can do the same things. Make big plays, make those same reads and I have a big enough arm to make all the throws.”
Several new scholarship offers then came in, including from Ole Miss, before Jackson would set late summer trips to Oxford, Maryland and Oklahoma. He already had some familiarity with Kiffin dating back to the coach’s Florida Atlantic days, where Jackson was able to take in an official visit with the Owls as part of his older brother’s party back as part of the class of 2018. Tre Jackson is still with the Owls, in fact.
“I’ll be recruiting heavy, I’ll be wearing my recruiting hat,” Jackson said. “I want to get some more big name players here.”
Rivals Evaluation
As a passer, Jackson’s arm isn’t just about the immense spin rate he can create. He delivers the football with a smooth rhythm and strong mechanics, maximizing his frame in the process. Jackson can work in the pocket and outside of it from an accuracy standpoint, with easy third- level juice to push the ball down the field as needed. He’s also a competent runner when needed, though not the type of athlete one would draw up plays in the gameplan for.
As his senior season gets rolling, Jackson’s only question-mark comes from an experience standpoint. He is currently splitting time with Jones’ incumbent starter and emerging class of 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman on one of the most talented prep rosters in central Florida. Should Jackson take strides on Friday nights, this evaluation will look even stronger for Kiffin and company.
The current QB situation in Oxford may be among the best for Jackson’s skill set, considering he should have some time to develop more depth in his game beyond the gaudy physical traits.
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