Movie Theater: Dennious Jackson – On3

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Kentucky needs nose tackle after senior Josaih Hayes suffered an Achilles injury in spring practice. The Wildcats looked for help in the transfer portal but were unable to address the position. A rare pivot to the junior college ranks has now been made.

For the second time this offseason, Kentucky landed a junior college transfer with multiple years of eligibility remaining to boost depth in the trenches. Anfernee fold gives the offensive line another option at tackle. Dennis Jackson will give the defensive line another big option to use as a defensive tackle.

KSR Film Room takes a closer look at the Contra Costa College (Calif.) transfer and what he can bring to the interior of Kentucky’s defensive front.

Attack Power Point

The Evans (Ga.) Lakeside product will be in his third year of college football when he arrives on Kentucky’s campus. Dennious Jackson brings size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) and playmaking strength. The competition in California wasn’t great, but the junior college transfer has potential as a supporting player at nose tackle.

Jackson has some power down the stretch, can break up double teams and win one-on-ones in the run game.

Jackson doesn’t project as an impact player as a pass rusher, but he shows a good long arm swing and consistently displays power from the dropback. Against combo blocks, Jackson plays with a good base and shows some movement skills to split doubles over the middle. In isolation situations, the defensive tackle gets an extension fairly easily compared to junior college competition, allowing him to shed blocks and make some tackles.

Competition for Jackson will be very strong in the SEC, but his size and power will give him a good chance to hold his own as a two-gap zero in Kentucky’s odd-man front.

Interior depth

Kentucky’s defensive line looks very good on paper. The Wildcats have stars and experience on the defensive line and at EDGE. The same goes for the off-ball linebacker position. Defensive Coordinator Brad Blanc has an offensive line that could become one of the best in college football in 2024.

But it needs depth.

Wildcats need a run defender to play behind Keeshawn Money so the rest of the defensive line pieces don’t go to waste. Dennious Jackson will be asked to step into that role immediately. Kentucky will need the junior college transfer to hold his own at the point of attack and prevent centers and guards from moving up to the second level. Jackson has the size, solid lower half and shooting power to potentially fill that role. Kentucky won’t ask the transfer to play a ton of snaps, but they need him to become a useful backup at guard Deone Walker and others to play out of position.

Between 2013 and 2016, Kentucky signed six junior defensive line transfers. Za’Darius Smith still gets paid in the NFL because the success rate for quality starters/rotation players was high in that group. Melvin Lewis and Naquez Pringle were similar, little-known recruits who didn’t have many options but fit the bill for size and strength. Each went on to play key roles in Kentucky’s 3-4 defense. The Wildcats hope Jackson does the same.

Kentucky now has 13 scholarship players Anwar StewartDennious Jackson’s defensive line gives the room another 300-plus pound player to throw into a deep rotation.

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