Washington football lands yet another defensive back

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Chris Petersen (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Chris Petersen (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Washington football has landed its second set of teammates from California! The Lawndale (Calif.) defensive backfield should wear purple and gold throughout 2019

Washington football landed the commitment of highly touted DB prospect Makell Esteen on Sunday, and two days later, they landed the services of his teammate, Elijah Jackson! Jackson is a long, lanky (6’2, 175) corner prospect that defends the other side of the field at Lawndale High.

Jackson perfectly fits the mold of long, lanky UW corners that seems to grow every year. He can follow in the path of Kevin King, Jordan Miller, Keith Taylor, and Dominique Hampton, as the latest player to go through Jimmy Lake’s system and leave the program as another elite NFL cornerback prospect.

His tape shows great football instincts (his eyes are top notch) and he has excellent footwork (playing receiver for Lawndale definitely helps) which helps out the mirror technique that he shows on tape. He also has great athleticism, and his speed for a player his size is very good. He’ll need to put on more weight to play at UW, but he has all the physical traits Jimmy Lake looks for in a corner.

Fit at UW

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Jackson’s fastest route to the field will be on special teams. The Huskies have struggled immensely on kick/punt coverage over the last few seasons, and with some speedy, good tacklers (like young defensive backs) on the field, Washington can clean that up and dominate in all three aspects of the game.

Washington’s defensive backfield is starting to get very deep with recruits, so expect Jackson to redshirt during his first year on campus while he puts on weight and learns under coach Lake and the veterans.

Jackson has a lot of potential to rise in the ratings over his senior season, as there’s about a 500 spot difference between his ratings in the 247 Composite (1,009) and the 247 ranking (539). With another strong season, he can definitely fly up the boards and help the Husky class improve their average recruit ranking.

Congratulations to Elijah on his commitment to UW, and we can’t wait to see him in purple and gold!!