Michigan Wolverines football sophomore wide receiver Giles Jackson entered his name into the transfer portal Monday morning, becoming the 12th U-M player since the start of the 2020 season to do so.
Below, we take a look at Jackson's career in Ann Arbor, how tough it will be to replace his production and some top candidates to take over his duties.
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What Giles Jackson Did At Michigan
A four-star recruit out of Oakley (Calif.) Freedom, Jackson's arrival on campus at Michigan came with plenty of excitement. Jackson committed to the Maize and Blue in September of 2018, before offensive coordinator Josh Gattis took the re fsigns of Jim Harbaugh's offense in 2019, but he fit exactly the mold of the type of wideout Gattis was looking for in his offense.
Jackson is a smaller but shifty slot receiver who is especially good in the open field, which is why he appeared to be such a solid fit for Gattis' 'speed in space' system.
The Wolverines used Jackson from the first game of his career on, featuring him as the kick returner during his freshman year in 2019. He brought back 24 kicks for 622 yards (25.9 yards per attempt) that season, highlighted by 97-yard kick return for a touchdown against Maryland.
Offensively, Gattis and Co. eased Jackson into things. He was in the back end of the slot receiver rotation as a freshman — playing 46 snaps in 13 games — and showed some flashes of speed and brilliance, finishing the year with nine receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown reception, a 23-yard snag on a pass from former Wolverine quarterback Joe Milton in the end zone against Rutgers. He also received 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, which came on an end-around against Ohio State.
Heading into the 2020 campaign, there was a significant amount of excitement surrounding Jackson and his future. The Wolverines lost Nico Collins to an opt-out, forcing junior Ronnie Bell to play more on the outside and leaving some snaps open in the slot. Fans envisioned Jackson being moved into the backfield as a part of special packages, with Gattis trying to get him the ball as much as he could.
Not much went according to plan for Michigan during the 2020 season, and that included Jackson's usage. He was reportedly a bit banged up in the team's opener at Minnesota, with an ankle injury slowing him down, and he never really got going like many expected he would as a sophomore. Then, a leg injury — that required offseason surgery — held him out of the team's final game against Penn State.
All told, Jackson caught 15 passes (third on the team) for 167 yards (also third) and no receiving touchdowns in 2020. The highlight of his season was a 95-yard kick return for touchdown to begin the half and help spark a comeback win at Rutgers. He brought back 13 kicks for 354 yards (27.2 yards per return) for the year, and also served as Michigan's punt returner, notching five attempts for 45 yards.
