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By: LARRY VAUGHT
Drake Jackson says there was a lot to like about playing football at Alabama, Ohio State and Tennessee. However, those three schools did not have one thing that Kentucky did — offensive line coach John Schlarman.
The Woodford County junior offensive lineman said the biggest reason he gave his verbal commitment to UK Saturday night was due to Schlarman.
“He is a lot like me. We both grew up in Kentucky. He played center and I might play center. We are about the same size, or were when he played. He is a great guy and by far my favorite coach I met along the recruiting trail,” said Jackson. “I just never found another coach I related to like him. I have never seen him without a smile. He will get on you but from what I can tell from the guys who play for him, they really like him.
“Alabama and Ohio State are in the college football playoff. I believe Tennessee can compete a high level, too. They're all really nice schools. There's nothing you find about them that you don't like. It's more about what you do like about each school and I just really liked coach Schlarman.”
That’s why he said even when offensive coordinator Neal Brown left UK to become head coach at Troy, it would not impact him the same as if Schlarman had left.
“I love coach Brown, but I will be working with coach Schlarman every day. If he had left, it would have made a huge impact on my recruiting,” Jackson said.
He liked how “genuine” he was treated by UK head coach Mark Stoops and his entire staff.
“I have been about 99 percent sure for a long time that I wanted to come to Kentucky,” Jackson, the nation’s top-ranked center in the 2016 recruiting class, said. “Coach Stoops comes from such a football family. I think he will stay loyal to Kentucky and I see why a lot of guys would want to play for him. I have a good feeling that coach Stoops is going to hire an offensive coordinator that is going to be hugely successful with the talent Kentucky has and will continue to get.
“I want to help bring this program to where we all want it to be. My favorite thing in the world is Kentucky basketball and it would threw a rough patch a few years ago (under coach Billy Gillispie) and came back. I want to be part of bringing the football program back.
“I know the entire coaching staff really well. I have had long conversations with all of them. They are all young guys with energy. (Recruiting coordinator) Vince Marros is the oldest and he knows how to work the cell phones and stuff and relate to guys.”
Kentucky lost its final six games to end the season, including games that Jackson attended. But the losses did not discourage the state’s highest ranked junior player.
"One thing I did before the season is I made a list of things that I wanted to see," Jackson said. "It wasn't really making a bowl game, it wasn't wins or losses. I wanted to see how they competed with other schools, especially top schools in the SEC. And the way they hung with Mississippi State, the way they competed with other schools — it answered my question. They improved, and that's what I wanted to see."
He thinks Kentucky took time to evaluate his strengths as well and remembered his first scholarship offer came from UK.
“In my (highlight) film you do not see all my strengths because we do not throw the ball much,” Jackson said. “You don’t get to see my pass blocking ability. You also have to play differently at tackle and guard. But UK took time to watch me and made it clear early they believed in me.”
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