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AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn football has added another transfer portal piece.
Sam Jackson V, a quarterback for the Cal Golden Bears, has committed to Auburn, per the Tigers’ social media.
Jackson faced off against Auburn earlier this season, completing 14-of-27 passes for 129 yards and two interceptions. Over the course of three seasons with TCU and Cal, Jackson completed 55.3% of his passes for 696 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
According to the commitment graphic posted by Auburn, Jackson will play receiver for the Tigers. He played high school football at Naperville Central in the suburbs of Chicago.
Over the course of his time at Naperville, Jackson moved around and molded himself to the team’s liking in order to get onto the field. That included switching from quarterback to receiver because of current Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne.
“We play the same position, but [because] I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines […] I tried to contribute to the team by [becoming a] receiver and being one of his main targets,” Jackson told the Central Times in 2018.
Jackson transferred to Naperville from Bolingbrook High School, becoming the only sophomore on that Redhawks squad. He was said to have trained closely with Thorne, with the team environment surrounding the two aiding in their building chemistry.
“I kind of look up to Payton Thorne,” Jackson said. “He’s a great leader, and he knows everything about the game.“
The duo were electric that season. Jackson exploded onto the scene as a transfer, catching 50 passes for 847 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After a stellar 92-yard performance against Naperville North mid-season, it was clear that Jackson greatly benefitted as a receiver in Thorne’s offense.
“To have a guy like Payton is crazy because he can make plays or extend plays,” Jackson said (Naperville Sun/Chicago Tribune). “As soon as I found out I was transferring here we got to work. Payton is a pocket passer who has targets down the field, and he can hit anybody.”
