2021 USC Football Roster
Roster
Drake Jackson
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 250
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Corona, CA
- High School:
- Centennial HS
CAREER: In his career, he has 103 tackles, including 25 for losses (with 12.5 sacks), 4 deflections, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble. He has appeared in 28 games, with 26 starts.
2021: Jackson started for his third year as a junior outside linebacker in 2021. Overall in 2021 while appearing in 11 games (all but California) and starting 9 times (all but UCLA, BYU and California), he had 37 tackles, including a team- high 8 for losses of 35 yards (with 5 sacks for 30 yards), plus 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 1 deflection. He opted out of the California game. He was a quarterfinalist for the 2021 Lott IMPACT Trophy and made the All-Pac-12 second team, AP All-Pac-12 second team, Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team.'
He had 2 tackles and made a point-blank interception to set up a USC TD against San Jose State, then had 4 tackles (1 for a loss) against Stanford. He had 4 tackles at Washington State, including a sack where he forced a fumble in the end zone that USC recovered for a TD to earn Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. He had 3 tackles against Oregon State and 4 tackles (with 2 sacks), recovered a fumble and had a deflection at Colorado. He had 1 tackle against Utah, then 6 tackles, including 2 for losses (with a sack), at Notre Dame, 3 tackles (with a sack) against Arizona, 8 tackles at Arizona State and 2 tackles (1 for a loss) against BYU).
2020: Jackson made an impact at outside linebacker as a 2020 sophomore. Overall in 2020 while starting all 6 games, he had 20 tackles, including 5.5 for losses of 27 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 17 yards), and made an interception. He was named to the 2020 All-Pac-12 second team, AP All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team.
He had 3 tackles (1 for a loss) against Arizona State, 5 tackles (with 2 sacks) at Arizona, 2 tackles and an interception at Utah, a tackle against Washington State, 5 tackles (2.5 for losses) at UCLA to earn Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors and 4 tackles against Oregon.
2019: Jackson, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2019 after graduating a semester early from high school, was impressive while starting at defensive end as a first-year freshman in 2019. Overall in 2019 while starting all 11 games he played (all but Colorado and Oregon), he had 46 tackles, including a team-best 11.5 for losses of 60 yards (with a team-high 5.5 sacks for minus 44 yards), plus 3 deflections, a forced fumble and a safety. He sprained his left ankle against Arizona and missed the Colorado and Oregon games. He made the 2019 247 Sports Freshman All-American first team and Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American second team, All-Pac-12 second team, AP All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team and was Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honorable mention. He was named a 2019 The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-American.
He had 3 tackles, including 1.5 for losses (with 0.5 sack), and 2 deflections against Fresno State while becoming the first USC true freshman to start a season opener on the defensive line since Everson Griffen did so in 2007 (and just the second since Tim Ryan in 1986). He had 3 tackles (1.5 for losses) against Stanford, 3 tackles (with 1.5 sacks), a deflection and a forced fumble at BYU, 8 tackles, including forcing intentional grounding in the end zone for a sack and a safety, against Utah, 5 tackles at Washington, 5 tackles (2.5 for losses) at Notre Dame and 3 tackles (with 0.5 sack) against Arizona. He returned from missing 2 games due to an ankle injury and had 6 tackles (1 for a loss) at Arizona State, then had 3 tackles (with a sack) at California, 2 tackles with a sack against UCLA and 5 tackles against Iowa.
HIGH SCHOOL: He made 2018 PrepStar All-American, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Division 1, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Los Angeles Times All-Area, Riverside Press-Enterprise All-Area first team and All-Big VIII League Co-MVP as a senior defensive end at Centennial High in Corona (Calif.). He had 27 tackles, including 5 for losses (with 3.5 sacks), plus 6 deflections and 3 fumble recoveries (1 for a TD) in 2018.
As a junior in 2017, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Juniors first team, All-CIF Division 1, Riverside Press Enterprise All-Area first team and All-Big VIII League Defensive Lineman of the Year as he had 28 tackles, including 6 sacks, plus an interception, 3 deflections and a forced fumble.
As a 2016 sophomore, he had 29 tackles and 2 deflections. Current Trojans Tuasivi Nomura, Jayden Williams, Gary Bryant Jr. and Korey Foreman also prepped at Centennial.
PERSONAL: He is a communication major at USC.
