The defensive tackle position remains a key focus for the Texas Longhorns, with just one commitment in their 2025 recruiting class. This led position coach Kenny Baker and the Longhorns to host Lorena’s Jackson Blackwell on Saturday as Texas began their 2024 season against the Colorado State Rams.
Blackwell was in Austin for an unofficial visit, coinciding with the Longhorns’ 2:30 p.m. Central kickoff at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Afterward, he made the 90-minute drive up I-35 to watch the Baylor Bears face the Tarleton Texans.
SicEm 2025 @MichaelTurnerj @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/cjRHsLLcad
— Jackson Blackwell 3⭐️/88 (@jblackwell78) September 1, 2024
Standing at 6’2.5″ and weighing 305 pounds, Blackwell is not only a football player but also competes in weightlifting and track and field. He committed to Baylor on July 1, after making official visits to Arizona, Houston, Kansas State, and Texas Tech, the five Power Four programs that have offered him.
Although Texas has yet to offer Blackwell a scholarship, he remains firmly on the Longhorns’ recruiting radar, especially with only three defensive tackles ranked among the state’s top 50 players in the 247Sports Composite rankings. This year’s in-state class has a noticeable shortage of highly-rated interior defensive linemen.
Blackwell, a consensus three-star prospect, is ranked No. 695 nationally and No. 76 among defensive linemen.
