Giles Jackson Has Come A Long Way In Freshman Season
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines freshman wide receiver Giles Jackson came to U-M from Antioch, California. He traveled a long way to get here, and he has progressed in a big way, since he arrived, to be making the impact that he is currently making for the Wolverines.
Jackson is making a bigger splash for the Wolverines each week and is seeing his role continue to grow. Coming into his freshman season, Jackson knew that every opportunity he would get would be earned.
"I just knew I had to work," he said. "I had to grind every day to get better. I couldn’t expect to play right away. I had to actually grind for my spot and pay attention and [learn that] everything matters.
"I definitely expected it to be hard. I wouldn’t say it was harder than expected, but I definitely knew it was going to be difficult for me and I just had to take the challenge on to do it."
Jackson saw the opportunity to get on the field through special teams, and fully took advantage of it in fall camp, becoming the starting kick returner.
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"In fall camp, I was a gunner," Jackson explained Tuesday night. "All the freshman started playing on special teams. [Coach Jim Harbaugh] told us if we want to get on the field, we have to [play] on special teams. That’s what I did.
"I started catching punts and kicks and as time went, they named me the starter and I took the role from there."
Jackson has returned 14 kicks on the season for 362 yards, an average of 25.9 yards per return. The highlight of the season so far was his 97-yard return for a touchdown against Maryland on the opening kickoff. He made it look easy. He revealed that it wasn't always that easy for him, especially early on in the season.
"I think it does come with experience," Jackson said. "I’ll say, the first one I did I was extremely nervous. I caught the ball and I was like panicking. But now, in recent weeks, I just catch the ball, find where to go and just run through it."
Jackson was honored after his kick return touchdown with Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten.
Special teams coordinator (and safeties coach) Chris Partridge has said that he doesn't want his returners to take touchbacks if they can avoid it. Jackson is on board with that mentality.
"I love it," he said. "When they kick the ball over my head, it's sick to me. I hate it. I hate when they do that. Being able to take it out [of the end zone] brings me joy."
Beyond special teams, Jackson has started to see himself in a bigger role within the offense. That role began to show itself starting in the fourth game of the season against Rutgers when he got in the end zone for the first time on a 23-yard touchdown pass thrown by redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Milton. That touchdown was a step in the process of feeling like he belonged in Ann Arbor.
"When I first got here, that was the thing for me, feeling like I belonged here," Jackson admitted. "It’s just like all these big guys, you don’t know what to do. As weeks go by, you get used to the offense and as things go by, you just feel like you belong here.
"You have to humble yourself a lot. In high school, everybody knows you’re the guy and you can do what you want to do. Here, it’s a reality check. Everybody here was just like how you were in high school, so you have to grind every day, pay attention, take the notes, do everything that counts and just keep going."
Jackson now has 4 receptions for 35 yards on the season. On top of that, he had two end around runs against MSU last week that went for 32 yards, including a 21 yarder. It's the little things that Jackson is picking up on that has allowed him this increased opportunity.
"Just paying attention to detail," Jackson said, when asked about what has allowed him to have his role on the team expand. "You just have to keep grinding, keep knowing what you have to do. Every little thing matters."
Down the road, it will be the players who are currently freshmen that will be the 'big guys' on campus that Jackson mentioned. He says he and his fellow classmates talk about what the future holds for them.
"Sometimes, me, Mikey [Sainristil], CJ [Cornelius Johnson], George [Johnson], we'll all talk about how next year and as time goes on, we'll be the big receivers on campus," he said. "We just got to keep grinding. One day, we'll get to it."
The freshmen on the team have a group chat together. Jackson jokingly admitted that he is the most active in the chat. The group is very close.
"The whole freshman class, we’re extremely tight," Jackson said. "We have a group chat. We talk every day in it. Most of us have classes together, so we see each other every day, talk to each other every day. We all live by each other and we’re all hanging out with each other. We’re all tight."
As far as making even more of an impact going forward?
"I just have to keep working hard, keep paying attention, keep taking it day by day and I'll get better," Jackson said.
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